Physics - Pixels, Moons, and a very long trip...
We have read an excerpt from Carl Sagan's "Pale Blue Dot". Sagan is a master scientist and elegant 'story teller' and he weaves a vivid picture of Voyager's trek through our solar system. One can tell that he certainly did his 'homework' on Voyager and that he has very definite philosophical beliefs on the impact of such a 'fantastic' voyage through space.
We do not have to agree with his philosophies but we certainly can not deny that Voyager was one of the most incredible scientific accomplishments of any era.
Log on to the blog and comment on your feelings and thoughts about the impact of this accomplishment. For instance, has it been worth the money? Does it change you perspective on the solar system and the universe? Should we be exploring our solar system and the universe beyond? How can this exploration benefit humankind? Log any thoughts you have but be illustrative. Don't make 'random' statements or rash comments. Discuss your sense of the reading. Write about two or three good paragraphs. When you are done comment on one of your classmate's postings.
Try to enjoy the process...go for it.
posted by edlegare @ 2:54 PM
1 Comments
1 Comments:
When I think about the Voyager missions, I can't help but think of Magellan. Voyager has traveled farther than any other human space probe ever has, the only difference between Magellan and the Voyager is technology. Magellan had no idea where he was going. Many believed he would simply sail off the end of the world, or be eaten by some crazy sea monster. He didn't care, he had a curiosity that had to be satisfied. Like Magellan, we are all born with a curiosity that is distinctly human. You don't see pigeons staring off into the sky wondering whether there is another pigeon across the universe looking back. Granted, we are a little bit smarter than pigeons, at least by our standard. By the traditional standards of the animal kingdom we must look like idiots, destroying our habitat and killing each other over our minute differences.
I support the space program fully, and I believe that we as human beings have a primal urge to explore. Now that we have conquered planet earth, we are simply looking for a new host. That is the underlying intent of space programs such as NASA, or at least what I believe it is. Subconsciously, maybe even consciously, humans want to find a new planet to conquer. I mean, it is easier to use science to discover a new habitat than use logic and understanding to stop the endless bloodshed that characterizes our species.
Veni, vidi, vici.
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