Ch 18 Response

Well, this chapter thoroughly confused me in the beginning. It started off with rainbows and moved all the way to the Big Bang. I’m not exactly sure how I got there. However, after reading this article through several times, I came to the conclusion that the main purpose of it is to help the reader put things in perspective. For instance, what is the Earth in comparison to the cosmos? What is the human species in the view of the entire universe? What is our importance as mere individuals? This article is about seeing the big picture and recognizing something larger than ourselves, whether it be scientific or religious.

The images throughout this article are breathtaking. It is awe inspiring to think that these are pictures of our universe, and they look like a cosmic lightshow. Could these beautiful lights and patterns and happenings be a mistake? A mere chance? Or the design of a creator? This article doesn’t say. It does, however, show that the Big Bang is real and supported by too much scientific data to be flatly denied. After all, “The body of science is sustained by the life-blood of free thought, and often grows along unexpected veins of serendipity.” If we close our minds to science, then we will cease to progress.

As for the importance of individuals in the cosmic scheme of things, it took one apple to the head for Isaac Newton to formulate his three laws that have become a cornerstone of science as we know it. One person can make a difference for mankind and, perhaps, one day for the universe.