“Every one of us is, in the cosmic perspective, precious. If a human disagrees with you, let him live. In a hundred billion galaxies, you will not find another.”
― Carl Sagan, Cosmos
“The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of starstuff.” - Carl Sagan, Cosmos
Dear singular fellow brilliant star- stuff human,
Several weeks back I had a rich and spirit enlarging conversation with someone who supports some political and policy perspectives that I vehemently disagree with; and the truth is, I don’t care one iota.
This person I spoke with was neither hateful nor myopic. She did not ascribe to a party point of view and she certainly did not hold fast to being part of a tribe to the point of devaluing opposing points of view. She is generous, charitable, intelligent and fiercely independent in her assessments and analysis of world events. Our perspectives differ. So what? After our conversation I felt that nourishing state-a kind of kind of agape love that embraces the fact that we all differ and that we are all profoundly connected.
And this brings me to the wonders of the night sky and the cosmos we blip through in our short, magnificent lifetimes and Sagan’s “in a hundred billion galaxies you will not find another”.
Below are links to a Sparks In Action episode I recorded with two scientists who study our cosmos. In our fact-filled, fun and lively conversation we explore a variety of topics such as the possibility of intelligent life in the cosmos, an icy moon of Jupiter that spouts geysers, thoughts about human habitation on Mars, the power of the new Webb telescope and more.
Listen on Spotify
Listen on Apple Podcasts
Listen on Anchor:
Or listen wherever you like to listen to podcasts
Keep looking up!
