Before I get back to Ann's book I'd like to give you a quick lesson in size.
In the last post I mentioned how fast the earth and our solar system are moving. Those figures pale in comparison to the number which in my mind represents a size issue that might be hard to grasp.
Our solar system, which at the center has a sun. which is a yellow dwarf star, orbits the center of our Milky Way galaxy once every 260 million years.
260 MILLION YEARS
ONE ROTATION AROUND THE CENTER OF THE MILKY WAY GALAXY
260 MILLION YEARS
Now take a moment and remember that there are 100 BILLION galaxies (so far) and we actually have pictures of the ones that we can see.
There's a new telescope that's getting ready to launch on Halloween of this year. The James Webb machine will not only see further into space than anything previously built but will increase our estimates of how many galaxies there are in the universe. The Webb telescope is 100 times stronger than the Hubble telescope and that machine has given us incredible images.
I bring this 260 number up because I want you to stop and think about the size and distance of what we are apart of.
Now shift your thought over to the 10,000 years (so much less than a drop in the bucket) that the human species has been recording and collecting information.
Calmly compare 10,000 years to the rotation of OUR Sun around the center of OUR Galaxy.
NEXT...consider the strides we've made in science over the last 400 years.
The SUN and our Solar System is traveling 450,000 MPH and in 400 years has gone from here . to . on it's journey to ..............................................................................................here.
And while this is a lesson in size it's also a lesson in common sense.
In the new COSMOS book Ann Druyan reminds us of people AND creatures throughout history who have GOTTEN IT!
BEES have gotten it!
BARUCH SPINOZA GOT IT!
NIKOLAY VAVILOV GOT IT!
NICOLAUS COPERNICUS GOT IT!
CARL SAGAN GOT IT!
ALBERT EINSTEIN GOT IT!
The concept of using common sense to develop theories that explain ACTUAL REALITIES is far more important that developing theories that are 100 percent subjective to a vivid imagination.
The fact that this world is dominated by religious CULTS who all claim to know the will of The Creator NOT ONLY LACKS COMMON SENSE but totally underestimates what A Creator might be doing or thinking.
AND THEN ANOTHER NEO-ILLUMINATION ENTERS THE PICTURE.
Neo-Illumination # 10
THE PERSON WHO CLAIMS
TO KNOW GOD'S WILL
SHOULD BE
AVOIDED
And please keep in mind that 7 billion human beings right now are being dominated by some very strong organizations that not only claim to know God's will but believe that divine revelation is strictly limited to their organizations.
*********************
In the Cosmos book Ann points out a new word that is floating around in an attempt to name the new era of human experience.
The HOLOCENE started about 11,500 years ago and now the new term is being referred to as the ANTHROPOCENE.
It's not official but it's gaining steam.
And that brings me back to why I think Cosmos is a very important work.
YOU NEED TO LOOK UP THE PEOPLE AND THE TERMS THAT ANN BRINGS UP IN HER BOOK.
NOT ONLY DO YOU NEED TO READ THE BOOK
BUT YOU NEED TO DO THE RESEARCH.
About 15 years ago I thought the term HOMO-SAPIEN was outdated in referring to what human beings are NOW.
I most likely don't get to name the next stage of human evolution but I thought
HUMA-ANGELICUS
had a nice ring to it.
Reading COSMOS Possible Worlds by Ann Druyan
will hopefully open your mind and your heart to realities that actually exist and more importantly to ideas that will dominate our future.
Michael Timothy McAlevey
Posts
