The other story had to do with NASA's spacecraft "Deep Impact" crashing intentionally into a comet. What impressed me about this story was some of the statistics invovled -- statistics that the average person may not easily be able to grasp. For example, the impactor hit the comet at 37,000 kilometers per hour. Wow, how fast is that? Well to help us think about it a little more easily, we can add the fact that the spacecraft travelled 133 million kilometers (wow, how far is that?) from the earth over a six month journey. Now, that's helpful. And the force with which the two (craft and comet) impacted was equal to five tons of dynamite exploding (now that's something I come across everyday).
So what did they find? Well, for starters they were wrong about the shape of the comet. It isn't a pickle-like structure but more like a potato, a muffin, or a loaf of bread -- lumpy and pocked. Trapped gas and debris spewed from the comet's inside. Scientists estimate the cloud of dust make take weeks to disappear from the scene for a clearer view. They also believe that the comet has trapped ice inside which may be carrying the ingredients of the solar system's origin. They state as fact that a giant cloud of gas and dust collapsed to create Earth's solar system about 4.5 billion years ago, and comets were formed from the leftover building blocks.
Implications: I marvel at the amount of money, time, and resources we spend trying to figure things out when millions in our world live in poverty, hunger, and disease. I'm not against such research mind you, but it makes me wonder how much further we would be if we also took into account some of the sacred writings we have available to us -- like the Bible; and, rather than assume it is myth, be guided by it for our research.
I'm also amazed at how 'small' we here on this planet really are and how magnificent the heavens are. Yet in all our research, we have found no actual hard-fact evidence of any intelligent life. We are indeed unique and special. The Bible addresses both the magnitude of the heavens and the uniqueness of earth and its inhabitants. Maybe we should take a look at that and what it implies. If God exists (and I believe he does), then why earth, why us?
Surely the Creator had a design for us! He does, and he saw to it that we could discover it if we really wanted to. We would do well to investigate some of his communications to us.
It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.
I'll tell you what I'm amazed at. I'm amazed that right after someone says he's in awe of how big the universe is that he would turn around and assume that we've really done any research at all. We've looked at a few things in our solar system. Some telescopes see things a little further out in our galaxy. Our galaxy is like a grain of sand in the universe. No one can lay any type of claim to our uniqueness as intelligent life in the universe. It's impossible with any reference.
ReplyDeleteNo one assumed no research was done or that a lot was done. Some research has been done and there are groups that are always "listening" for intelligent life. All I said was there was no evidence and until you or anyone else can show there evidence that other life exists, we are and will be unique.
ReplyDeletei won't believe the earth isn't the center of the universe, and don't tell me the earth isn't flat either. Prove it, it isn't true until you show me evidence. And come on, who would believe in intelligent design - show me evidence.
ReplyDeleteWhat you or I believe is irrelevant. I won't believe in electricity because no one can prove it or show it to me. I won't believe in high-speed internet because there is no way that all those images can go through the waves that quickly without being mixed up with each other. So none of those things really exist until someone proves them to me. I'll go to my grave arguing that . . . and no one will show up at my funeral because they won't know I'm dead since there's no electricity or high-speed internet to communicate with. So, dear reader, you can think what you like, too. But one parting shot, partly in answer to your last exclamation -- you my dear friend, are all the proof I need of intelligent design -- unless of course, you too, don't exist.
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