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.
What I am going to tell you about is what we teach our physics students in the third or fourth year of graduate school... It is my task to convince you not to turn away because you don't understand it. You see my physics students don't understand it... That is because I don't understand it. Nobody does.
The faster you go, the shorter you are.
We are all agreed that your theory is crazy. The question which divides us is whether it is crazy enough to have a chance of being correct. My own feeling is that it is not crazy enough.
Evolution could so easily be disproved if just a single fossil turned up in the wrong date order. Evolution has passed this test with flying colours.
Every great advance in natural knowledge has involved the absolute rejection of authority.
I think that the discovery of antimatter was perhaps the biggest jump of all the big jumps in physics in our century.
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