pale blue dot -carl sagan-第4节

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　of　geometry　and　optics。　The　Sun　emits　its　radiation　equitably　in　all　directions。　Had　the　picture　been　taken　a　little　earlier　or　a　little　later；　there　would　have　been　no　sunbeam　highlighting　the　Earth。

And　why　that　cerulean　color？　The　blue　es　partly　from　the　sea；　partly　from　the　sky。　While　water　in　a　glass　is　transparent；　It　absorbs　slightly　more　red　light　than　blue。　If　you　have　tens　of　meters　of　the　stuff　or　more；　the　red　light　is　absorbed　out　and　what　gets　reflected　back　to　space　is　mainly　blue。　In　the　same　way；　a　short　line　of　sight　through　air　seems　perfectly　transparent。　Nevertheless—something　Leonardo　da　Vinci　excelled　at　portraying—the　more　distant　the　object；　the　bluer　it　seems。　Why？　Because　the　air　scatters　blue　light　around　much　better　than　it　does　red。　So　the　bluish　cast　of　this　dot　es　from　its　thick　but　transparent　atmosphere　and　its　deep　oceans　of　liquid　water。　And　the　white？　The　Earth　on　an　average　day　is　about　half　covered　with　white　water　clouds。

We　can　explain　the　wan　blueness　of　this　little　world　because　we　know　it　well。　Whether　an　alien　scientist　newly　arrived　at　the　outskirts　of　our　solar　system　could　reliably　deduce　oceans　and　clouds　and　a　thickish　atmosphere　is　less　certain。　Neptune；　for　instance；　is　blue；　but　chiefly　for　different　reasons。　From　this　distant　vantage　point；　the　Earth　might　not　seem　of　any　particular　interest。

But　for　us；　it's　different。　Look　again　at　that　dot。　That's　here。　That's　home。　That's　us。　On　it　everyone　you　love；　everyone　you　know；　everyone　you　ever　heard　of；　every　human　being　who　ever　was；　lived　out　their　lives。　The　aggregate　of　our　joy　and　suffering；　thousands　of　confident　religions；　ideologies；　and　economic　doctrines；　every　hunter　and　forager；　every　hero　and　coward；　every　creator　and　destroyer　of　civilization；　every　king　and　peasant；　every　young　couple　in　love；　every　mother　and　father；　hopeful　child；　inventor　and　explorer；　every　teacher　of　morals；　every　corrupt　politician；　every　〃superstar；”　every　〃supreme　leader；〃　every　saint　and　sinner　in　the　history　of　our　species　lived　there—on　a　mote　of　dust　suspended　in　a　sunbeam。

The　Earth　is　a　very　small　stage　in　a　vast　cosmic　arena。　Think　of　the　rivers　of　blood　spilled　by　all　those　generals　and　emperors　so　that；　in　glory　and　triumph；　they　could　bee　momentary　masters　of　a　fraction　of　a　dot。　Think　of　the　endless　visited　by　the　inhabitants　of　one　corner　of　this　pixel　the　scarcely　distinguishable　inhabitants　of　some　other　corner；　how　frequent　their　misunderstandings；　how　eager　they　are　to　kill　one　another；　how　fervent　their　hatreds。

Our　posturings；　our　imagined　self…importance；　the　delusion　that　we　have　some　privileged　position　in　the　Universe；　are　challenged　by　this　point　of　pale　light。　Our　planet　is　a　lonely　speck　in　the　great　enveloping　cosmic　dark。　In　our　obscurity；　in　all　this　vastness；　there　is　no　hint　that　help　will　e　from　elsewhere　to　save　us　from　ourselves。

The　Earth　is　the　only　world　known　so　far　to　harbor　life。　There　is　nowhere　else；　at　least　in　the　near　future；　to　which　our　species　could　migrate。　Visit；　yes。　Settle；　not　yet。　Like　it　or　not；　for　the　moment　the　Earth　is　where　we　make　our　stand。

It　has　been　said　that　astronomy　is　a　humbling　and　character…building　experience。　There　is　perhaps　no　better　demonstration　of　the　folly　of　human　conceits　than　this　distant　image　of　our　tiny　world。　To　me；　it　underscores　our　responsibility　to　deal　more　kindly　with　one　another；　and　to　preserve　and　cherish　the　pale　blue　dot；　the　only　home　we've　ever　known。




CHAPTER　2　　　　ABBERATIONS　OF　LIGHT

　

　

If　man　were　taken　away　from　the　world；　the　rest　would　seem　to　be　all　astray；　without　aim　or　purpose　。　。　。　and　to　be　leading　to　nothing。

—FRANCIS　BACON；　WISDOM　OF　THE　ANCIENTS　（1619）

Ann　Druyan　suggests　an　experiment：　Look　back　again　at　the　pale　blue　dot　of　the　preceding　chapter。　Take　a　good　long　look　at　it。　Stare　at　the　dot　for　any　length　of　time　and　then　try　to　convince　yourself　that　God　created　the　whole　Universe　for　one　of　the　10　million　or　so　species　of　life　that　inhabit　that　speck　of　dust。　Now　take　it　a　step　further：　Imagine　that　everything　was　made　just　for　a　single　shade　of　that　species；　or　gender；　or　ethnic　or　religious　subdivision。　If　this　doesn't　strike　you　as　unlikely；　pick　another　dot。　Imagine　it　to　be　inhabited　by　a　different　form　of　intelligent　life。　They；　too；　cherish　the　notion　of　a　God　who　has　created　everything　for　their　benefit。　How　seriously　do　you　take　their　claim？



“SEE　THAT　STAR？〃　〃You　mean　the　bright　red　one？〃　his　daughter　asks　in　return。　〃Yes。　You　know；　it　might　not　be　there　anymore。　It　might　be　gone　by　now—exploded　or　something。　Its　light　is　still　crossing　space；　just　reaching　our　eyes　now。　But　we　don't　see　it　as　it　is。　We　see　it　as　it　was。〃

Many　people　experience　a　stirring　sense　of　wonder　when　they　first　confront　this　simple　truth。　Why？　Why　should　it　be　so　pelling？　On　our　little　world　light　travels；　for　all　practical　purposes；　instantaneously。　If　a　lightbulb　is　glowing；　then　of　course　it's　physically　where　we　see　it；　shining　away。　We　reach　out　our　hand　and　touch　it：　It's　there　all　right；　and　unpleasantly　hot。　If　the　filament　fails；　then　the　light　goes　out。　We　don't　see　it　in　the　same　place；　glowing；　illuminating　the　room　years　after　the　bulb　breaks　and　it's　removed　from　its　socket。　The　very　notion　seems　nonsensical。　But　if　we're　far　enough　away；　an　entire　sun　can　go　out　and　we'll　continue　to　see　it　shining　brightly；　we　won't　learn　of　its　death；　it　may　be；　for　ages　to　e—in　fact；　for　how　long　it　takes　light；　which　travels　fast　but　not　infinitely　fast；　to　cross　the　intervening　vastness。

The　immense　distances　to　the　stars　and　the　galaxies　mean　that　we　see　everything　in　space　in　the　past—some　as　they　were　before　the　Earth　came　to　be。　Telescopes　are　time　machines。　Long　ago；　when　an　early　galaxy　began　to　pour　light　out　into　the　surrounding　darkness；　no　witness　could　have　known　that　billions　of　years　later　some　remote　clumps　of　rock　and　metal；　ice　and　organic　molecules　would　fall　together　to　make　a　place　called　Earth；　or　that　life　would　arise　and　thinking　beings　evolve　who　would　one　day　capture　a　little　of　that　galactic　light；　and　try　to　puzzle　out　what　had　sent　it　on　its　way。

And　after　the　Earth　dies；　some　5　billion　years　from　now；　after　it　is　burned　to　a　crisp　or　even　swallowed　by　the　Sun；　there　will　be　other　worlds　and　stars　and　galaxies　ing　into　being—and　they　will　know　nothing　of　a　place　once　called　Earth。



IT　ALMOST　NEVER　FEELS　like　prejudice。　Instead；　it　seems　fitting　and　just—the　idea　that；　because　of　an　accident　of　birth；　our　group　（whichever　one　it　is）　should　have　a　central　position　in　the　social　universe。　Among　Pharaonic　princelings　and　Plantagenet　pretenders；　children　of　robber　barons　and　Central　mittee　bureaucrats；　street　gangs　and　conquerors　of　nations；　members　of　confident　majorities；　obscure　sects；　and　reviled　minorities；　this　self…serving　attitude　seems　as　natural　as　breathing。　It　draws　sustenance　from　the　same　psychic　wellsprings　as　sexism；　racism；　nationalism；　and　the　other　deadly　chauvinisms　that　plague　our　species。　Unmon　strength　of　character　is　needed　to　resist　the　blandishments　of　those　who　assure　us　that　we　have　an　obvious；　even　God…given；　superiority　over　our　fellows。　The　more　precarious　our　self…esteem；　the　greater　our　vulnerability　to　such　appeals。

Since　scientists　are　people；　it　is　not　surprising　that　parable　pretensions　have　insinuated　themselves　into　the　scientific　worldview。　Indeed；　many　of　the　central　debates　in　the　history　of　science　seem　to　be；　in　part　at　least；　contests　over　whether　humans　are　special。　Almost　always；　the　going…in　assumption　is　that　we　are　special。　After　the　premise　is　closely　examined；　though；　it　turns　out—in　dishearteningly　many　cases—that　we　are　not。

Our　ancestors　lived　out　of　doors。　They　were　as　familiar　with　the　night　sky　as　most　of　us　are　with　our　favorite　television　programs。　The　Sun；　the　Moon；　the　stars；　and　the　planets　all　rose　in　the　east　and　set　in　the　west；　traversing　the　sky　overhead　in　the　interim。　The　motion　of　the　heavenly　bodies　was　not　merely　a　diversion；　eliciting　a　reverential　nod　and　grunt；　it　was　the　only　way　to　tell　the　time　of　day　and　the　seasons。　For　hunters　and　gatherers；　as　well　as　for　agricultural　peoples；　knowing　about　the　sky　was　a　matter　of　life　and　death。

How　lucky　for　us　that　the　Sun；　the　Moon；　the　planets；　and　the　stars　are　part　of　some　elegantly　configured　cosmic　clockwork！　It　seemed　to　be　no　accident。　They　were　put　here　for　a　purpose；　for　our　benefit。　Who　else　makes　use　of　them？　What　else　are　they　good　for？

And　if　the　lights　in　the　sky　rise　and　set　around　us；　isn't　it　evident　that　we're　at　the　center　of　the　Universe？　These　celestial　bodies—so　clearly　suffused　with　unearthly　powers；　especially　the　Sun　on　which　we　depend　for　light　and　heat—circle　us　like　courtiers　fawning　on　a　king。　Even　if　we　had　not　already　guessed；　the　most　elementary　examination　of　the　heavens　reveals　that　we　are　special。　The　Universe　seems　designed　for　human　beings。　It's　difficult　to　contemplate　these　circumstances　without　experiencing　stirrings　of　pride　and　reassurance。　The　entire　Universe；　made　for　us！　We　must　really　be　something。

This　satisfying　demonstration　of　our　importance；　buttressed　by　da