We've thrown away the faeries,
And driven out the elves.
Now, we're putting out the stars.
We harbor Death within ourselves.
Me 1970's following introduction to black hole theory
I lost something important when men went to the moon. When I look at the moon now, I don't see the tremulous, translucent membrane. I see a landscape of grey rocks strewn with the rubble we left behind…the rubble we always leave behind. That one small step for man smashed our lyrical, luminous, and mystical relationship with the moon. And whose life is better for the effort? We should be more careful where we step.
Our fate is to live on the planet during frightening and wondrous times. Earth has been a demanding place for humans from the get-go, but somehow you and I were hoodwinked into believing that we would be exempt. Most of us in the upper and albeit shrinking middle class hold the expectation of well-being as a kind of birthright.
Intellectually we know better, but at the gut level we resist the notion that we too could be co-mingled with a drunk driver at an intersection. Our child could be at the next school targeted by someone with an assault rifle. Perhaps it is our sister in seat B-11 who never makes it to Newark for Thanksgiving.
We knowingly build great cities below sea level and take it personally when the sea returns and sweeps away our best efforts. We ignore the fact that we are guests on this planet and boorish guests at best. In that respect, we don’t live in a tender, forgiving world. We never did.
Oh, but the wonder of being alive at this moment. Our time is unique in human history. When Gutenberg published the Bible on his behemoth, crude printing press, who knew? When the proverbial apple fell for Newton, who knew? When the iPad made its appearance, who knew? Who didn’t? We are witnesses to a profound change in the way human beings process information, perceive the world, and relate to each other
Today we are knitted together by the unseen fibers spun of code and algorithm. We watch political revolutions staged and directed on mobile phones through social media applications like Twitter and Facebook.
I’m glad I’m here as an active participant in a fundamental shift of my species, but, unlike previous generations, I’m aware the shift is happening and I'm alternately scared and thrilled.
We are going to places we’ve never been before both within and outside ourselves. We don’t have a guide. Did anyone remember to mark the boundaries and put the cat out? Could we, in fact, fall of the edge of the earth? The physical world and mathematics were the touchstones of our past, but what are our touchstones if technology is changing the way we process information and relate to our perception of reality which is also subject to alteration—not only our perceptions but the nature of reality itself?
I hope with all my heart that we think large, majestically even, that we don’t lose our imagination and our courage. Computer scientist, Jaron Lanier says the issue is not that technology has taken over our lives, but that it has not given us enough back in return. Whose fault is that? Why don't we ask more of the technology we ourselves made ?
Look what we get when we ask. Technology lifts us on its shoulders so we can see the indescribable glory that surrounds this fragile earth, our island home. And if that isn’t wonder enough, it now allows us to hear the music of the spheres. The spheres were singing all along, but who knew? They sing in registers too low for the human ear to hear. We can hear them now and their songs are not unlike the whales’ songs. Technology gave us the means to hear both the whales and the stars singing because we asked.
There is no way back. Forward is our only option. We must tread gingerly, however, for who knows what lies beneath our heel?
If you see a faery ring in a field of grass
Very lightly step around.
Tip-toe as you pass.
Last night faeries frolicked here,
And they’re sleeping somewhere near.
If you see a tiny faery,
Lying fast asleep.
Shut your eyes and run away.
Do not stay to peek.
Do not tell.
You’ll break a faery spell.
William Shakespeare
About the links:
Music: At the site, choose audio.
Stars: Hubble Images: You can stream them to your computer. The images put things in perspective for the rest of the day.
Whales: Enjoy yourself. Site always has whale singing in real time, whatever that is.
Know another good nerdy link? Share it with us who haven't outted ourselves from the Nerd Closet yet...or ever.
