The Pale Blue Dot...or a Matter of Perspective

When Voyager turned around and took a picture of earth from the other side of Neptune it started a chain of opinionated rhetoric about our existence and the possibility of extraterrestrial life. Carl Sagan, of course, led the charge and used the image to amplify our insignificance as a species from the perspective of the 'backdrop' of the universe. I am not convinced of our insignificance 'according to Sagan' but I will admit that we do appear small as compared to all of space. If anything this picture tells that Ptolemy's geocentric universe and Copernicus' heliocentric universe are just theories along the way. And we know now that they are not true. Ah, but for the process of scientific inquiry...hypothesize...test...re-hypothesize...etc.

Voyager was an amazing feat of modern engineering but the rules for space travel were established by Johannes Kepler and Isaac Newton during the seventeen century. This fantastic journey has allowed us to become acquainted with our solar system neighbors. It has provided us with vital clues as to the existence of life outside of the earth. And it has brought us even closer to the reality of humans traveling on long term space missions.

I don't agree that we are insignificant because we are small. We are significant by the mere fact that we can send Voyager across our solar system and beyond. We are significant because we can dream and wonder and accomplish our goals. We are significant because we are alive and sentient...and because we can learn.

The scientific and engineering accomplishment of the Voyager program is astounding. The application of Kepler's laws of planetary motion and Newton's law of gravitation is a validation of the scientific process and is an imperative mandate for all of us to ask questions, render hypotheses, and learn from everything we see and do. Remember the scientific process skills.