Introduction
The
universe
has always fascinated us – from the very dawn of civilization,Use synonyms
Body paragraph 1
when everything seemed shrouded in mystery and the unexplainable was the
Body paragraph 2
realms of the gods. The curiosity of the human nature is the driving force of our
Body paragraph 3
accelerated evolution and the reason why we have developed methods of
Body paragraph 4
systematic study – so that we are better able to understand and control our
Body paragraph 5
surroundings. As Sir Francis Bacon said - “
knowledge
is power”.Use synonyms
Body paragraph 6
At the heart of
knowledge
is the search for truth; of the many ways Use synonyms
people
try toUse synonyms
Body paragraph 7
unravel the mysteries of the
universe
, scientific research is deemed to be a moreUse synonyms
Body paragraph 8
accurate understanding of the world.
That is
because, in essence, scientificLinking Words
Body paragraph 9
research is based on gathering observable and measurable evidence by
Body paragraph 10
formulating and testing hypothesis in reproducible experiments. Epistemology,
Body paragraph 11
the study of
knowledge
and how it is acquired, shows us that Use synonyms
knowledge
Use synonyms
Body paragraph 12
gathering is a cumulative process – new theories, no matter how revolutionary,
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have a basis in previous theories.
Body paragraph 14
Saying that things become more complex and mysterious as we acquire more
Body paragraph 15
knowledge
means operating under the false assumption that progress ismeasured by how much we have yet to discover. When humanity is at the startUse synonyms
Body paragraph 16
of the line, in terms of understanding the
universe
and its secrets, progressUse synonyms
Body paragraph 17
should be measured by how far we have come, not how far we still have to go.
Body paragraph 18
We should not compare our current
knowledge
with the sum of all Use synonyms
knowledge
,Use synonyms
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but rather with how little we knew in the past. Take,
for instance
, biology andLinking Words
Body paragraph 20
how much we have progressed from believing that human sickness is a result in
Body paragraph 21
the imbalance of humors, to the current day advanced understanding of organs,
Body paragraph 22
tissues, cells – down to the DNA level. The same can be said for the rudimentary
Body paragraph 23
notions of geography of the past, namely the
idea
that the Earth was flat and thatUse synonyms
Body paragraph 24
the Sun was orbiting around it. Comparing these notions to the current
Body paragraph 25
understanding of tectonics, landscape formation and astrophysics theories like
Body paragraph 26
the existence of dark mater, we can see how far our understanding of the
Body paragraph 27
universe
has progressed, one step at a time. And while we can in no way say thatUse synonyms
Body paragraph 28
we know everything that there is to know, we can certainly say that we are able
Body paragraph 29
to accomplish so much more than in the past, all thanks to a better understanding
Body paragraph 30
of our environment.
Body paragraph 31
As
such
, the amount of Linking Words
knowledge
the average individual possesses, has beenUse synonyms
Body paragraph 32
steadily growing over the ages – the same can be said for our comprehension.
Body paragraph 33
What children learn and are able to grasp in schools today would have been part
Body paragraph 34
of the mystery of the
universe
in the past. Use synonyms
This
increase in Linking Words
knowledge
wasUse synonyms
Body paragraph 35
observed by Buckminster Fuller and named “the
Knowledge
Doubling Curve”.Use synonyms
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He noticed that until 1900 human
knowledge
doubled approximately everyUse synonyms
Body paragraph 37
century and by the end of World War II
knowledge
was doubling every 25 years.Use synonyms
Body paragraph 38
If one were able to travel through time to a period like the Middle Ages, our
Body paragraph 39
knowledge
, technology, behaviors and speech would be seen as witchcraft. LikeUse synonyms
Body paragraph 40
Arthur C. Clarke said: 'Magic's just science that we don't understand yet.'
Body paragraph 41
Part of the issue of thinking that the
universe
becomes progressivelyUse synonyms
Body paragraph 42
incomprehensible is our wonder with the
universe
, which, while understandable,Use synonyms
Body paragraph 43
also
inspires the Linking Words
idea
that true Use synonyms
knowledge
is somehow unattainable. Use synonyms
People
feelUse synonyms
Body paragraph 44
overwhelmed by the vastness and complexity of the
universe
and hold the beliefUse synonyms
Body paragraph 45
that our simple mind cannot comprehend it -
this
psychological phenomenon isLinking Words
Body paragraph 46
called the fallacy of insignificance. Colin Wilson in The Stature of Man claims
Body paragraph 47
that
this
fallacy is an effect of modern day society that conditions individuals toLinking Words
Body paragraph 48
lack self-worth, as a mechanism of ensuring compliance –
people
want toUse synonyms
Body paragraph 49
become part of the system, in order to escape their feelings on unimportance.
Body paragraph 50
People
end up operating on the Use synonyms
idea
that as an individual, they do not mattermuch in the grand scheme of things, which is why they should belong toUse synonyms
Body paragraph 51
something greater that gives their existence meaning.
Body paragraph 52
Last
, but not least, Linking Words
people
want to believe that the Use synonyms
universe
maintains its shroudUse synonyms
Body paragraph 53
of mystery because the
idea
of attaining full, complete Use synonyms
knowledge
is frighteningUse synonyms
Body paragraph 54
– a fully known
universe
is predictable and boring, like professor FarnsworthUse synonyms
Body paragraph 55
from Futurama stipulates: : ”And, now that I've found all the answers, I realize
Conclusion
that what I was living for were the questions!”