For a second time, I proclaim; Science is life.
Through all of human history, our development as a race has been enabled by and spurred on by science. Engineering, Mathematics, Government.
All of this was, and is, because of science. And in many ways it is to serve science.
In the varying fields of science that one might encounter today, there is one common, unifying factor - and it is one that you will also possess, regardless of your standing (or lack thereof) in the Scientific Community.
And that factor is a love of learning.
I do not mean simple schooling. I do not mean learning by reading from a book, though I shall not speak ill of studying in that manner.
I mean learning.
The act and process of learning new things - things that are new to the Human Race as a whole - is the one of the most exciting things any human being can experience.
Do you disagree?
If you do, you're just looking at it wrong.
Because this universe is a very big place. There is so much to know! I am heartbroken that my lifespan isn't longer, purely because it means I shall have less time to know things.
Did you know that there is a frequency of sound 32 octaves below middle C which is low enough that hearing it will kill you instantly?
Did you know that in many black holes, sound exists at a pitch of more than 50 octaves below middle C?
Did you know that it is entirely possible to sail through space? Solar Sails are a real thing, people, look them up! They use the sun's wind to move in space!
Did you know that, everything around you now, everything you look at, everything you will ever experience, is made out of 12 types of particles of matter, and 4 forces of nature? That's - to my limited understanding - Quantum Theory.
All of us! The same 12 miniscule particles! These are the things that form the atoms that form the molecules that form the cells that form us!
Us! The Human Race! This great, strange, beautiful race, with such a terrifying capacity for love and hope and learning! That's us!
Is that not wondrous?
So, indeed, from science, we can tell that we are united not only by our fantastical desire to learn, strong enough for me to believe that we have a duty to learn, but that we are also united by the very particles of matter that form the universe!
We all came from stars, my friends! We are stardust, temporarily in the shape of a person!
And one day we shall all be stardust again.
And between our capacity for love and compassion and attachment, and our fervent desires to learn and know and calculate and extrapolate, and our cosmic origins, forged deep in the hearts of stars far greater than any we can even comprehend...
Between all these great things we have in common...
We're still not friends?
We have all the Solar System to ourselves. We have all this Universe to explore, and discover together...
And... we're still enemies?
Why?
I feel my heart shattering, even as I type this. Is it not part of human nature to learn? Is it not equally part of human nature to love? It is not part of who we are to learn, and love, and love to learn? Are we not the same? Are we so blinded by the things we are told, and the things we see first, that we can no longer open our hearts? Are we doomed to war forever?
No! I cannot accept this!
This is not our future!
I believe that one day, we will be united. I believe that science will take us far into the stars, and that we shall, some day, meet others.
And I believe that shortly thereafter, we will finally realise the pettiness of our Earthly arguments, and unite at long last.
And perhaps we will unite with these others as well.
Perhaps they too will share in our childish excitement and wonder at how big this world we live in really is. Perhaps they will weep for joy when they realise that something their species made, or helped to make, is saving lives, just as we do. Perhaps they will be just as good as I know we can be.
Perhaps we will see all the stars with them.
And with each other.
Planet Earth, upon which the race of Humanity lives, I must conclude that our future - our inevitable, inexhaustible, unstoppable future - lies amongst the stars.
I must conclude that we will one day unite with each other there, that this pointless bloodshed, this foolish classism, this destructive greed, can be laid to rest once and for all, and that love may at last triumph.
And I must therefore conclude that we will need science to take us there.
This post... probably didn't make all that much sense. I wrote it mostly on the fuel of emotion, and that despairingly dangerous thing we call hope.
But I do think this is where we're going, you know. Up, among those beautiful stars. I don't know or care how long it'll take. I know that's where we're headed.
And I'm optimistic. I have faith that we won't always get it wrong. I know we're going to be good, some day. Great or no, we're going to be really, really good. We'll do good. I can feel it.
I'm just so heartbroken that I shan't live long enough to witness it.
Oh, what wouldn't I give to speak with an alien? What wouldn't I give to live a little longer? What wouldn't I give to see all of those fabulous stars?
Sigh.
I do so desperately want to see where this story takes us after that.
Ah. I'm sorry. This wasn't a planned post.
Good night.
~ Baxster Brand
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