We are made of stardust:
The elements that we all know were forged in the intense heat of distant stars. When those giants neared the end of their life they exploded in a brilliant supernova, spreading the ingredients for life throughout the universe. Gravity forced that matter together to become galaxies, planets, and eventually, humans.
Every atom in your body was once part of the cosmos. The next time you look up at the night sky you might want to meditate on this fact. You and the universe are one.
You are 99% empty space:
The elements we just referred to are composed of atoms, and those atoms make up your entire body. One percent of every atom is composed of protons, neutrons, and electrons. The other 99% is empty space.
To put this in perspective, imagine at atom the size of a football stadium. Place an orange in the center to represent the approximate size of the nucleus. You would then place pinheads around the stadium to act as electrons. These are the building blocks of our world and yet they contain very little substance.
In fact, if the space was eliminated and the matter condensed the entire human race would fit in a sugar cube. It may not be what the Buddha had in mind when he spoke of emptiness, but it is still a weighty subject for reflection.
The elements that we all know were forged in the intense heat of distant stars. When those giants neared the end of their life they exploded in a brilliant supernova, spreading the ingredients for life throughout the universe. Gravity forced that matter together to become galaxies, planets, and eventually, humans.
Every atom in your body was once part of the cosmos. The next time you look up at the night sky you might want to meditate on this fact. You and the universe are one.
You are 99% empty space:
The elements we just referred to are composed of atoms, and those atoms make up your entire body. One percent of every atom is composed of protons, neutrons, and electrons. The other 99% is empty space.
To put this in perspective, imagine at atom the size of a football stadium. Place an orange in the center to represent the approximate size of the nucleus. You would then place pinheads around the stadium to act as electrons. These are the building blocks of our world and yet they contain very little substance.
In fact, if the space was eliminated and the matter condensed the entire human race would fit in a sugar cube. It may not be what the Buddha had in mind when he spoke of emptiness, but it is still a weighty subject for reflection.
Your brain is one step ahead:
Stop reading for a second and take a look at your hands. Pick a hand and lift it up any time within the next 15 seconds, but try not to decide which hand until the moment comes.
Stop reading for a second and take a look at your hands. Pick a hand and lift it up any time within the next 15 seconds, but try not to decide which hand until the moment comes.
If a team of scientists were watching you with the proper equipment, they would be able to tell you which hand you were planning on moving seconds before you consciously make the decision. Your conscious mind carries out the wishes of its unconscious counterpart, which seems to be making the choices in advance.
Black holes remember what they consume:
Nothing can escape a black hole, right? Wrong. It was recently proven that black holes ‘leak’ information over time and gradually fade from existence. The phenomenon has been dubbed Hawking Radiation and has been verified in a laboratory setting.
If you had the sudden urge to jump into a black hole (not recommended) you would be instantly crushed by the intense gravity. However, given enough time, every single particle that makes up your body would be expelled from the darkness.
They never did figure out how to put Humpty Dumpty back together, and this would be a million times harder. At least every bit of matter is accounted for though.
Nothing can escape a black hole, right? Wrong. It was recently proven that black holes ‘leak’ information over time and gradually fade from existence. The phenomenon has been dubbed Hawking Radiation and has been verified in a laboratory setting.
If you had the sudden urge to jump into a black hole (not recommended) you would be instantly crushed by the intense gravity. However, given enough time, every single particle that makes up your body would be expelled from the darkness.
They never did figure out how to put Humpty Dumpty back together, and this would be a million times harder. At least every bit of matter is accounted for though.
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