Third Planet from the Sun

Last week, NASA's New Horizons interplanetary probe made its way to Pluto and the outer reaches of our solar system, after an almost-10 year voyage. The photos sent back were extraordinary in their clarity and sharpness--an incredible feat across the 3 billion miles.  It gives one pause.  This incredible scientific and technological accomplishment inspires awe and wonder, as does the vastness of our solar system and the universe. 

John Holdren, the White House Director or Science and Policy commented, "Every once in a while, a photo comes along that has the ability to shift not just how we see our place in the universe, but how we see ourselves--not just as Americans, but as citizens of Earth."

Last October, I happened to hear a fascinating TED Radio Hour on public radio, entitled "How It All Began".   A number of scientists, including Spencer Wells and Louise Leakey, spoke about the origins of homo sapiens.  In the long span of our earth's 5 billion year history, humans are a blip on the screen--a mere 200, 000 years.  Approximately  60,000 years ago (2000 generations) our entire "tribe" was still in Africa and dwindling to perhaps only 2000 members.  Humans were on the brink of extinction, but something happened.  We began to move out of Africa and ultimately circled the globe.  However, our DNA remains virtually the same, despite the enormous diversity we see around us.  The scientists who were interviewed hoped that, with this knowledge, humans could begin to acknowledge and honor our similarities rather than focussing on our differences.  This information, too, filled me with awe and wonder.

I love these two examples of science at work because they enable us to can gain new perspectives and insights about ourselves and the world around us and encourage us to focus on our common heritage here on the 3rd planet.

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