Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Planet Earth

Astronomers have found the most Earth-like planet outside our Solar System to date.”

This news is really messing with my mental footing. Of course it’s vain and pedestrian to think we are the only living planet in the universe. But still, reading this, I am, for the first time, picturing another entire planet maybe populated by things like us. I put forth this thought in dinner conversation tonight:

Me: “Can you imagine? In our lifetime we may see a new planet with a whole bunch of creatures just like us, with all sorts of different societies, speaking all sorts of different languages!”

Will: (clearly not taking me seriously or nearly as excited about this news as I am) “Maybe they all will speak English.”

Me: “No, that wouldn’t make sense.”

Will: “Maybe they all will speak English with a southern accent.”

Me: “That’s a little scary. It would probably prove the existence of God though, wouldn’t it? Specifically the God of the Bible Belt-ers – Southern Baptists and such.”

And thus the conversation ended.

Song lyrics I now can’t get out of my head
as a result of this news:

“Planet Earth is blue and there’s nothing I can do.”
(David Bowie)

“Bah-bah-bah-bah-bah-bah-bah-bah, this is planet earth.”
(Duran Duran)

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I heard this on the news while making dinner, and it tripped me out too!! It's so cool!! I actually never thought of it it terms of, "In our lifetime..." like you had...so now you've tripped me out. :)