REACHING PLUTO, AND THE END OF AN ERA OF PLANETARY EXPLORATION
Editors Note: Mateo P. ('18) wrote a response to an article for his advanced chemistry class.
Reaching Pluto, and the End of an Era of Planetary Exploration
By Dennis Overbye- http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/07/science/space/reaching-pluto-and-the-end-of-an-era-of-planetary-exploration.html?_r=0
Surprisingly, Dennis Overbye’s article, “Reaching Pluto, and the End of an Era of Planetary Exploration”, lacks focus on the actual voyage to Pluto, but rather recounts human exploration of the entire universe. As clearly stated in the title, Overbye believes that 2015 marked the end of an extraordinary era, one in which mankind discovered much more about the world beyond our own. The passing of Pluto by New Horizons, a mission for a spacecraft to explore the last of our solar system’s planets, concluded the era of greatness. Overbye writes an ode to the epoch, celebrating the great moments of space exploration and the investigations of closer realms in our galaxy. In an industry where news reporters cover information of the present, Overbye takes a step back to acknowledge a time of great human achievement. This type of discovery is so incredible, as it provides answers to countless questions. Our knowledge of the world is extremely immense. We can map out the vast majority of the planet, we can use its resources to create objects like touch screen phones, skyscrapers, computers, and so on, yet we still know so little about the solar system, the galaxy, and the universe. It is miraculous when humans find information and discover new things that lead to a greater understanding of our universe.
Although a new discovery may be exciting, its importance in our world is never guaranteed. This is not one of those cases. It can be argued that there is no reason to waste time and resources in order to find information that does not directly affect us. Think of it like this: the Earth is your house, the solar system is your city, the galaxy is your country, and the universe is your world. It does not matter that in our lifetime only a select few will ever step foot out of the house and onto the front lawn. It is necessary to know as much information as possible about the larger world in which we inhabit, so that humans can broaden our intellect. Right now, we are surrounded in mental and physical darkness; we are unsure of what lies beyond, but as time passes, we learn more and darkness turns into light. We use science to explain the unexplainable, to tell us why, how, and when, and to expand our knowledge so that we can become smarter, more efficient, beings. There is nothing more important than that.
By Dennis Overbye- http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/07/science/space/reaching-pluto-and-the-end-of-an-era-of-planetary-exploration.html?_r=0
Surprisingly, Dennis Overbye’s article, “Reaching Pluto, and the End of an Era of Planetary Exploration”, lacks focus on the actual voyage to Pluto, but rather recounts human exploration of the entire universe. As clearly stated in the title, Overbye believes that 2015 marked the end of an extraordinary era, one in which mankind discovered much more about the world beyond our own. The passing of Pluto by New Horizons, a mission for a spacecraft to explore the last of our solar system’s planets, concluded the era of greatness. Overbye writes an ode to the epoch, celebrating the great moments of space exploration and the investigations of closer realms in our galaxy. In an industry where news reporters cover information of the present, Overbye takes a step back to acknowledge a time of great human achievement. This type of discovery is so incredible, as it provides answers to countless questions. Our knowledge of the world is extremely immense. We can map out the vast majority of the planet, we can use its resources to create objects like touch screen phones, skyscrapers, computers, and so on, yet we still know so little about the solar system, the galaxy, and the universe. It is miraculous when humans find information and discover new things that lead to a greater understanding of our universe.
Although a new discovery may be exciting, its importance in our world is never guaranteed. This is not one of those cases. It can be argued that there is no reason to waste time and resources in order to find information that does not directly affect us. Think of it like this: the Earth is your house, the solar system is your city, the galaxy is your country, and the universe is your world. It does not matter that in our lifetime only a select few will ever step foot out of the house and onto the front lawn. It is necessary to know as much information as possible about the larger world in which we inhabit, so that humans can broaden our intellect. Right now, we are surrounded in mental and physical darkness; we are unsure of what lies beyond, but as time passes, we learn more and darkness turns into light. We use science to explain the unexplainable, to tell us why, how, and when, and to expand our knowledge so that we can become smarter, more efficient, beings. There is nothing more important than that.
