Last week National Geographic released video from what is being hailed as the first simulation of the evolution of the universe. In what must have taken thousands of hours of work, this depiction of the universe shows the evolution of early galaxies, beginning a mere twelve million years after the big bang occurred. Take a look:
One can hardly help but be moved by the sight of it, of seeing the universe unfold before our very eyes. No simulation is perfect, of course, but as a representation of the best science available at present it still carries with it a great majesty. Seeing the passage of such an immense length of time is humbling; it reminds us of the brevity of our own lives and puts the hubris of humanity firmly in its place. This is one of the joys of science, the ability that science has to convey wonder to us, from the evolution of the universe and the images from the Hubble Telescope to the sense of deep time that comes from looking at the rocks and fossils of our own planet. The findings of science often have the ability to stop our minds with the impact of it, as we attempt to come to terms with things well beyond a normal human lifespan, beyond even the lifespan of civilizations. Remind yourself, for instance, that more time separated the Diplodocus from the T. rex than separates the T. rex from us. Sixty five million years have passed since the Tyrannosaurus died out, but Diplodocus went extinct 150 million years ago, over one hundred million years before T. rex walked the earth.
Science has given us cars and iPhones, put humans into orbit and cured countless diseases that used to fell millions, but it has also given us an incredible amount of wonder, a fantastic fringe-benefit to all the other good that it has brought us. Would that more people took as much joy in the findings of science as we do in our other pursuits! Perhaps this is a failing of science and many science-minded individuals; in spite of our best efforts, it's a safe bet that a majority of people do not care at all about the wonder of science even while they enjoy all its benefits. That so many people are either unaware or indifferent to the story science reveals is a true sadness. They inhabit a pauperized world, especially the young-earth creationists who live in a land that they've conjured up through their stubborn denial of scientific fact. The world is so much grander than they realize, so much more amazing than they will allow themselves to admit. We are truly, as Carl Sagan said, lucky to live in such a time as this, where we are traveling to other worlds. We are incredibly fortunate to live in an age where science has revealed so many of the secrets that were once hidden. Yet so much remains to be unveiled, and this is the most exciting prospect of all.
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