Issue No. 67

Back when I was a teenager, I had many hobbies. I enjoyed drawing, playing the guitar, dancing, reading, writing, collecting science books, and performing science experiments. One of my favorite memories as a 12-year-old was when I tried to separate white light into its constituent colors using a triangular prism and measured the temperature of each color.

I found that violet was warmer than red. I modeled this experiment on William Herschel’s original work with visible light. William also discovered that there is light we cannot see when he placed a thermometer near the red light, which is not visible. He found that there is light or radiation that we cannot see with our eyes. He called it infrared radiation because it is below the red light. At the other end of the visible spectrum is ultraviolet radiation/light because it is above the violet.

This type of fascination with the natural order of things is probably what many scientists in the past experienced. Isaac Newton had a similar experience when he asked himself why the Moon does not fall into Earth if it's just floating above. He was curious, and his curiosity led him to discover physical laws that now govern our modern technology. Charles Darwin had a similar fascination with the complexity of life and its relationships. Madame Curie was captivated by radiation, dedicating her life to understanding its properties and applications.

In the field of electricity, Michael Faraday's curiosity about the nature of electric currents and magnetic fields led him to discover electromagnetic induction, laying the groundwork for modern electric power generation. In mathematics, Carl Friedrich Gauss's deep interest in numbers and their properties resulted in groundbreaking contributions to number theory and statistics. In medicine, Edward Jenner's observations and experiments with smallpox vaccination paved the way for the development of immunology and vaccines, saving countless lives. In astronomy, Galileo Galilei's use of the telescope to study the heavens revolutionized our understanding of the solar system and the place of Earth within it.

These examples provide us with a glimpse into the ingenuity of human curiosity. Throughout the ages, we have learned about our world exponentially, like children in a playground discovering their environment. And the more we understand it, the more we discover how little we know about it. This passion to understand the world around us and transfer it to another generation seems to be unique to our species. Other animals can be curious about their environment up to a certain point. For example, a species of fish called the archerfish has been observed shooting jets of water to knock insects off overhanging branches, displaying a remarkable ability to problem-solve and adapt.

Similarly, certain primates such as chimpanzees have been known to use tools for tasks such as obtaining food or grooming. This behavior suggests a level of curiosity and problem-solving ability, though not as extensive or complex as human endeavors.

Birds, too, exhibit curiosity and intelligence. The New Caledonian crow, for instance, is known for its tool-making skills. These birds fashion tools out of twigs and leaves to extract insects from tree bark—a behavior that showcases their curiosity and ability to innovate in their environment.

In contrast, humans differ from animals in how we use our curiosity primarily due to the complexity and depth of our exploration and understanding of the world around us and our ability to transfer this knowledge to the next generation for them to continue the quest for more knowledge. We engage in abstract thinking to ponder questions about existence and morality, innovate with tools that range from simple implements to advanced technologies, and conduct systematic scientific inquiry to uncover the underlying principles of the universe. We don’t have the biggest brain, neither the most complicated body composition but our unique ability to transmit knowledge across generations through language, writing, and education, and our inclination towards creative expression through art and culture, all reflect the expansive nature of human curiosity. These unique attributes distinguish our pursuit of knowledge and understanding from the curiosity observed in other species.

In understanding the world, we uncover its beauty. A plant's leaf becomes a factory where sugar is created using oxygen. A flower turns into a reproductive organ through which plants propagate their offsprings. Layers of rock becomes a calendar of previous epochs and histories forgotten in time. Stars and planets become testaments of billions of years of evolution of the universe through which we are fortunate to have been born into.

As a kid, this thought made me want to live forever. I wanted to know more. Where did we come from? How did our consciousness come about? I wanted to see more, understand more. But alas, we are mortals bound for a certain end. I will never see how our species evolves into a more intelligent form, how we venture out into space and live on other planets, how we cure diseases we never thought we could cure, how we discover more about ourselves by being curious, and how we make peace of our differences and become the kind and loving people we aspire to be.

Each discovery, each answered question, and each solved mystery adds a layer of wonder and appreciation to our lives. It is this relentless quest for understanding that drives humanity forward, making our world not only more comprehensible but also more beautiful. When we understand the world, we also understand our place in it, fostering a sense of connection and responsibility. This understanding inspires us to protect and preserve the beauty we uncover, ensuring that future generations can also experience the wonder and awe that comes with discovery.

One of the most profound understandings of our physical world that I have ever heard is in a TV show called Cosmos by Carl Sagan in 1980. Carl Sagan was an American astronomer, planetary scientist, and science communicator. In Episode 9, titled "The Lives of the Stars," he explained how the atoms that make up our bodies are formed. Some of these atoms aren't made on Earth, as it's impossible to replicate the amount of temperature and pressure needed to synthesize them. These atoms in our bodies, such as carbon, nitrogen, iron, and oxygen, can only be created inside the cores of stars where tempereature can reach 15 million °C. These elements are released from the interiors of stars after they die. In a sense, according to Carl, we are made of the materials that can only be created inside Stars.

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Until next week,