Science Facts That Show The Terrifying Scope Of The Universe

Eric Lund

Feb 15, 2022 3:00 PM EST

It's important to, at least every once in a while, reflect on the nature of one's own existence. Not just in terms of "today I am being mindful and manifesting getting the good parking spot" but more broadly than that. Thoughts like "isn't it wild that there are elements in my own body that were forged in the heart of a star? Billions of years of particles crashing into each other has culminated in me, a being that can think and feel and most importantly, fret over parking?"

Frankly, it's weird to acknowledge the fact that, galactically speaking, you're nothing more than a figment of a cosmic blip. That everything you know and love is so catastrophically small, it would be foolish to think that you are worthy of note. That your finely crafted opinions and excellent sense of taste even matter for a second.

And we can have these thoughts in one moment and acknowledge the universe and its leviathan authority, it's dizzying scale whose sheer size eclipses even the biggest moments of our lives, but in the very next moment we can also choose to say "nah man, I'm gonna go get a burrito." It's kind of a beautiful thing.

If you want to spend some more time freaking out about it all, here are some more science facts to ponder.