stevestory
Posts: 13407
Joined: Oct. 2005
|
| Quote | 15
rvb8February 24, 2017 at 9:11 pm
Fifity years ago the faithful were mocking the ‘many solar systems, vast universe theory’. Thirty years ago the faithful were mocking the ‘many planets theory’.
Today, with ‘many planets’ accepted, the faithful are mocking the ‘habitable planet theory’.
With the launch of the James Webb telescope next year, which will detect elements, complex organic molecules, and take pictures of the planets themselves, I suppose the faithful will mock the, ‘organic compounds point to life theory’.
You are forever being backed into tighter, and tighter corners, and the funny thing is, you do it with eyes wide open.
There is a picture taken from Voyager 1, from a distance somewhere around Neptune, just as it is leaving our tiny corner of the galactic neighbourhood.
You can see this picture at Wikipedia, just enter ‘Pale Blue Dot’. It’s a picture that puts yours, mine, human histories’ and our squabbles, religions, dreams, and our endless childish confrontations into perspective.
Its not a reassuring picture for the faithful, and their fantasies concerning their own importance. For me, as an atheist, it brings great pleasure and an incredibly warm feelng of belonging to creation.
Again, don’t read the extensive rational quote from Carl Sagan. (He recommended to NASA that the Voyager space craft be turned to take the snap.) This quote will only make perfect sense, something I know that goes against the grain. |
linky
|
