It’s only noon here in Honolulu. The big question is- after a bunch of people died last year because of a fire started by illegal aerial fireworks, will the corrupt city officials and police department actually enforce the laws this year? Thanks for writing this. I really needed this perspective right about now. I sent it to our children and their partners back in Vermont and New York City. Cheers and Hauoli Makahiki Hou! 🌺
Nice way to start off the new year by putting everything (as in, the whole universe!) in perspective - love it! Makes the events of the past year seem more insignificant, the world and universe will survive just fine no matter what crazy stuff we humans think up this year.
Incredibly humbling, depressing and inspiring, liberating and confining, and all around beautiful. This timeline shows the improbability of coexisting with intelligent life at the same time in the observable universe. Our fragile, flickering little Promethean fire of intelligent life we have on Earth should be a unifying epiphany for all of humankind.
& yet my mother's mint chocolate sandwich cookies exist, if only in this fleeting moment (except that I finished them this morning; look, they're delicious), & every single thing that had to happen for them to exist, clear back to the big bang, absolutely happened, including the existence of humans, mint, chocolate, & cookies, & now I'm getting existential about all of this & might want to sit down with a glass of milk & do my deep breathing.
Love this post, Mike. Maybe you know of it, but there's a really cool spiral walkway at the Natural History Museum in NYC that I try to visit whenever I'm there: https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/permanent/cosmic-pathway It really brings this timeline into perspective, and along the way are various mindblowing scale comparisons... (like, if this basketball sized sphere were a red blood cell, this tiny pin head would be a virus, etc.) It's an amazing experience.
Anyway, Happy New Year to you, my friend. What a joy it was to have a conversation to round out 2025. All the best to you and yours!
Just took a walk in drizzling rain. Had the world to myself for most of it, which makes this read all the better. Here’s to more time to read and think in 2026!
Very good. Personally, I find myself spiritually grounded best by realising I am absolutely NOT special but a completely dependent part of something much greater. Wishing you a peaceful and reasonably sane 2026.
Happy New Year, Mike! Sagan's calendar reminded me of James Rettie's 1948 essay "But a Watch in The Night," which I love to pull out almost every year around this time and force my family to read it again. But I had almost forgotten this year! Thanks for the reminder, I won't tell them who reminded me. https://www.heavengames.com/cgi-bin/forums/display.cgi?action=st&fn=2&tn=339878
It’s only noon here in Honolulu. The big question is- after a bunch of people died last year because of a fire started by illegal aerial fireworks, will the corrupt city officials and police department actually enforce the laws this year? Thanks for writing this. I really needed this perspective right about now. I sent it to our children and their partners back in Vermont and New York City. Cheers and Hauoli Makahiki Hou! 🌺
Happy New Year! I was worried I’d fall asleep before midnight, but not after reading that! 😦
Nice way to start off the new year by putting everything (as in, the whole universe!) in perspective - love it! Makes the events of the past year seem more insignificant, the world and universe will survive just fine no matter what crazy stuff we humans think up this year.
Happy 2026!
Incredibly humbling, depressing and inspiring, liberating and confining, and all around beautiful. This timeline shows the improbability of coexisting with intelligent life at the same time in the observable universe. Our fragile, flickering little Promethean fire of intelligent life we have on Earth should be a unifying epiphany for all of humankind.
Happy New Year! 🥂
& yet my mother's mint chocolate sandwich cookies exist, if only in this fleeting moment (except that I finished them this morning; look, they're delicious), & every single thing that had to happen for them to exist, clear back to the big bang, absolutely happened, including the existence of humans, mint, chocolate, & cookies, & now I'm getting existential about all of this & might want to sit down with a glass of milk & do my deep breathing.
As the man said: "The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself."
Happy New Year Mr S, thanks for all your hard work bringing us regular boggles.
I'd like to be able to run that video backwards.
Thanks for the articles, I really looked forward to it. Will be anticipating for the next in the coming years.
Love this post, Mike. Maybe you know of it, but there's a really cool spiral walkway at the Natural History Museum in NYC that I try to visit whenever I'm there: https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/permanent/cosmic-pathway It really brings this timeline into perspective, and along the way are various mindblowing scale comparisons... (like, if this basketball sized sphere were a red blood cell, this tiny pin head would be a virus, etc.) It's an amazing experience.
Anyway, Happy New Year to you, my friend. What a joy it was to have a conversation to round out 2025. All the best to you and yours!
Just took a walk in drizzling rain. Had the world to myself for most of it, which makes this read all the better. Here’s to more time to read and think in 2026!
Happy New Year to you Mike, and thank you for the feast of interest this place is
That time-scale makes me feel so much more relaxed about humanity and our terrible ways. We're not even a blip!
Very good. Personally, I find myself spiritually grounded best by realising I am absolutely NOT special but a completely dependent part of something much greater. Wishing you a peaceful and reasonably sane 2026.
It’s already after midnight here in Germany, Mike, and you’ve still got a half an hour to go - make it a good one ❗️🥳
Happy New Year, Mike! Sagan's calendar reminded me of James Rettie's 1948 essay "But a Watch in The Night," which I love to pull out almost every year around this time and force my family to read it again. But I had almost forgotten this year! Thanks for the reminder, I won't tell them who reminded me. https://www.heavengames.com/cgi-bin/forums/display.cgi?action=st&fn=2&tn=339878
Ah, I just adore everything you write. Thank you for putting life in a bit of a perspective. I'm up for another 12 months for it all too!