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How does it make you feel? The insignificance of our existence, everything that we ever did, or will ever do. There's a nice write up on building a model for t

by roansh 4y ago

How does it make you feel? The insignificance of our existence, everything that we ever did, or will ever do. There's a nice write up on building a model for the scale of universe: https://ciju.in/posts/a-play-with-universe https://ciju.in/posts/a-play-with-universe And another one on visualizing time and big numbers (not as nice:) ): https://rohitshinde.in/blog/visualizing-universe-time-relativeness https://rohitshinde.in/blog/visualizing-universe-time-relati...

00deadbeef 4y ago
Remember, when you're feeling very small and insecure, How amazingly unlikely is your birth; And pray that there's intelligent life somewhere out in space, 'Cause there's bugger all down here on Earth!
OtomotO 4y ago
> How does it make you feel? The insignificance of our existence, everything that we ever did, or will ever do. It (that knowledge that everything I will ever do is absolutely irrelevant on the grand scale of things) makes me feel more powerful than ever and let's me split the relevant stuff from the irrelevant. Instead of running after one dopamine rush and living my life at 200km/h I enjoy it more. It takes a lot of pressure away. Maybe being a stoic helps too :D
- roansh 4y ago
  Haha. yes, nice one. Fits in line with Albert Camus's viewpoint which puts a positive light on it, in similar fashion https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQOfbObFOCw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQOfbObFOCw But I am also coming to a conclusion that we shouldn't really let the scale of universe come in way -- but if we can let it affect things positively, great, no harm. Reason being: For anything to make sense, it has to have some context (example: these words make sense to you, but not to one who doesn't know English). When we make the context (or space, or time) unfathomably larger, things we have control over lose their meaning, their impact, it literally becomes nonsense? And so we should probably keep it away. Good as a thought exercise & fun, but impractical. Now you can counter-argue saying what's "practical," but that defeats the point :)
zeristor 4y ago
“Space is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts to space.” Douglas Adams
- bartvk 4y ago
  RIP, Douglas. I had such fun reading the books, watching the movies.
morgante 4y ago
It actually makes me feel incredibly optimistic. Nothing snaps me out of a depressive episode as effectively as contemplating the scale of the universe. On a cosmic scale, all my problems are miniscule. Everything that we as a species worry about, from petty politics to global warming, is likewise insignificant. My heart soars at the vast potential of our universe.
- roansh 4y ago
  Same for me :) This is a good trick to get out of depressive moods While I think this[1] holds, I can still use the scale of the universe to get myself out of bad situations https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30852360 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30852360
imtringued 4y ago
Being all powerful and destroying the universe sounds more terrifying.
- roansh 4y ago
  Had never thought of it this way. Where the tables turn, where we are significant, just like how we are from Earth's point of view. Agree, that is a terrifying thought.

by roansh 4y ago

00deadbeef 4y ago

Remember, when you're feeling very small and insecure, How amazingly unlikely is your birth; And pray that there's intelligent life somewhere out in space, 'Cause there's bugger all down here on Earth!

OtomotO 4y ago

> How does it make you feel? The insignificance of our existence, everything that we ever did, or will ever do. It (that knowledge that everything I will ever do is absolutely irrelevant on the grand scale of things) makes me feel more powerful than ever and let's me split the relevant stuff from the irrelevant. Instead of running after one dopamine rush and living my life at 200km/h I enjoy it more. It takes a lot of pressure away. Maybe being a stoic helps too :D

roansh 4y ago
Haha. yes, nice one. Fits in line with Albert Camus's viewpoint which puts a positive light on it, in similar fashion https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQOfbObFOCw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQOfbObFOCw But I am also coming to a conclusion that we shouldn't really let the scale of universe come in way -- but if we can let it affect things positively, great, no harm. Reason being: For anything to make sense, it has to have some context (example: these words make sense to you, but not to one who doesn't know English). When we make the context (or space, or time) unfathomably larger, things we have control over lose their meaning, their impact, it literally becomes nonsense? And so we should probably keep it away. Good as a thought exercise & fun, but impractical. Now you can counter-argue saying what's "practical," but that defeats the point :)

zeristor 4y ago

“Space is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts to space.” Douglas Adams

bartvk 4y ago
RIP, Douglas. I had such fun reading the books, watching the movies.

morgante 4y ago

It actually makes me feel incredibly optimistic. Nothing snaps me out of a depressive episode as effectively as contemplating the scale of the universe. On a cosmic scale, all my problems are miniscule. Everything that we as a species worry about, from petty politics to global warming, is likewise insignificant. My heart soars at the vast potential of our universe.

roansh 4y ago
Same for me :) This is a good trick to get out of depressive moods While I think this[1] holds, I can still use the scale of the universe to get myself out of bad situations https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30852360 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30852360

imtringued 4y ago

Being all powerful and destroying the universe sounds more terrifying.

roansh 4y ago
Had never thought of it this way. Where the tables turn, where we are significant, just like how we are from Earth's point of view. Agree, that is a terrifying thought.