Wednesday, May 2, 2012

"Thou Art God . . ."




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A few days ago I received, via email, the following:

RELEASE: 12-131

NASA'S WISE CATCHES AGING STAR ERUPTING WITH DUST

WASHINGTON -- Images from NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) reveal an old star in the throes of a fiery outburst and spraying the cosmos with dust. The findings offer a rare, real-time look at the process by which stars like our sun seed the universe with building blocks for other stars, planets and even life.

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

I shook my head and wondered how many U.S. citizens would read that and then be even more convinced that Mankind was a truly wondrous creation to have evolved into beings who can be so easily led to believe that such insignificant guesstimates are, in the long run, meaningful.

Or that it has any effect on the price of a cup of coffee.

Or whether J. Proctor Witherspoon gets laid tonight.

Or not.

Read all about WISE here

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WORD FOR TODAY

hubris [hyoo-bris]
noun
excessive pride or self-confidence; arrogance.

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BORN ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY



Born May 2, 1936


ALSO



Born May 2, 1885
Died Feb. 1, 1966

Hedda Hopper was one of America's best-known gossip columnists, notorious for feuding with her arch-rival Louella Parsons.



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The discovery of truth is prevented more effectively, not by the false appearance things present and which mislead into error, not directly by weakness of the reasoning powers, but by preconceived opinion, by prejudice.
--Arthur Schopenhauer

1 comment:

  1. Gene, You must realize that by mentioning J.P. Witherspoon here on your website, a Google search for the same person's whereabouts (not sure if J.P. is male, female or a form of galvanized neutrality), your website comes up second only to the Boston College Library's site. Well done! As for significant discoveries, last evening I looked through my $250 pair of binoculars and observed Engelbert Humperdinck spraying the universe with cosmic dust. My conclusion -- incontrovertible by any sane man's measure -- is that Englebert, not J.P., got laid last night. This fact is proof enough that at least certain members of the Mankind Fraternity of Heroes are wondrous creations. Fer chrissakes, if you find it impossible to believe in a Supreme Being, at least admit that a still sexually active Englebert is worthy of worship.

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