The amazing potential of the universe

The discovery of several new planets outside of our solar system is really exciting. Why? Well the incredible astronomers working tirelessly to expand our minds and our knowledge of space have discovered another star that has similar heat and light potential as the sun. This “sun2” is surrounded by planets in its own solar system, which makes it increasingly likely that there is another planet out there with life on it — another Earth.

So if there is another Earth out there, could there be another you? Could there be another group of people living on a planet, sharing its resources? Are they sharing or are they at war? Are they at peace? Are they multilingual, bilingual or do they all speak a common tongue? Who are they? What are they?

In all this speculation there is the problem that we can never know (at least the present — we, maybe the future generations will be able to find out). Even if we send a little rocket to each planet in this solar system, it will take so much time for it to get there and back that we won’t have the opportunity to find out in our lifetime. So we’ll literally never know. Our kids might, or their kids might (if we manage not to self-implode by then), or maybe only their kids might. Or they might never know.

I think what is most exciting about discoveries like this is that it reignites the desire in many of us to learn about others. We are presented with a huge imagining — a whole other human race. And instead of being fearful, afraid, discriminatory or savage, we are excited. We are inspired by the potential that they could be doing better.

So what is actually really intriguing is why we don’t show the same optimistic interest in one another. We sit next to strangers all of the time, in a cosmopolitan country and yet we often don’t even acknowledge their presence, never mind greet them. Sure, we eavesdrop, laugh if they say something funny. But we don’t talk to them. Why? Why are we so excited by the possibility of a whole solar system of other people but bored and complacent about the possibility to meet new people in our immediate space? Have we grown too cynical about our own world — about our own potential to amaze and live at peace? Have we begun to accept war, famine, sickness, crime, hatred as our lot?

Is our excitement to meet these other-worldly beings evidence that we would really like to learn a bit more about others, but we’re too scared?