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Constellations

The best thing to sooth the soul is to look up into the dark vast beyond of space with stars shining brightly, the infinite and finite all in one beautiful cosmic picture. Tonight, though the moon was near full and bright, I got a treat when I reached home and looked up to see a clear cloudless sky with stars everywhere. It's so beautiful and soothing to look up into the dark starry night and the only thing that eventually moved me in was the cold wet breeze as I had forgotten to bring a sweater with me. When one looks up into the night sky, the feeling of the individual is lost and one almost merges with the whole universe, becoming just a speckle amongst all the particles quarks and leptons randomly scattering and colliding to create new planets, star systems and galaxies. The silent, dark, motionless sky actually belies the truth of what's going on: fiery collisions and bursts of energy that destroy worlds while creating new ones.

But looking at such a scene, one no longer feels lonely; instead, you are now part of something bigger and grander, and though just a tiny part, you are a part nonetheless! It's a very comforting feeling somehow. I tend to like to think of the vast unknown as something kind, gentle and fascinating, something we innately feel a longing to understand and beccome a part of, and not something scary and dark and full of ugly green booger aliens with laser blasters. Sure that's not to say we can't be creative and come up with constellations that are bulls running into crabs (I think) or Hunters slaying dragons or queens and kings in court. Our ancestors were very wise, and though not as technologically advanced, the questions they have asked about the universe and life continue to perplex and befuddle us today.

It's during these moments of solitude, when one is alone in the quiet of the late late night and yet not really alone since the whole universe is before you, that we can really grasp the larger bigger whole. The dichotomy is essential, like a yin and yang together forming the taichi. Bottom line: everything's alright, there is a plan to everything.

This is just my philosopher mind thinking after a long night in the lab with limited success and a week where expectations about some things have not gone as planned.

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