The Impossible Cosmos
Modern cosmology has created an inescapable conflict.
The truth of the world is written in the stars. Shamans believed as much in the centuries before the birth of civilizations, and later high priests acted upon this belief. They built temples in alignment with the sky, calibrating the positions of the sun, moon and stars, thus divining the mysterious ways of the gods. They marked time, creating the calendars that became invaluable aids for planting, harvesting and other agricultural practices.
But eventually the hunger for truth drove the ancients to look deeper still, until disturbing facts about the world emerged. Then they recoiled from the glittery sky, closing their minds. Centuries passed. When finally rational thinkers looked skyward, certain cosmic realities became inescapable. Then the relationship between humankind and the universe at large changed forever.
The Age of the Universe
Ever since I was a kid, I have looked to the stars with burning curiosity. First I looked at them with naked eyes, then with binoculars and telescopes. I have read books about them, as well. As the decades have gone by, my interest in astronomy has grown. But I didn’t delve deeply into the subject until a few years ago.
