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User:RLO1729/Universe

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UserTalkThanksUniverse

The big picture perspectives I find helpful while editing

Nine images scaling outwards from the Earth to the observable Universe
The Earth in the Observable Universe
  • Where are we?
The Earth (diameter = 1)
→ The Earth in the inner solar system
→ The Sun (102) in the solar system (105)
→ The solar system amongst the closest stars in the Milky Way Galaxy (1014)
→ Its location in the Orion arm of the Milky Way Galaxy
→ The Milky Way Galaxy in the Local Group
→ The Local Group in the Virgo Supercluster as part of the larger Laniakea Supercluster (1018)
→ That supercluster amongst the nearest superclusters
→ The local superclusters barely visible in the centre of the observable Universe (1020)
→ The Universe (10?)
Our Milky Way Galaxy has 100 to 400 billion stars and at least 100 billion planets.
Our observable Universe has 200 billion to two trillion galaxies.
  • Who are we?
We find that we live on an insignificant planet of a hum-drum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people.
For small creatures such as we the vastness is bearable only through love. – Carl Sagan
Harari's 'secular ideals':
truth – based on observation and evidence
compassion – from a deep appreciation of suffering
equality – fundamentally suspicious of all a priori hierarchies
freedom – to think, investigate and experiment
courage – to admit ignorance and venture into the unknown
responsibility – for whatever we do, or don't do.
  • "i before e except after c" has been disproved by science.