Our Place in the Universe

We, as a species, have the tenancy to believe we are the center of the universe, either literally or metaphorically. After all, we have the distinct ability to manipulate our surroundings, whether it's turning a cotton plant into a large shirt or turning an iron lump and a tree branch into a hammer or screwing up the planet via WMD's and global warming. We, however, cannot determine whether there is extra-terrestrial life out there. We cannot stop killing our brothers based upon differences of opinions. Hell, we cannot even agree on something as obvious as global warming. To put our planet, our species, and our arguments into perspective, here's a little collective of pictures. We start off with the comparison of the sizes of Earth, Mercury, Venus, and Pluto. (Just as an FYI, all of these images are to scale. These are authentic photographs of models of planets and stars.)

In this image, we feel quite snug in our place in the scheme of things. But wait, that isn't the entire universe. Here, I will add the other four planets of our own solar system.

Here, we aren't so snug. But wait, there's more!

Oh, you can barely see our planet from here. But then we go further out.

You can't even see our planet from here. You can barely see our Sun from here. But then we go further still.

Huh. One would have to zoom in on this picture many times to just a few pixels to be able to see our parent star from here. Since our star isn't that big even compared to other single stars, and knowing that there are other stars as puny as our own in this very galaxy alone, how can we be certain there is nothing out there, somewhere out there? We can't be. Not until we search this universe with a fine-tooth comb. Seeing how small we are compared to the whole scheme of things, doesn't it seem pathetic that we keep killing based upon differences in worship and opinion? It sure as hell does to me. Take that as you will. -[alpha]{BETA}[delta]