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News & ArtsThursday, August 13, 2009
Science Today in Humility
Posted by Wm.™ Steven Humphrey on Thu, Aug 13, 2009 at 8:27 AM
Dear Mr. and Miss Fancy Pants: If you're currently worried about something that might be considered wildly trivial in the grand scheme of things, but have kind of forgotten what the grand scheme of things looks like? Here's what the grand scheme of things looks like.
It's a short video about how the Hubble Telescope took a picture of deep, deep, DEEP space called the "Hubble Ultra Deep Field"—which would be cool enough, but these guys have animated the photo and go a step further by making it 3-D, and… well, let's just say this moving image of 10,000 galaxies is dripping with "grand scheme-iness."
Watch this in "full screen mode" and prepare your ego to be reduced just a smidge.
1
"Most important image ever taken?"
I don't think so.
That honor belongs to my cock shot on Manhunt, because it gets me laid whenever I want.
I don't think so.
That honor belongs to my cock shot on Manhunt, because it gets me laid whenever I want.
6
Sagan actually contended that we were the only planet in the universe that had sentient life, and his proof was mathematical formula that was pretty convincing. The only problem with it was that you made an assumption on the total number of stars in the universe and went from there, but if any of your numbers were not absolute zero, or you were off by a decimal point, there were in fact "billions and billions" of planets that conceivably were home to civilizations that had a level of sophistication equal or greater than our own. (They were so advanced that people like LovesChild were an extinct breed!!) As it has been said before, it really does depend on whether you are a pessimist or an optimist.
8
"We pointed the most powerful telescope ever built by humans at absolutely nothing for no other reason than we are curious."
What a great line.
What a great line.
11
@6, Mirror Man. I think Sagan said that Earth is the only planet we know of that had sentient life. He was a stickler for detail. He used the Drake Equation to arrive at an estimate of how many other civilizations there could be out there:
http://www.activemind.com/Mysterious/Top…
He was a stong advocate for a search for intelligent life and was a driving force to promote SETI.
http://www.activemind.com/Mysterious/Top…
He was a stong advocate for a search for intelligent life and was a driving force to promote SETI.
12
@6: Sagan actually said many times that we were very short sighted to think we were the only intelligent life in the universe, because the number of stars in the universe outnumber the number of grains of sand on planet earth. So I think you may have that backwards.
@11 has it right, he promoted the search for intelligent life, his entire life.
RIP Sagan. You are still very much missed. :(
@11 has it right, he promoted the search for intelligent life, his entire life.
RIP Sagan. You are still very much missed. :(
13
@11. You are absolutely right. I should have written the sentence this way: "On the TV series 'Cosmos', Sagan actually contended that we were the only planet in the universe that had sentient life, and his proof was mathematical formula (The Drake Equation) that was pretty convincing." You are also correct about SETI and the rest. Part of the whole science thing is that rely on fact and not belief (Ya hear that, LovesChild?), and while Sagan's belief in extraterrestrial life is/was apparent, as a scientist, he would only rely on the facts. Indeed, he was not only a great scientist, but an awesome human being.
14
It's been awhile since I saw that episode, but I do believe you are correct, Original Monique. I think he did say something to that effect after doing Drake's equation. I would have to watch it again to be sure, but I am willing to take your word for it.
15
MirrorMan, don't confuse "galaxy" with "universe". Sagan never made any case that we are the only sentient beings in the universe.
16
these things have the cheesiest music , but as it happens i was listening to les paul - he passed away at 94 today ( or maybe yesterday ).. and when i stumbled on this video this music drown out that music and it turned out to be quite lovely.. take it away paul and mary....
http://www.imeem.com/artists/les_paul/mu…
http://www.imeem.com/artists/les_paul/mu…
20
@19 Using data they determined the distance of each blip-o-verse of light and put it in a 3d space...then we virtually flew through it.
21
From MSNBC today about intelligent life in the universe: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32403430/ns/…
22
It is a humbling yet liberating video, knowing that someday I too, shall be a photon, flying through the universe hoping to be captured by a stray telescope or two.
23
The Hubble Ultra Deep Field never fails to freak me the fuck out. It's just way, way, way too big.
24
@22 humans can be photons? wtf? seriously? I thought we still didn't really know what photons were.....
25
Ahh. You kids today - "3D" used to only mean your eyes each see something slightly different and the image has the illusion of depth. Like them movies with the funny glasses. I wish these kinds of animations would be given a different description.
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