Nothing Lost

Some objects in the universe exist only for a short while. The meteor burns brilliantly for only a moment in time, but it is a bright and beautiful display that impresses itself permanently into our memory. It quickly and unexpectedly reminds us that there is more beyond our tiny world, and beauty beyond our comprehension. Meteors are generally rare. Catching a glimpse of one is an unexpected treat, and we feel lucky to have seen it, even though it is gone so quickly.

What we don’t see, but what is so important, is that the dust left behind ultimately falls to the ground. It becomes one with the Earth, and nourishes her. The oceans, and much of what we see today did not come from the original ball of rock that formed this planet. Instead, our world is formed from the collection of billions of precious visitors that made themselves a lasting part of it, giving it life.

Despite the presence of the right ingredients, life on Earth would not exist without the Sun. It provides vital warmth and light. Nurturing the beginning of life a billion years ago, it has been there reliably ever since. Though it experiences cycles that affects the climate of the Earth, life continues to adapt and evolve and persist through it all. This is not a simple one way effect, however. The Sun and the Earth and life exist in a codependent system. At this point in time, the Earth does little more than exert a gentle tug, hardly noticeable to the massive star. One day, however, intelligence and knowledge may evolve to the point where it can directly influence the course of the Sun and the entire system. Not only is this possible – it appears to be inevitable.

The future may look bright, but there is a harsh reality looming. Regardless of how hard we might try to sustain this relationship, it will come to an end billions of years from now. The same Sun that now gives us life will consume its fuel. It will expand into a red giant, engulfing the Earth and other planets, ending all life as we know it. Shedding its outer layers, what will remain is a small, hot, white dwarf that quietly lives out the remainder of its life, in solitude. Not all stars will experience this peaceful but lonely fate. Some more massive stars will erupt in a violent supernova explosion, spreading their life-giving elements into the universe, where new stars, and new planets will form, beginning the cycle all over again.

Though our sun and our solar system seem massive and eternal, we know their existence is just a tiny blip in space in time, eclipsed by an unimaginably large and persistent universe. The universe as we know it is enormous. Consisting of 100 billion galaxies, each with 100 billion suns, surely the potential for life is also enormous. At the same time, the universe seems like a very empty and lonely place. Its distances are so vast, and the cosmic speed limit is so slow in comparison, that most points seem hopelessly disconnected. At the speed of light, it still requires an entire year just to reach our nearest stellar neighbor. Perhaps all is not as lonely and disconnected as it seems, however. We measure space with very small rulers, and time in mere moments. Over the perspective of eons, galaxies collide and interact, and light travels vast distances to reach our eyes from across the universe. Like clockwork, cycles endlessly repeat, and life renews itself again and again.

But like a clock winding down, we must face the reality that even the universe itself must eventually come to an end. Trillions of years from now, all matter and energy will spread out and go dim. There will be no more violence. There will be no more inequality. For the first time in eternity, there will be peace. All will be silent, and uniform, and dark, and deathly cold. And there will be no life whatsoever. Unless, of course, there are other cycles of life involved -- some that we have speculated about, but have not as yet measured.

The question remains – Is death the certain fate of everything we hold dear? The answer from science is far from clear. But modern theories indicate that all things are connected in both space and time in ways more sublime than previously conceived. The universe we inhabit may be one of an infinite number of interrelated universes. We are on the cusp of a new era of quantum computing that hopes to take advantage of this power. It is conceivable that consciousness itself draws its enormous creative potential from this infinite well of existence. Is it surprising that science is discovering that the universe is governed not by the rules of matter, but by the rules of information? Can an idea – a thought – rooted in an infinite and timeless multiverse ever really die? We are but one thought in the mind of the infinite.

Intuitively, many of us believe that there is far more to our existence than meets the eye. It may be said that consciousness does not arise from matter, but that matter arises from consciousness. In reality, they may arise together. For without consciousness, what drives the chaotic world of matter toward more complex and wondrous creation? And without matter, how may consciousness experience its vast potential? Life persists in ways we cannot imagine. Life is not static. Life is movement. Life cannot exist without death. To move forward, we must always leave something behind. And death cannot exist without life, for everything we leave behind will be reborn anew. Cycles are the law of the universe, and nothing is ever truly lost. Matter may be temporary, but all that we are – all that really matters -- is timeless.