The Unfathomable Universe and the Quest for MeaningThe Unfathomable Universe and the Quest for Meaning Nicholaus Copernicus and Galileo Galilei, defying the prevailing dogmas of their time, revolutionized our understanding of the cosmos. Their bold assertions placed the sun at the center of the universe, reshaping our perception of our place in the vast expanse. Today, armed with advanced telescopes, astronomers peer into the depths of this enigmatic realm. Our solar system, it turns out, resides in an unremarkable corner of the Milky Way galaxy, one among countless billions that dot the cosmos. The quest for extraterrestrial life intensifies, driven by the possibility that other planets may harbor conditions conducive to sustenance. Yet, the sheer distance between us and potential life-bearing worlds presents a formidable communication barrier. The universe, vast and incomprehensible, emerged from an explosive Big Bang 13.8 billion years ago. Its eventual fate remains shrouded in mystery, with some speculating about a “big crunch” in the distant future. One thing is certain: the stars we observe today will eventually fade into oblivion, leaving behind only the raw materials of life. This cosmic context can trigger profound existential questions about our place in the universe and the nature of our existence. Since we cannot definitively prove or disprove afterlife or divine purpose, we must rely on faith and the wisdom gleaned from our fleeting mortal lives. As humans with finite minds, we grapple with the overwhelming grandeur of the universe. Yet, within us resides the capacity for cognitive reflection and an unyielding desire for meaning. In the face of the incomprehensible, we find solace in wisdom and seek connection with something greater than ourselves.
Nicolaus Copernicus was a polymath and Renaissance astronomer. Between 1508 and 1514, he formulated a model of the universe with the sun at the center and the earth and other planets orbiting around it. This challenged the existing Aristotelian and Ptolemaic models that were accepted by the Catholic Church. Galileo Galilei, another astronomer who lived from 1564 to 1642, agreed with Copernicus. This led to an Inquisition trial and Galileo’s condemnation as a suspected heretic. Thanks to these two courageous astronomers, I can now be assured that the earth will soon have made its 87th revolution around the sun since the day I was born. They did not have the powerful telescopes and other instruments that astronomers have today, which allow them to peer into the far reaches of the known universe.
With them, we now know that its diameter is 93 billion light years. What lies beyond it is still unknown. We do not know if it is infinite. We can never know, because we are looking at it from the inside, not from the outside. Daniele Oriti, a theorist at Ludwig-Maximilians University in Germany, has stated that “trying to understand the mind of God is an outdated view of physics” and “we can only know the universe from the inside.” We do know that our solar system is located in a small arm of the Milky Way. Just 100 years ago, we did not know if there was more than one galaxy in the universe. Then astronomer Edward Hubble announced the discovery of a spiral nebula known as Andromeda. It was soon discovered that it was in fact another galaxy similar to our Milky Way. Since then, new observations tell us that there are hundreds of billions of galaxies in the universe.
A major area of astronomical research is now focused on whether there are other planets at the right distance from a star in the universe with the potential to support life as we know it. Our nearest star, Proxima Centauri, is 4.2 light-years away from Earth. Our location in the universe may not be a barrier to finding intelligent life on other planets, but it does make it harder to communicate with them. Sending a signal and receiving a response would take about 10 years. For now, NASA is developing a telescope called the Habitable Worlds Observatory, scheduled for launch in the 2040s. The goal is to image 25 Earth-sized planets that are close enough to sun-like stars.
The so-called Big Bang occurred 13.8 billion years ago. Astronomers cannot tell us what existed before that. They do know that shortly after that, stars and planets began to appear. The current thinking is that the apparent expansion of the universe will slow down and that in another 100 billion years it will end with the “big crunch”. It is estimated that in about 100 trillion years all the stars will have burned out and any chance of life will have dwindled to nothing. The elements in the periodic table such as carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, etc. that make up matter and some residual radiation will survive, because matter can neither be created nor destroyed. These elements are of course what our bodies are made of.
As humans with brains that give us cognitive abilities, and despite being tiny parts of the universe that seem overwhelming, we have wondered since the beginning of recorded history if there is an afterlife. Perhaps it comes down to the lifeless chemical elements within us. Philosophers have debated the question ad nauseam. Theologians point to ancient scriptures like the Holy Bible. Whatever our beliefs, they must be accepted by faith, because there is no way to actually prove them. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Faith is the assurance of what we hope for, the certainty of what we do not see.” To process all of this with our cognitive abilities requires wisdom. This is what Job 28:1-28 is all about.
Larry Erickson, MD, is a retired dermatologist and resident of Loveland.
