Monday, February 18, 2013

I heart chocolate and tolerate science

I recently watched a Nova episode about string theorists' efforts to discover a theory of everything. That is, a single theory that explains everything in the universe.
So far, the so-called string theorists have discovered that the so-called strings might actually be membranes, that the universe itself could be a membrane, and that our universe could actually be just one of many universes in the big loaf of life. Stop visualizing yummy carbs and stick with me here. Is this something that we really want to know?
We seem to be in over our heads here on Earth as it is. With ongoing killing and poverty, at home and afar, it's clear that we haven't figured out how to get along or support one another, let alone plan for the long run. Do we really want to discover whole other universes with whom to disagree? And if ours is just one of many universes, then who would we be to someone or something much bigger?
I guess this is why I don't usually watch Nova.
And why I was so relieved to learn that other scientists are hard at work on research that is infinitely more uplifting. Yes, yet another study has shown what we've always instinctively known -- chocolate is good for us. That is the kind of science that can only make us smile.

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