The above photo is of a cartwheel galaxy. Looks more like fireworks. I believe it is one of the photos from the Hubble Telescope. If you want to see some awesome photos of space check out the Hubble photographs, they truly are amazing to look at. The photos on http://hubblesite.org/gallery/ are amazing!
The sheer immensity, diversity and beauty of the universe. At least the parts of it we are able to see. Science is still trying to figure out what all that "dark matter" is that takes up much of space. Black holes and such...dark, mysterious matter, will we ever really understand it?
Black holes always fascinated me, just thinking about them. I'm not even sure if my understanding of them is correct but I've read a lot about them. Supposedly, there is one big black hole at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. And when solar systems get their number called they enter the black hole and... poof...on to another dimension. What that other dimension entails, who knows. Reality is not necessarily what we think it is. Truth probably is stranger than fiction in most likelihood. Some believe our solar system will enter this black hole in 2012, just google "2012 prophecy" to see all the theories that abound. I don't know what the truth is, but it's wild to think about it. These theories are based off of the Mayan Calendar timetables of future history. Who knows.
We all wonder what's "on the other side". Some claim to just know from their faith in a religious or spiritual belief. But the truth for me is none of us know for sure. If we had proof it could be on display and shown to us. The idea of faith is just that, knowing something not on fact but by faith. I respect whatever faith you may have. No one is wrong when it comes to faith.. But I personally put more faith in facts than in faith...that's right I just said "faith in facts" because even what we think of as "facts" may not always be true. The laws of the universe are quite capable of changing or evolving themselves. So what do we really know for sure? Not much really.
We could get previews of an afterlife like movie previews on a dvd. Wouldn't that be great? Free preview of what happens after your life! Just click here. Is it just another dimension? Is there really a happy, heaven waiting for the good and a hell waiting for the bad? Are we reincarnated? Do we come back to finally learn a spiritual lesson we were supposed to learn in another past life? Is the whole universe and thus all life just in a never ending cycle of birth, death and rebirth? That is kinda cool if it's true. No beginning or end...just one unfolding process of change and evolution into the future. None of us got to choose how we came to be in this world so I suppose we don't get to choose the next destination. I think the idea of karma makes a lot of sense...
I always found it fascinating to think about how our own lives were like a crap shoot. Who we were born to, where we were born, what culture and what generation/time we were born in. And economics shows us the vast majority of us end up in the same socioeconomic class we came from. And genetics provides most of the rest of the instructions...environmental factors and choice play a role but so much is predetermined. The miracle of just making it to fruition from millions of sperm cells chasing egg cells...boys chasing girls...leading to the ultimate act of human creation, the birth of a new being. We are all mini-miracles of life. Each unique and amazing. Each life makes a difference in the scheme of things, all events influence other things. Our very existence influences the future of evolution. I love the Ghandi quote, "Be the change you want to see in this world". It is empowering.
Ok, so I got my philosophical questions and thoughts out for the day.. I'm going to sip on a diet coke now. I'm trying hard to switch to only coffee and tea. I drink too much soda and it's not good for me. Another bad habit. All that artificial sweetener is probably not healthy. And I can't seem to drink soda in moderation...so it's on my never ending list of habits that must go.
There is a great little cafe in Baltimore called "Tea-volve". Well, I need to teavolve and do some teavolution.. and drink more tea and iced tea and get away from the diet soda. My mom assures me even diet soda helps one keep weight on.
That's my blog for today. I mentally purged my thoughts, I hope you got something from them or at least the photo made you think about the vastness and beauty of life and the universe. Life is amazing. It may not always be fun but it really is an amazing thing to behold. I am going to do my best to enjoy the weekend and I hope you do to. Peace out and about around the universe.
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Ryle-- I believe we all chose our lives before we took on this human form. You have a starting point and end point that cannot be changed and what you do in between is up to you. There is no way for you not to get where you're soul is supposed to be. You will get there and it may take you 90 years or 90 days. Just depends. We create, promote, and allow the in between stuff-- consciously and subconsciously.
ReplyDeleteJust my opinion,
Brown
Brown, hanks for your comments..it is indeed an expansive topic open to a plethora of musings. Who or WHAT creates this starting and ending point that you mentioned? Is there a prime mover or central force (God?) at play in all of this? The in between time of choice, why only the in between time? Why was no choice allowed for the start phase? The creative force behind all of this must be omnipotent indeed. I certainly agree that we all do create, promote and allow many things in our lives..but the fact that we did not create the beginning of life nor it's ending scheme (in your theory) means more is predetermined than is of free choice. I appreciate your point of view...
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