What’s Next?
We've stepped out of the caves, discovered how to control fire, and conquered basic civilization. We have forged weapons, and have fought wars. The many things our human race has done is nothing short of extraordinary, yet there is so much left to understand. The more we discover, invent, and quantify, we would like to think the less there is to understand. It seems, unfortunately (or fortunately, if you happen to be an explorer), there are more questions than ever before confronting us.
Earlier this afternoon, NASA announced it had discovered that a supernova 26,000 light years away is approximately 106 years old. I believe there are some people around that are still alive when this supernova was born. Thinking past how significant of a find this is, and what it means for astronomers, I began feeling inspired.
As I walked outside, I looked up and saw a commercial plane high in the sky, carrying several people through the air as it bounded for its destination. I looked to my left and saw a tall building that manages to fit several hundred people, and to my right were markets and clothing outlets. 'How amazing,' I thought to myself, 'that one day, right in this very spot, there was nothing at all. No buildings, no people. Just land.' We have conquered advanced civilization, and the basic understandings of not only our own planet, but our place in the universe as well. We obssesively stare at the night sky, knowing that because we have explored past the mountain in the distance, because we have took to the air in flight, what lies next is the biggest challenge we have ever faced.
The universe. Galaxies, dark matter, black holes, supernovae, and even other planets similar to our own are what await us all, and I could not be more excited. It is woven into the human tapestry: Explore.