Tuesday, January 31, 2017
February 1st Post
I dont think that the authors ideas would be helpful for day to day life because he is just talking about space and everything in it. He doesn't give any insight on how life would be easier lived from day to day. While what he is saying is interesting, I dont think it is great advice on how to live. However, I agree with what the professor says which the author disagreed with. When I hear or see things about the universe and how big everything really is, it does in fact make me feel very small. People tend to feel small when they hear that stuff because we don't usually think about the universe and how big it really is. It can actually get scary to think about because we don't know what is out there and if there is life and other things. It is for those reasons and more that I agree with the professor when he says people feel small after watching that show. While his ideas are very fascinating and informative, he gives no true advice to people. He is just being very informative in the way that he tells us his ideas about the world/universe and how he thinks people form their ideas. I think its interesting when he refers to mankind as being not too distant from the animal kingdom. I dont necessarily agree with him. while I think that more people should think about nature in that way so that we can care about it and take care of it, I also think that we should separate ourselves because there is a line that shouldn't be crossed. the line I am referring to is the line that shows our humanity. Humans need control in order to survive. There is a gap that exists between animals an humans and it is that we are able to think for ourselves and form our own opinions.
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I believe the insight is for all of humanity and not making life easier for a single individual but rather humanity as a whole. Tyson suggests that an understanding of the universe and the connection to such will expand humans ability to understand the connection between the cosmos and humans(1071). The advice is a goal so that humans will not continue to destroy themselves and Earth.
ReplyDeleteAshton, while I commend your take on this article, I believe that there is so much more to it than you saw. It seems that you and I have different opinions on the cosmos and how they effect our lives personally. I like how Tyson eludes on the idea that we have no idea where we came from and that we must continually keep that in mind. Yes, like you said, we are so very miniscule compared to the rest of the ongoing universe. But I do not think that is something we should let stop us from expanding our views and accepting things that are out of the “ordinary”. In my opinion, Tyson’s advice for day to day life is to question everything and to keep learning more and more about science, math and even English! In the cosmic perspective we must keep our minds open to gain intellect and compare ideas. We must have the ability to rule out right from wrong, truth to dismay. I can only hope that people continue to wonder and explore, because without these abilities our world would be ignorant to something that is so much larger than us: Space.
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ReplyDeleteI feel like your opening statement is an “at first glance” kind of opinion when talking about this writing. This piece of writing itself was not meant to be a step-by-step exact form for how we should live our lives; the writing instead leaves itself up for the reader to give it personal meaning or direction with how to interpret the information. However, I feel like you truly do understand the writing and the need for interpretation of this when you talk about agreeing with the feeling small after the action of “detaching” from oneself. Yes, we are small beings in the grand scheme of things but in our personal lives we typical don’t feel small because we are the biggest matter in our own lives. This is a great example of how our author is at first changing our original perspective that we began reading with. The points and statements brought to us in the writing our ones that may actually have questioning our own being or humanity, this I feel is what the author actually wants. It may seem strange that though he speaks of living our lives a certain way but is actually subconsciously influencing us towards a different direction through his use of language.
I was reading Team Unicorns blogs about Cosmic Perspective and as I read them all, including yours, there was something you pointed out that I certainly agree with. You mentioned about the disagreement the author had with the professor and I disputably side with the professor as well. Listening or observing about how big the universe is can really put things in perspective. Let us reduce the scale to the whole American continent, including South and Central America. Personally, I do not really travel to places. I think Texas is pretty big, which is why when I actually witness the true humongous size of our surroundings all together it astonishes me. Even more when it comes down to how vast and unexplored our oceans are. That truly frightens me. Now, just imagine the universe? That is bizarre.
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