Something different, let's have some space...

For some time I have been pretty busy thinking and writing some commentaries of the political scene. But it can be a bit much really although it is important as it influences everyone’s life. The way we earn our bread, the way we are housed, the way we exist. But there are other interesting things around. For instance Space exploration and knowledge.

Looking at pictures taken from the old Hubble and now the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) I marvel at what can be seen. What’s more it generates loads of questions and possible explanations of what we see and how it could have occurred. I mentioned in a past blog article the question of where all the aliens are? Let’s be fair – we are here so it must be possible visualising the Universe and it’s enormous size there has to be an very large number of planets where life has developed. It’s simple probability theory. I think the reason of why we do not see or know about aliens is not that they exist, they do but because the distances are too vast. Our stellar neighbour with possible life bearing planets is light years away. Now it is true to say our technology is not capable of travelling such vast distances in a human life-time. Not unless we were put into something called ‘suspended animation’. But it would be a One-way ticket.

It is also through viewing these space pictures one starts thinking about how big space is. Even what space actually is. We have heard our Universe, well at least the bit we think of as ‘our Universe’, is continuing to expand. But what does that mean? If, as I do, we think of unending, infinite space, our universe is situated in that. Probably with numerous or an infinite number of other universes. If it is true that ours originated from a big bang (sic) then it ought to follow that the outward energy will eventually end. Or it could even be possible to dissipate, meaning some of the galaxies, gas and other material will drift off as gravity cannot hold them any longer. Even more , such material might be captured by other universes.

I know, it is speculation but eventually we might get it right although we will never get to test these ideas. It seems to me the universe is a living thing, there is movement, there is life popping up all over the place. I don’t believe we are the only life. Wherever it has a chance it will begin. And let’s not think that we are the pinnacle of it, in the scheme of things a virus is more powerful. Small, but incredibly numerous and very difficult to combat. Even the tardigrades outnumber us, the most resilient animals known, with individual species able to survive extreme conditions – such as exposure to extreme temperatures, extreme pressures (both high and low), air deprivation, radiation, dehydration, and starvation – that would quickly kill most other known forms of life. The funny thing is, although we may shiver looking at pictures of them, they are more useful to the planet than we, humans are. A bit of a sobering thought.

It seems to me that eventually our universe, ie. all the matter in it will either coalesce again or taken into other universes (there are no borders in space) where it could also start a collapse and form a new black hole of gigantic proportions and start the process again. Ad infinitum.

Well, it is fun to let the mind roam, we are either completely wrong, partly wrong, or are right.