Our insignificance
Our perception of Earth's enormity, to the extent that we often forget it's a nearly perfect sphere, is due to our small stature that blurs our view of the apparent realities. To circumnavigate the Earth and return to your starting point, you'd need a potent aircraft with ample fuel to cover the necessary 40,000 km. With a speed of approximately 800 km/h, surpassing any motor vehicle, it would take a precise 50 hours to complete the round trip. If you dared to traverse the globe on foot, maneuvering through 70% of its water-filled surface, it could take you months, if not years, to return to your origin. No one lives long enough to witness the planet's entirety in a lifetime, even if one only focuses on the 30% land expanse.
A photon's journey through the cosmos
Now, let's envisage a scenario where you're riding a beam of light, mysteriously carrying you on a cosmic voyage. Clasp tightly onto its solid shoulders and surrender to the astonishing speed. Barely after a second, before you even grasp the situation, you'll witness the Moon dash past. In another fleeting moment, as you glance back, stretch out your arm, and realize that the vast ocean of life has now diminished to a tiny marble resting on your palm.
The Earth fades into the cosmic darkness
As fifteen seconds pass, your little finger can mask the blue dot we call Earth. Within a quarter of an hour's journey on this photon, Earth and the Moon blend into an infinitesimally bright point, outshining any nearby star. Mars gives a fleeting wave, reminding you that you're possibly 60 million miles away from home. An hour into the journey, Saturn flaunts its perfect rings, while the Earth and its loyal companion, the Moon, have now merged into a single indistinguishable speck, bathed in sunlight. The time it would take a businessman to fly from Rome to New York, you're over 10 billion miles distant. The Sun shrinks and dims, and Earth becomes invisible unless you've brought along binoculars.
Interstellar space
A day's journey, the time required to fly to Australia, and you're already surrounded by a pitch-black sky, devoid of planets, with the Sun seemingly taking the place of Venus of Earth's skies. You think you are in who knows what remote part of space, but in fact you have just turned the corner of a street in the Solar System, more like a small, narrow alley in a large megalopolis than a street. The other stars don't seem to have moved an inch; is that possible? Yes, because just to reach the nearest one you will need more than 4 years of travel, and at least half that to be able to notice, far slower than the Sun's path during a sunny Earth day, the displacement of the nearest ones caused by your enormous speed. There will not be much to do; you will have time to think that lives, screams, wars, voices, but also dreams, hopes, great feats, of which human beings are capable, as well as all that you have seen up to the time you left, are so far away that they are lost in a spot visible only with telescopes far, far more powerful than those on that planet called Earth that peer into the vastness of the Cosmos. You will have much to think about, but even after 1,000 lifetimes you will have explored only one part in 200,000 of the Universe we can observe. You will also have a chance, perhaps, to feel the weight of awareness of something much larger than ourselves; something that makes you sick sometimes when someone, not many, embarks on the same journey as you in imagination.
Voyaging Across the Endless Space
Traveling the distance equivalent to a flight to Australia, you find yourself enveloped in an abyss of darkness. The familiar planets vanish and the Sun morphs into another star, similar to Venus in Earth's sky. One might assume they've ventured into some far-off sector of the universe, but the reality is, you've barely stepped out of the Solar System's doorstep.
This cosmic neighborhood, more akin to a narrow alley within a sprawling metropolis, is vast beyond comprehension. The stars stand still, their positions seemingly unaltered. Is that even possible? Absolutely. Just reaching the nearest star requires over four years of travel. Your incredible speed barely makes a dent in the cosmic scale, barely shifting the positions of the closest stars.
As you traverse the cosmic void, the echoes of humanity—lives, wars, dreams, hopes, and achievements—become distant memories, discernable only through the lenses of powerful telescopes peering into the cosmos from Earth. You will have time to ponder the insignificance of our existence in the grand scheme of the universe. Yet, even after a thousand lifetimes, you will have only explored a tiny fraction of the observable universe.
This journey, imaginary or otherwise, affords you the opportunity to grasp the enormity of the cosmos, to feel humbled by the realization of our relative insignificance.
An Imaginary Voyage: A Must-Have Experience
This journey is not just a mere fantasy—it's a necessary experience. It provides clarity, offering a new perspective on our actions and revealing the true priorities in life. Perhaps, it might even lead you to understand and appreciate the essence of life and the preciousness of time.
From this cosmic vantage point, you will realize our minuteness, akin to that of ants against the might of an elephant. The elephant remains blissfully unaware of the ants, its existence unaltered by their absence.
But don't stray too far. Return to Earth occasionally, sharing the beauty and importance of this cosmic perspective. Encourage others to take a leap of faith, to hitch a ride on a beam of light. The darkness and cold of the cosmos are not to be feared but rather embraced. This venture is not for everyone, but even a brief glimpse into the infinite can profoundly shift our understanding of what it means to exist.
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