wonder
6 conversations about this topic.
Astronomy Connects Me With a Greater Sense of Self
There is something special about looking up at the planets, stars and galaxies and the sense of purpose and humility it engenders within me. It is spiritual. Never do I feel so connected as I do when I turn my mind to the vastness of space.
How Covered is the Earth?
When I find myself waiting in the car to pick someone up, I often play a mental game of working out how high the Earth would be covered if everything humankind has made were flattened and spread out. In a sense, melted. My estimate is less than 10cm covering the land and I would not be surprised if it was way less.
The True Scale of a Billion
I watched Avatar today, in preparation for a likely weekend trip to see Avatar 2: The Way of Water at the weekend. Both films have now taken over US$2 billion dollars. As making over a billion at the box office is now commonplace, it’s worth considering the difference in scale between 1 million and 1 billion and from there to 1 trillion.
Half Way To Go
Each time I hear the Sun is 50% through its life and only has 5 billion years to go, I feel sad. If we’re not off Earth and into the Milky Way Galaxy by then it’s all over. Colonising the Solar System is not enough. For humanity it’s less time than 5 billion years. The Future of Earth, gives us a billion years to get the job done at best before the Sun has expanded its influence and engulfs us.
Crazy Coincidence
I have a relatively new car. It’s done just over 3,000km. Here is a crazy coincidence from earlier today. The odometer read 3,000km while I was stopped at traffic lights. The odometer read 2,000km while I was stopped at traffic lights. There are not so many traffic lights where I live that this would be at all likely.
Unexpected Nostalgia
I love things that make me feel a strong sense of nostalgia. Many of us do. Yesterday I watched The Muppets after missing it in the cinema earlier this year (twice in fact). My post on Facebook said it all. I laughed. I cried. I spent most of the movie doing both. A can of TaB took me back to my uncle’s house when my brother and I would holiday there.