14 billion years in the making

It is easy to perceive that all things will come to an end, especially since death is constantly pending, but we can still appreciate eternity and infinity, which is what the universe is all about. Contrary to what has just been stated it is far more difficult to perceive the notion that there never was a beginning. Infinity into the future yes, but into the past? That is too mind-boggling. Luckily science has come up with a, for the moment, satisfactorily answer: the Big Bang. Although science is not certain to be the ultimate truth it will at least be somewhat more logical.

According to this art form the universe materialized roughly 14 billion years ago with a Big Bang. This is a far greater lapse of time than 4004 B.C.E. which Bishop Usshers’ (1581-1656) announced was the date in question, or what John Lightfoot (1602-1675) put forth as the date when man was created, which took place at nine o’clock in the morning on October 23rd 4004 B.C.E. In this crowd the Brahmas, of India, were closer with their estimation that the creation of the universe took place over 4 billion years ago.

After the Big Bang the universe spent a long stretch of time cooling down till finally, about 5 billion years ago, our Sun was born. Two billion years later life on Earth emerged, still how and when, or even why, is merely speculations. Remember that only a hundred years ago most things science, and society, these days take for granted was considered completely ludicrous.
In the book Starseekers Colin Wilson writes that:

“We know – or think we know – that the universe started with a Big Bang. But that brings us no closer to understanding the universe… Science acts, quite properly, on the assumption that we can only increase our knowledge by studying the material universe, by making our microscopes and telescopes increasingly powerful. But seeing to the limits of the material universe leaves the mystery of infinity untouched, just as knowing what happened in the first milliseconds of the Big Bang tells us nothing of why the universe came into being… The result is a deep sense of frustration, a contempt for the limitations of the rational intellect such as Goethe expressed when he made Faust say in the opening scenes, wir nichts wissen können [we can know nothing].”

Really it matters little why the universe formed in the first place, although it would be extremely interesting to find out, instead what is important is how are we going to deal with it? For example if you go to the theatre to watch a play you could sit there and ponder about the person who wrote/directed it, or you could simply enjoy it. Even better you could get up on stage and take an active part in it. For the most part human beings merely sit there watching, even sleeping, without any notion to even stand up unless nature calls.

This lack of awe is striking considering that, according to Bill Bryson in his book A Short History of Nearly Everything “of the billions and billions of species of living things that have existed since the dawn of time, most – 99.99 per cent, it has been suggested – are no longer around… the average species on Earth lasts for only about four million years.”

All fine then for the human race since we should have at least 2,5 million years left before we, and our sun, if utterly fucked!

Conclusion:
A war about where a border should be drawn is pretty stupid compared to the closed infinity that surrounds us!

© deviadah