Why Are We Here?
NASA's recent announcement surrounding the OSIRIS-REx mission has not just enthralled the scientific community but has also reignited some of humanity's age-old philosophical questions in me.
Before taking you into my deep philosophical thoughts about why we are here, let me briefly touch upon the specifics of the mission. NASA's spacecraft, OSIRIS-REx, successfully landed on asteroid Bennu, a monumental accomplishment for many reasons. Just think of the engineering involved in navigating and landing on an asteroid with the gravitational pull of a wet noodle and a surface about as predictable as my mood on any given Sunday. This mission will provide us with invaluable insights into the formation of our solar system and the origins of life on Earth.
Which brings me to that ancient question: Why are we here? I inadvertently confront that profound question with every breakthrough in understanding the cosmos. Why are we here? OSIRIS-REx's success pushes this inquiry to the forefront, urging me to reexamine my place in the vast universe again.
If I zoom out and consider the immense scale of the universe, with its billions of galaxies, each hosting billions of stars and planets, the sense of the insignificance of worrying if my morning coffee is getting cold while I wait for my husband to join me for breakfast causes an overwhelming urge to burst out laughing.
Missions like OSIRIS-REx exemplify human curiosity and our relentless drive to seek understanding despite our seemingly minuscule place in the grand scheme of things.
In this vastness, the fact that sentient beings on a tiny planet orbiting an average star in an ordinary galaxy can develop the capacity to ponder their existence and explore the universe is awe-inspiring. Perhaps our quest for knowledge and understanding is an intrinsic part of our purpose.
While science explains how things work and came to be, philosophy delves into the meaning and purpose behind these phenomena. OSIRIS-REx, in this context, bridges the gap between these disciplines. It represents human achievement in understanding the universe (science) and rekindles the quest for meaning (philosophy).
As the world of science celebrates the success of OSIRIS-REx and eagerly awaits the insights it brings about our cosmic past, I sit with my lukewarm coffee, reflecting on the broader implications of such endeavors. While I may never fully answer why we are all here on this spinning rock, pursuing such answers and maintaining the insatiable curiosity to define our human experience is truly something I hope is never lost when worrying about the insignificant.
