Astrophysics for People in a Hurry

“The universe is under no obligation to make sense to you.”

The author warns readers not to expect answers that explain everything about the universe. Science has by no means fully explored, much less figured out, how the cosmos works, and its discoveries don’t always please or flatter people. The universe is the way it is, not the way we want it to be; it’s not here for our pleasure—it owes us nothing—but it is available to be explored, and that is more than enough to satisfy our curiosity and sense of adventure.

“[I]gnorance is the natural state of mind for a research scientist. People who believe they are ignorant of nothing have neither looked for, nor stumbled upon, the boundary between what is known and unknown in the universe.”

What science knows about the universe isn’t revealed but must be sought out. It’s easy to assume that people know all the answers, but, as scientists continue to explore reality, it keeps serving up new surprises. An attitude of humility toward what we don’t yet know serves science by keeping researchers hungry for new discoveries.

“We are stardust brought to life, then empowered by the universe to figure itself out—and we have only just begun.”

Humans have the privilege of wondering about the universe and exploring it to learn its secrets. It’s taken a tremendously long time to reach this point, and it’s something of an honor to be able to indulge our curiosity and learn about the mysteries of the cosmos. This may merely be the beginning of a long and grand adventure of discovery.