You, Me and the Violent Universe

I just read an article on the recent Astronomical Society conference where astronomers met to discuss the "bizarre and violent" nature of the universe. They describe all sorts of really weird and fascinating phenomena like "rogue" black holes that roam the universe and devour planets, and fast-moving gas clouds 47 quadrillion miles away that will hit the Milky Way in a firework flash of new stars. Galaxy-on-galaxy attacks are described in pretty nasty terms: 'slow strangulation,' 'stripping,' 'harassment.' So it sounds like the universe is not a nice place, folks.

What really drew my attention to the article, though, was the other aspects of the universe that were described. Here on planet Earth, we apparently live in what one astronomer characterized as a 'pretty quiet neighborhood,' shielded from most of these violent goings on. (It would be nice to think that someone or something is watching out for us. Too bad we don't have the same shielding within our own terrestrial boundaries.) In addition to nasty black holes and vicious galaxies, there are "hugging stars," "baby stars" that are born out of nothing, spiral galaxies that look like flamingo lawn ornaments with pinwheels (giggle), and "post-menopausal" stars surprisingly giving birth to new planets. Strangely comforting, isn't it?

Astronomy, like physics, is one of those sciences that I studied in school and didn't see as having any relevance to my life. Yeah, great, so I learned about all these planets and stars and galaxies, and, unless I was going to work for NASA, who really cared?

Yeah, well, education is definitely wasted on the young. Just like I've grown to appreciate that physics is just as much about philosophy as it is about science, astronomy's discoveries about the universe can expand our vision of what life here on earth might be all about. At the very least, when my petty problems are weighing my world down, it helps to put it all in perspective to remember that they don't amount to much when compared to the mysteries of eternity.