Wow!Several weeks ago, when I was at the end of my rope, dangling over a bottomless pit of despair, I received an email which pointed me to a wonderful video, where - upon visiting YouTube - I found another. They were from the Symphony of Science web site. I signed up for their e-mail notification messages. Today, an email arrived telling me about the latest video, and once again I found another one. The first two videos snapped me out of the downward spiral, which started me on the road to recovery. I have long admired Carl Sagan, so am happier than a pig in mud with the new videos. Hope you like them as well.
12 comments:
Nothing like a little bit of hushed awe to start the day...!
Yes, I agree, Steve. Goes very well with standing in a small sunbeam.
:)
Oh, yes--synchronicity! We both blogged about Symphony of Science yesterday! Aren't they cooooool?!?
I too find this stuff immensely encouraging---and, as Sagan says, exhilerating. Good stuff to have handy in the dark...
Fresca:
Re: "Good stuff to have handy in the dark..."
Yep. The best flashlight around and you don't need batteries!
:)
I have just read your comments on BB’s blog. Have you not thought about giving the backpacking thing a try now? I’m not sure if you have commitments that would prevent this, or whether there are any physical limitations, but for me I would be hard put to let things get in the way of what I want to do.
When I walked Lands End to John o’Groats you may be interested to know that after seventy seven days when I got back home I found I was much better off financially (and physically) than I was at the beginning. I had hardly spent any money other than on food.
I’m not sure if you would realise the concept of that walk – it was from the furthest point southwest to the furthest point northeast in the UK.
Remember one of my mottos – “do it now”.
Sir Hugh:
Your blog and journal are inspiring. Since I have been reading your journal, the old dream from my hippie-wannabe days keeps popping up.
I can't make that dream a reality yet, but I can set it as a goal and work towards it. Something to keep me looking forward, instead of backwards.
:)
We are indeed stardust- what a beautiful thing to know! The universis so vast and wonderful- it helps me to know that God is in his heaven and everything is as it should be.
I've seen these previously but was delighted this morning to note they're still very popular and have been watched by millions. I believe there's a great public longing for transcendence that's being denied by those who control the money in our world. I miss Sagan too but I think what we all miss is the reinforcement of our best dreams. A few months ago I read a book by Robert Lanza, called 'Biocentrism' that you'd be likely to enjoy. Dr. Lanza has qualifications at least equal to those of Drs. Sagan and Feynman but the opportunities for theoretical scientists to be given a public media forum are much less. It's unfortunate but thankfully not an insurmountable problem for interested individuals - just too bad for the society at large. Hopefully, what we need to know filters through by other pathways.
I heard old Carl lecture once or twice in my grad school days--great storyteller. For those of who are fascinated by cosmology, it's hard to fathom how so many people's lives can begin and end at the mall, or between channel 02 and 9999.
Biophilia, by EO Wilson, is also deeply inspiring. There is good evidence from cognitive pysch folks that if kids aren't exposed to nature in a significant way by the age of 12 or so, they might never "get it." Cf. the book Last child in the Woods.
Deedee: I've always liked that idea, too, and I take comfort in believing whatever forces are at work in the Universe are as it should be.
Hope things are picking up in your corner of the world.
"...I think what we all miss is the reinforcement of our best dreams."
Sagan was one of those who did that for me. So was Asimov.
So, for that matter, was I. I used to reinforce my own dreams with action, but have let myself down in the last couple of decades or so. Time to change that, get back on track.
I've added Lanza's book to my wish list at Amazon, but perhaps I can find it at the library. Thanks for the tip, Susan.
Ecorover:
Hope your knee heals swiftly. That was a nasty wound.
Thank you for the book tip. I have concerns that my grandson won't know the joys of the wild before the wild is gone. I also think a healthy relationship with mother nature might help with his Aspbergers...can't hurt.
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