Supernovae- The Sperm of the Universe

Published December 29th 2011
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Now that I've got your attention...

The universe amazes me. When I take the time to really think about what we know and how much left there is for us to discover I get choked up. Life is a miracle.  The odds of everything being perfect for life on earth is astounding.

Let's think about this. If the earth was any closer to the sun not only would it be hotter but any water would evaporate. As you know, water is the key to life.  If the earth was any further from the sun then it'd be too cold for life as we know it.  Somehow the earth is the perfect distance from the sun to harbor liquid water which was/is important to evolution.

The other planets in our solar system act as body guards against asteroids.  An asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs and about 90% of life on earth.  If these planets were not where they are today the end of the world would have happened already. We owe our gratitude to do the big gassy giants for devouring danger in a single bite. Especially Jupiter.  Without Jupiter's gravity asteroids would hit the earth 1000 times more frequently.

Then there is the whole idea of our solar system being in the perfect position. If our solar system was any closer or further away from the black hole in the center of our galaxy our orbit would not be the same, neither would the position of our planet... among other things.  (Wish I wasn't drawing a blank right now or I would go into more detail).

So now imagine how we came to be.  A supernova occurred and with it the formation of our galaxy.  It was a long, vicious period of time, but here we are.  A bunch of little moon like "planets" were created from a supernova, and those "planets" crashed into one another creating fewer, larger planets.  This happened several times until the planets we know today were formed. Everything else that didn't become a planet is now in our asteroid belt.

Every element on our earth is all from an exploding star...even down to the iron in our blood.  Supposedly elements such as iron, gold, platinum, etc. can only be formed by the high heats of supernovae. Everything is made up of star dust.  When we look up into the night sky we are literally looking at our parents.  We are all born from the stars.

Mind blown.

After thinking about what we do know I like to think about the things we have yet to discover more about.  Like dark energy.  We know dark energy exists, yet we can't see it, touch it, or detect it.  If dark energy can exist why is the thought of spirits so far-fetched? Or how about the thought of nothing turning into something. The nothingness that existed (existed? Does nothingness exist if it is nothing?) before the big bang came out of nowhere (came out of somewhere?).  Or how the universe is, as far as we know, infinite.

My favorite thing to think about, however, is how everything has an end.  We may have stability for the time being but our solar system isn't going to stay stable.  It is only a matter of time until our sun dies.  And when it does it will be taking the earth out with it.  Everything we know, every technological advancement we make, history we record, everything will perish.  It doesn't stop there, though.

With the "death" of something in the universe, it only brings about evolution and change.  Some stars die and become white dwarfs.  So the star itself isn't actually dead it has just taken another form.  Other stars larger than our sun turn into black holes.  We don't know much about black holes but there are theories that black holes themselves could be the beginning of another big bang for a new, alternate universe.  Either way, the black hole is another form of what was once a star.
Also remember, energy never ceases to exist... so our energy must go somewhere.
After considering all of this (and other facts I can't seem to recall as I am writing this, my apologies) I am always so humbled and moved.  We are all so small in the big scheme of things.  We are beyond microscopic in relation to the universe.

I am so thankful to be alive during the time where our solar system is stable and during a time where we are finding real answers to "Where do we come from?" and "How?". It is good to be alive.

If you would like to learn more from people better capable of understanding and explaining this information to you, I highly recommend watching The Discovery Channel's "How the Universe Works".  I have watched MANY shows on the universe but there is something special about this one.  Another favorite is "Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking".  Both these shows can be found on Netflix streaming.  But if you are tech savvy I am sure you can find other free "legal" ways of obtaining these shows. ;)

Sorry if this is a bit scrambled...

Published June 12th 2011
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I can't help but to have a fascination with the dead and after life. When I was four and a half I had my first paranormal experience after my mother passed away.  Since then I have experienced many different kinds of encounters.

I often ponder what happens to us when we die.  I know energy never ceases to exist and we are made up of energy. But, what happens to our energy? What happens when we no longer inhabit a home (the body) that supplies us with senses and consciousness? As of right now our energy is attached to earth and when earth ends our energy will then survive elsewhere in the universe. Our energy lives on and in that sense we are immortal... but is our energy our soul? Do we even have souls? If there are such things as "inteligient hauntings" where the dead are aware of their surroundings as they inhabit earth, what will happen to them when earth no longer exists? I can't even begin to imagine what the other side may or may not look like and if we can even see it, feel it, sense it?

When I watch Ghost Adventures and they speak out loud to the spirits asking "is there anybody in the room with me right now?" how can it be assumed that the other side looks anything like the room they are in? I understand asking that question is part of trying to figure it all out and that they want to understand the other side just as much as I do... without dying. I ask the same dumb questions when I do investigations as well.

I try to imagine all the tests that have been conducted over the years to prove the existence of the soul. I also think about the scientists trying to raise the funds to conduct new, more advanced tests.  I think about the mystery behind death as well.  Think of all the things we can do with science. We have neurogensis with suspended animation and the regrowth of dead brain tissue. We can regrow the brains of comatose head trauma patients until they wake up and walk around again. We can transplant organs, use stem cells to help organs become like-new again. We can do so much - EXCEPT- bring a perfectly healthy body back to life. Even if the organs and everything were in perfect working condition there is no way (as of yet) that we can bring life back into the body.  Why? Does this show us that there is more than just a working engine (our body) that is needed to give us life? If so, what is it? Where does it go when we die? And how can we try to get it back?

I also wonder if the hadron collider is going to help us discover more about the after life or alternate universes?

I could bring many other questions, theories, and thoughts up... but I prefer human interaction on the subject.

All I do know is that life is a miracle. Every day that we awake to another is a blessing.  We are never promised tomorrow. Anything at anytime can and sometimes will happen to you. There is no "eh, it'll never happen to me."  You never know what is going to happen. Nothing is certain and nothing is forever. Knowing this I appreciate life, all life, and the short amount of time I have to be a part of something bigger.