Life is hanging from a thread
(Disclaimer for all those - some very dear - friends of mine who doubt the supernatural: If there is anything that I am about to say that can be scientifically disproved, do let me know. But be ready to defend your point accurately, don't just throw a lame and loose argument and then run away thinking you've made your point.)
A common saying that we have back home (Egypt) is that all of our lives are kept by the grace of God. Some of us take it literally and purely out of religiousness/faith, some more in a philosophical sense. Which is all fine and people have grown not to really think too much of it. But...
As I was pondering the other day on a scientific discussion I had recently, I had this epiphany. From a purely scientific point of view, the above is - quite literally - true (if simply the word "God" irks you - dear reader - feel free to replace with any other supernatural power of your choosing, be it specific or conceptual). Let me elaborate.
Every second of every day, we quite literally cheat so many deaths in so many ways. Some more general/large scale and some more specific.
On the general scale, here are a few examples:
- the very nature of the universe means that a supernova can literally destroy our entire planet in an instant.
- any passing large comet can achieve a similar result if it were to be pulled into the Earth's gravity well.
- in a not-so-sudden way, a (very small as a matter of fact) change in the Earth's rotation can bring us closer to the sun, raising the temperatures on Earth to life-destroying levels.
- for the same reason, albeit in the opposite direction, an ice age can form that would very quickly achieve the same result.
- a change in the nature of the upper atmosphere can allow deadly levels of radiation to enter, "toasting" everyone and everything.
On a more specific scale:
- the very ground beneath us can rupture at any moment, swallowing our home/office/car with us in it.
- flash floods, tsunamis, tornadoes etc. are the same.
- the chance of a stroke nowadays has become purely unpredictable, it doesn't even spare the youth.
- the very nature of life itself is unknown, people died and continue to do so for no known reason. With every breath we take, there is actually no scientific knowledge that can prove or disprove whether we will be able to take the next one.
Some might view this as a grim, doom-sayer kind of thought. Quite the contrary. My point is that, in light of the above (which are only examples), there is clearly "someone up there watching out for us". Some get a bigger dose due to their personal lack of skills (or due to their self-destructive tendencies). Some get a smaller dose (because they were already given wisdom, health and strength so they should be able to take care of themselves if they wish).
We're quite lucky! (or as I would say in Arabic: alhadulellah!)
A common saying that we have back home (Egypt) is that all of our lives are kept by the grace of God. Some of us take it literally and purely out of religiousness/faith, some more in a philosophical sense. Which is all fine and people have grown not to really think too much of it. But...
As I was pondering the other day on a scientific discussion I had recently, I had this epiphany. From a purely scientific point of view, the above is - quite literally - true (if simply the word "God" irks you - dear reader - feel free to replace with any other supernatural power of your choosing, be it specific or conceptual). Let me elaborate.
Every second of every day, we quite literally cheat so many deaths in so many ways. Some more general/large scale and some more specific.
On the general scale, here are a few examples:
- the very nature of the universe means that a supernova can literally destroy our entire planet in an instant.
- any passing large comet can achieve a similar result if it were to be pulled into the Earth's gravity well.
- in a not-so-sudden way, a (very small as a matter of fact) change in the Earth's rotation can bring us closer to the sun, raising the temperatures on Earth to life-destroying levels.
- for the same reason, albeit in the opposite direction, an ice age can form that would very quickly achieve the same result.
- a change in the nature of the upper atmosphere can allow deadly levels of radiation to enter, "toasting" everyone and everything.
On a more specific scale:
- the very ground beneath us can rupture at any moment, swallowing our home/office/car with us in it.
- flash floods, tsunamis, tornadoes etc. are the same.
- the chance of a stroke nowadays has become purely unpredictable, it doesn't even spare the youth.
- the very nature of life itself is unknown, people died and continue to do so for no known reason. With every breath we take, there is actually no scientific knowledge that can prove or disprove whether we will be able to take the next one.
Some might view this as a grim, doom-sayer kind of thought. Quite the contrary. My point is that, in light of the above (which are only examples), there is clearly "someone up there watching out for us". Some get a bigger dose due to their personal lack of skills (or due to their self-destructive tendencies). Some get a smaller dose (because they were already given wisdom, health and strength so they should be able to take care of themselves if they wish).
We're quite lucky! (or as I would say in Arabic: alhadulellah!)
posted by The One at 11:00 AM
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