Topic: Is it weird that I take a sort of comfort to world news?
Catherine !TGirlYJKXM started this discussion 14 years ago#19,847
Rather it be positive or negative news. There's just something about knowing what goes on such a pale blue dot that just fills me with a sense of comfort. I think this might be the same kind of comfort that people seek religion for. When I read/hear about some war somewhere or something going on in the Entertainment world, it's soothing. Even if some news stories maybe propaganda. What makes me feel even better is thinking about how our planet is the only known planet in the entire universe to have intelligent life. Even thinking about the possibility that we're the only intelligent life in the universe gives me a feeling of great joy. This could also contribute to my wanting to feel small.
Very narrow minded & unscientific point of view - Consider:
Our Sun is one of about 100 billion stars in the Milky Way. And our galaxy is just one of roughly 100 billion in the visible universe.
Planet Earth represents a nano speck truly insignificant in the scheme of things. NASA says with limited current technology 450 planets have been found orbiting other stars.
"50 BILLION planets in Milky Way" 50 Billion with a B In just one Galaxy, out of the 100 Billion Galazy's.
With multiple Trillions of Planets -
> Even thinking about the possibility that we're the only intelligent life in the universe gives me a feeling of great joy. This could also contribute to my wanting to feel small.
You should feel not only small but even less intelligent, then the possibility of intelligent life beyond our silly insignificant planetary system.
Anonymous G joined in and replied with this 14 years ago, 3 hours later, 10 hours after the original post[^][v]#324,805
> the possibility that we're the only intelligent life in the universe
I don't know whether this makes me feel very lonely, or very privileged...