Here’s another satellite view from today, looking north across Egypt’s Nile River Delta and the eastern Mediterranean Sea (click for full size), imaged early afternoon October 11, 2014 by the MODIS instrument on NASA’s Aqua satellite:
Here’s another satellite view from today, looking north across Egypt’s Nile River Delta and the eastern Mediterranean Sea (click for full size), imaged early afternoon October 11, 2014 by the MODIS instrument on NASA’s Aqua satellite:
These pictures of earth (here and back to Oct 9) are enough to stir the poet in anyone. Great rivers of air and water keeping things mixed a fast spin rate for heat distribution, a moon/earth/sun diameter ratio to work total eclipses, active geology, a safe place in a galactic arm to observe the universe, and all those other anthropic principle things make this a very special place. (I think the SETI people should heed Enrico Fermi.)
That and the ad for Lightman’s “The Accidental Universe” above are enough to bring out the philosopher in anyone. I haven’t read the book. It’s the title that catches my attention. I know he’s an atheist, but not of the militant variety as Dawkins. It seems to me that the current multiverse fad has but one purpose: to explain away that anthropic principle. And is otherwise complete nonsense – an act of atheist faith/desperation. I have evidence for mine (see 30AD), they have none. Evolution? Sure. Life is phenomenally adaptable. But not in the sense the atheists extrapolate to “nothing else required”. For the longest time (until Hubble) scientists argued for and eternal and infinite universe as though that negated the need for a beginning – a creation. I can’t believe that space, time, matter, energy, physical laws, life, and thought/morality/beauty/consciousness are “accidental”.
I don’t think science can ever explain why there is something instead of nothing.
Much to the chagrin of some gigantic scientific/atheistic egos (e.g. Stephen Hawking).
Thanks, Dr. Spencer.
The MODIS picture also shows the Port Said end of the Suez Canal, the Great Bitter Lake and the Suez entry point.