Yesterday I was listening to a podcast at On Being where two Jesuits astronomers Brother Guy Consolmagno and Father George Coyne made a statement that greatly expanded my view of the world. They said that about 20 years ago the scientific belief was that the universe was slowly expanding but this expansion was like a careful balance. In the last 10 years that idea of the universe expanding has greatly changed because their data shows in fact that the universe is actually constantly accelerating its expansion. Here is the fact that put my mind on near overload: They said that 75% of the known universe has come into existence in the last 10 years. I went back to the interview to double check this when I got up this morning because it still seems so amazing to me. 75% of the known universe today was not there 10 years ago, wow this is both exciting and a zing of fear tingles my insides as I contemplate this.
Can we really know anything for sure if everything is changing? In this way the two Jesuits talk about ignorance as exciting because there is always so much to explore and learn. They also made the point that this type of ignorance is informed by study and exploration and is about the search for a greater understanding. They both talked about the joy of this type of not knowing.
This has me thinking all kinds of things, will you join me in exploring:
How can anybody be certain they know anything for sure?
Isn’t an open mind essential?
If the universe is expanding are we also?
How can we accelerate our consciousness at the rate the universe is expanding?
At what other levels is this acceleration happening?
Is there danger that we will go beyond what the universe is capable of creating and if so what will that mean to us tiny life forms on a dot of a planet?
How can we tap into this expansion in a way that is beneficial to all of humanity and life on the planet?
What does this all mean in relationship to The Creative Source of the Universe (God, Great Spirit etc.), or whatever guiding force exists out there?
If as the Lucid Living book (several posts ago) proposes, we are one awareness with our individual manifestation, then is this one awareness accelerating its awareness and how do we as individual awareness tap into this expansion?
I would greatly appreciate your perspectives on these ideas. It is clear to me that there is much to learn and explore and that those that are sure they have all the answers are not present to what is going on in the universe.
Here is a delightful video of the stars:http://vimeo.com/10116116