Hubble touches people. When you're looking that far out, you're giving people their place in the universe, it touches people. Science is often visual, so it doesn't need translation. It's like poetry, it touches you.
Interpretation
The Hubble Space Telescope connects individuals to their significance in the vast universe through its stunning images, which can evoke deep emotions without the need for words.
In this quote, Story Musgrave reflects on the profound impact that the Hubble Space Telescope has on humanity. By capturing breathtaking images of distant galaxies and celestial phenomena, the telescope not only expands our understanding of the universe but also connects us to something greater than ourselves. The visual nature of science, much like poetry, has the power to evoke emotions and provoke thought, reminding us of our place in the cosmos and the beauty that exists beyond our immediate experience.
In practice
During a science presentation on the Hubble Space Telescope, one might quote this to emphasize its emotional impact.
It is humanity's destiny to explore the universe. When we start thinking and working on that cosmic level, we will transcend our parochial differences and tribal natures and become global creatures, solar system creatures. Then we will figure out where we fit in.
I came from an extraordinarily dysfunctional family, full of abuse and alcoholism. And eventually everyone within the family had committed suicide.
It is baffling, I must say, that in our modern world we have such blind trust in science and technology that we all accept what science tells us about everything - until, that is, it comes to climate science.
We live on a minute island of known things. Our undiminished wonder at the mystery which surrounds us is what makes us human. In science fiction we can approach that mystery, not in small, everyday symbols, but in bigger ones of space and time.
It's hard to imagine anything more interesting than learning how we're woven into the enormous tapestry of existence. Where did our universe come from? How special is our world, and how special are we? We allocate tens of billions of dollars annually to NASA, NSF and academia in search of the answers.
After a certain high level of technical skill is achieved science and art tend to coalesce in aesthetics, plasticity, and form. The greatest scientists are artists as well.
When I started working with NASA in 1989 as part of a mission to send spacecraft to Pluto, I knew it would take at least 10-15 years to see results of my efforts.
The history of science shows that theories are perishable. With every new truth that is revealed we get a better understanding of Nature and our conceptions and views are modified.
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