The Potential for Human Evolution 50 years… Smart prosthetics for limbs AND organs Genetic ID/elimination of hereditary disease Computers & AI improve Nanotechnology increases

The Potential for Human Evolution 50 years… Questions… Fusion? Food? Water?

The Potential for Human Evolution 500 years… Brains/Bodies enhanced (“bionics”) Lifetimes, Adaptability increase

The Potential for Human Evolution 500 years… Questions… Room to survive? Resolve to allow “Cyborgs”? Reasons to explore?

The Potential for Human Evolution 5000 years… What is “human”? Fully “artificial” 1000+ year lifetime Able to travel for 1000 years@ high speeds Able to reach nearby stars…

The Potential for Human Evolution 5000 years… Questions… What will “we” find?

Astronomy & Our Lives What could learning about the planets and stars possibly have in common with my life now??

What have we learned? Facts: Seven Days/Week, “Moonths” and “Dis-asters” You most likely aren’t an Aries (or whatever sign you thought you were!) Distance ≠ Seasons! Orbits are just controlled, continuous falling! The world will not end in 2028 (at least because of Asteroid XF11) There are thousands of planets orbiting other stars…

What have we learned? Ideas: We humans live for an “eye-blink” of time relative to the stars

What have we learned?

What have we learned? Ideas: We humans live for an “eye-blink” of time relative to the stars But in that blink of an eye, we can imagine infinity

What have we learned? Ideas: We humans live for an “eye-blink” of time relative to the stars But in that blink of an eye, we can imagine infinity, visualize black holes

What have we learned? Ideas: We humans live for an “eye-blink” of time relative to the stars But in that blink of an eye, we can imagine infinity, visualize black holes, and explain how the Sun shines for a billion years.

What have we learned?

What have we learned? Ideas: If the Earth was a grain of cream of wheat…. The Sun would be an orange ~12 steps away

What have we learned? Ideas: If the Earth was a grain of cream of wheat…. The Sun would be an orange ~12 steps away

What have we learned? Ideas: If the Earth was a grain of cream of wheat…. The Sun would be an orange ~12 steps away Pluto would be at Hesperian & Depot roads

What have we learned? Ideas: If the Earth was a grain of cream of wheat…. The Sun would be an orange ~12 steps away Pluto would be at Hesperian & Depot roads The next nearest star would be 1000 miles away, in El Paso Texas

What have we learned? Nearest Star 1000

What have we learned? Ideas: If our Milky Way Galaxy … was the size of the Bay Area….

What have we learned? Ideas: If the Milky Way Galaxy was the size of the Bay Area…. The Solar System (to Pluto!) is a grain of Cream of Wheat The nearest stars would still be ~25 feet away Around Chabot would be ~120,000 other grains of Cream of Wheat representing other solar systems!

How big is the universe? The Milky Way has as many stars as grains of sand on all Earth’s beaches This slide gives our favorite way of giving students a sense of the size of the observable universe; be sure to note we are talking about the OBSERVABLE universe, since we do not know the extent of the ENTIRE universe. . 22

This slide gives our favorite way of giving students a sense of the size of the observable universe; be sure to note we are talking about the OBSERVABLE universe, since we do not know the extent of the ENTIRE universe. 23

What have we learned? Ideas: Science is not about certainty Many hypotheses start out wrong! “We are trying to prove ourselves wrong as quickly as possible, because only in that way can we find progress.” ― Richard P. Feynman

What have we learned? Ideas: Science is not about certainty Many hypotheses start out wrong! But … Science is self-correcting Multiple tests Independent Experiments by others Peer Review

A sense of who we are… Culture

A sense of who we are… Technology

A sense of who we are… “But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.”  ―  Romeo and Juliet “Doubt thou the stars are fire; Doubt that the sun doth move; Doubt truth to be a liar; But never doubt I love.”  ― William Shakespeare, Hamlet The Falling Star   by Sara Teasdale I saw a star slide down the sky, Blinding the north as it went by, Too burning and too quick to hold, Too lovely to be bought or sold, Good only to make wishes on And then forever to be gone.

Stars Alone in the night On a dark hill With pines around me Spicy and still,

And a heaven full of stars Over my head, White and topaz And misty red;

Myriads with beating Hearts of fire That aeons Cannot vex or tire;

Up the dome of heaven Like a great hill, I watch them marching Stately and still,

And I know that I Am honored to be Witness Of so much majesty.

Who will I have been when I am gone? - Rebecca Elson

Key Questions for YOU…

Key Questions for YOU… How does science work? What do we gain, as humans, by asking questions of Nature? Is the quest for knowledge worth the costs?

Key Questions for YOU… What will you do with what you now know? “Nobody ever figures out what life is all about, and it doesn't matter. Explore the world. Nearly everything is really interesting if you go into it deeply enough.” ― Richard P. Feynman