Hubble Telescope in 3D Expresses How Small We Are

29 Comments

1. 

   Kadri

   January 25, 2012 at 8:19 pm

   I think this video is slightly depressing, utterly beautiful and humbling, and still depressing, because of showing distances so far out of humanity’s reach. Or it could have been the music playing in the background.

2. 

   Beef Supreme

   July 29, 2011 at 10:50 pm

   If you can believe all that perfection “just happened” vs. being created by the Supreme Spirit that Einstein himself recognized and acknowledged, then I’d suggest you’re pointing the finger of ignorance at yourself. Wise up, chap.

3. 

   Rick Beckman

   June 3, 2011 at 11:58 pm

   Be consistent: If you’re going to require a creator because you can’t explain why the universe is, then you must require a creator of that creator (and so forth).

   If you’re willing to accept the self-existence of a god, then you have no reason to deny the self-existence of a universe.

   If you require more stringent proof of natural processes than you do of a being you’re banking your whole existence (and eternity, should it exist) upon, then I suggest examining your priorities. The existence of a god or gods (especially should such beings have any bearing on the fate of man) should be met with more scrutiny than any other issue, and the evidence required should be more irrefutable than in any other area of study.

4. 

   t fran

   June 3, 2011 at 10:14 pm

   Rick: We’ll just have to agree to disagree… Personally, I’ve been reading scientific papers and research journals for many years and have yet to see any sustainable proof that natural laws can explain the existance of the universe… There’s a lot of theories but they usually just assume the universe is… Even cosmologists can’t explain the fact that the universe is, creative though their propositions are… I’m done.

5. 

   Rick Beckman

   June 3, 2011 at 10:10 pm

   Looking at something & coming to a conclusion is hardly something I want to base something as important as whether or not there is a god, especially when looking at something scientifically with scrutiny allows us to come to the conclusion that the universe was formed via natural processes which, by and large, are very well understood.

6. 

   t fran

   June 3, 2011 at 10:08 pm

   Rick: You’ll notice I haven’t mentioned the Bible yet… that’s another discussion for another place. I’m just saying that when I look at Creation, I can’t help but see that it was designed… hence a Designer/Creator… That’s all I’m saying. You don’t have to share my view. It’s just an amazing video…

7. 

   Rick Beckman

   June 3, 2011 at 10:05 pm

   A book has the author’s name right there on front. The universe… not so much. There’s no proof that God made anything (or that God exists). Pointing to the Bible is not proof any more than pointing to the Book of Mormon is proof of whatever weird things it teaches.

8. 

   t fran

   June 3, 2011 at 10:04 pm

   Rick: If you read a book, you can say… that’s a nice piece of literature, or you can say, that author was a good writer… True the universe is an amazing place, and if you want to stop there, that’s fine with me. But, I, personally, look to the author and what the universe says about Him…

9. 

   Rick Beckman

   June 3, 2011 at 10:01 pm

   t fran: The video says nothing about the existence of God, nor does it refer to any aspect of omnipotence, malevolence or benevolence, omniscience, omnipresence, justice, wrath, kindness, gayhatingness, nor any other aspect of God that the Bible and Christians talk about.

   Only the Bible says that the heavens declare the glory of God, but the only proof of that statement is that the Bible itself says it. No atheist looks to the heavens and says, “Boy, God sure is great! … I don’t believe in him, though!”

   If the heavens only declare it to those who already believe, then what’s the point of the declaration?

10. 

    t fran

    June 3, 2011 at 8:09 pm

    I’m a (young earth!) creationist and this video simply re-affirms what I already know about the God who created everything… Why would my head explode at watching this????????

11. 

    James

    April 24, 2011 at 7:16 am

    God would be a cunt, if he was real, that is.

12. 

    Rick Beckman

    April 17, 2011 at 4:37 am

    JL: “They believe in science.”

    They claim they do, but the fundamental tenet of creationism (i.e., that God created) is a denial of science in that it cannot be tested, verified, or even understood in scientific terms. This isn’t really surprising, though; just as creationists misunderstand what a theory is (i.e., “evolution is just a theory”), they misunderstand what science is (i.e., “God said it, and that’s all the proof we need”).

13. 

    Blake Maloof

    April 16, 2011 at 7:45 pm

    Totally off topic, but I recognized the song in the background as being the same melody in the Rammstein song Sonne. They must have sampled this song and sped it up. It’s a beautiful melody. Does anyone know what this song is and where I could find it?

14. 

    JL

    April 16, 2011 at 5:42 pm

    This is so mind-blowing, everyone know that the universe is amazing and crammed with other planets and celestial bodies but to see that dark patch expand into a dazzling amount of all that stuff. The last sentence in the description is ignorant though, why would creationists’ heads explode? They believe in science. It’s arrogant and stupid to think that those who aren’t creationists are the only people intelligent enough to accept and undetstand science.

15. 

    Rick Beckman

    April 2, 2011 at 5:13 am

    NJM: I hate the god of the Bible because he is a genocidal madman whose son was an angry, confused, antisocial, hypocrite. I know every Christian will disagree with that, and that’s fine (you’re supposed to). However, I’m very familiar with the Bible; I defended it for nearly a decade, participated in intense debates against brilliant evolutionists, atheists, cultists, and so forth, and so at this point, I simply have this to say regarding Christianity:

    Jesus Christ is recorded in the Gospel of John as stating that the Father chooses who will come to Him and that those who are chosen not only will come to Him but that they will receive salvation (implied through the guarantee of being risen up at the last day).

    If I am one of the one’s the Father has chosen, then according to Jesus, I will come to faith.

    (And yes, I realize that is pretty “Calvinist,” but ultimately, it’s simply taking Jesus at his word without trying to explain away what he said to fit some arbitrary view of Christianity… So many Christians twist & distort what Jesus says in the Gospel of John regarding to sovereignty of the Father over salvation… the whole book might as well be tossed out. All they really want is John 3:16 anyway.)

    Now, theology rant over… Back to science.

    You say that it’s possible to find “pieces of God” simply by looking up at the sky or by exploring the heavens scientifically. What does a “piece of God” look like, and how may it be proven scientifically that it is any particular god which the “piece” belongs or points to? I could just as easily look up into the heavens and say that the awe I feel is surely proof that the invisible pink unicorn is a glorious creator & steward… and I would be doing so with every bit as much proof as the Christian who looks up and says the same regarding Jah.

16. 

    dwarfen_tossen

    April 2, 2011 at 3:57 am

    Agnostic here. Both extreme camps (Hard Atheists and Creationists) can be equally wrong. We simply cannot know for certain how things really are in our universe.

    Thankfully, better men of science aren’t so quick to discount what they can’t observe directly.

17. 

    NJM

    April 1, 2011 at 6:28 pm

    Ched: Thanks for the video, and yes, my head always explodes when I start thinking about cosmology, as I believe anyone else’s head would explode when they do the same, even if they are a strict Darwinist/atheist. I can’t see how believing that God created the universe vs believing that it came into being on its own without God are any different when it comes to an exploding head; its freaking amazing no matter which world view you are looking at it from. Why would someone who believes God created the universe be too dumb to understand how small we are in it? Unless, you believe that people who believe in God are dumb in general, and that they look up at the night sky with no wonder and no awe…?

    Creationism as a rejection of science? When I look up at the night sky, I look up at it as one who believes that God created it. This, in your mind, is a rejection of science, but in absolutely no way does my faith in a creator lead me to reject science. Quite the contrary actually. I love science all the more. Nowhere in my studies of theology or science do I find contradictions, since the two speak to utterly different realms of life with only a little overlap here and there. And in those places of overlap, both disciplines inform one another. Science or God is a false dichotomy.

    Rick: You say, “The video above, the Hubble deep field, and every other piece of evidence discovered by science has failed to find traces of God” This is a perfect example of choosing what you want to believe, no matter what the evidence. If you were looking for clues to God’s existence, “traces of God” if you will, I think you would have found them more than adequately displayed if you wanted to, in the sources you just named. But it is obvious that you don’t want to find God in any of the clues because the implications are pretty serious, which is the heart of the problem. When an atheist does science they refuse to even consider that the evidence somehow points to a creator. Any explanation(no matter how ridiculous) other than a creator is plausible and laudable. I find that disingenuous and close-minded foolishness. But I also understand, b/c admitting that the evidence might, even in the smallest way, point to a creator has life-changing implications for someone who hates the idea of God. At that point, you have to ask yourself why you hate the idea of God, or God himself?

    I find my belief in a creator makes me open to pretty much any possibility, which is great when it comes to doing science. (except for young earth creationism which is just terrible theology spoofing as science).

    Sorry for the long comment but this shouldn’t be boiled down to “creationists are so stupid they can’t understand” because that is just simply not true.

18. 

    Rick Beckman

    March 6, 2011 at 5:23 am

    To play Devil’s advocate (God’s advocate?), the party-line answers are:

    Why did he take so long on the earth huh?
    A: To provide a one-week pattern for humanity to follow. To show his sovereignty over life, creating plant life prior to the sun, for example.

    And if he’s so good why did he need rest?
    A: A rest doesn’t require being tired; a rest in the context is simply a respite from work, similar to a rest in music being a brief break from the melody.

    And why are humans flawed?
    A: Humanity was created perfect, which included freedom of will. Humanity made the wrong choice and was consequently cursed, creating the imperfections we all know too well.

    As I said, those are they party-line answers. By & large, the Bible is internally consistent; objections raised to its content are answered or explained elsewhere. It wasn’t written by dummies by any means.

    But that does not make it perfect. There are plenty of flaws. And if taken at face value without relying upon complicated methods of interpretation developed long after the books & letters of the Bible were written, even many Christians will object to what it teaches.

19. 

    Poopbutt Mcgee

    March 6, 2011 at 4:34 am

    Why did he take so long on the earth huh? And if he’s so good why did he need rest and why are humans flawed.

20. 

    Rick Beckman

    February 24, 2011 at 6:18 am

    Jason: Yes, it is possible. This is because the galaxies themselves aren’t moving in the sense that a race car moves around a track; instead, the space-time between our galaxy & others is expanding. Rapidly. So rapidly that the speed of light is slow by comparison. For more information.

    BD: I spent nearly a decade ardently defending young-earth creationism. At its best, it encourages us to stand in awe at the world so that we will give glory to God; in actuality, what it encourages is ignoring the world around us, preferring instead the workings of a deity. This is exactly what the myths of old did: Thunder bolts? Must be Zeus, right? Science now tells us why we have thunder & lightning. Judeochristianity is guilty of the same sort of explanations: the Bible ascribes the formation of the cosmos, the formation of life, the water cycle, weather, and more to a deity; yet today, through actually observing the world around us, we understand how such things work without appealing to the supernatural.

    Calpatriot: “The big bang is nothing but a theory.” That shows a gross misunderstanding of what the word “theory” means, especially considering within the realm of creationist-affirming scientists, “creation theory” is used. A theory within scientific parlance is tantamount to fact; is the theory of gravity “just a theory”? Evolution is as well-supported scientifically as relativity, electromagnetism, gravity, and so forth, yet these are all fields whose grand proposals are labeled as “theories.” The word you are in fact thinking of is “hypothesis” (e.g., “My hypothesis for the science fair is that ketchup will make an effective lava for a volcano.”). Evolution (and gravity and electromagnetism and relativity et. al) began as hypotheses, but after thorough testing (and evolution is perhaps one of the most, if not *the* most, scrutinized of all scientific theories to date), the hypotheses are upgraded to that of a theory. Long story short, when scientists speak of “theories,” they are speaking of theses which have withstood scrutiny and have been found to be descriptive of the physical world around us.

    Further, you said that the Hubble deep field validates the story of creation; this further shows your misunderstanding of what constitutes proof. To validate the story of creation as presented in the Bible would require first & foremost proof that God exists. The video above, the Hubble deep field, and every other piece of evidence discovered by science has failed to find traces of God but instead corroborate a naturalistic explanation for the universe’s evolution.

    Ched: That the universe is large and we “so small within it” is not an argument against creationism; rather, it’s a reinforcement of the creationist’s beliefs that despite the size of the universe, God loves *us.* And yes, I agree, Christianity is a very clever religion; if not rebutted properly, we end up reinforcing their beliefs. This happens a lot when dealing with the writings of Paul; sure, the man may have believed in the supernatural, but he was incredibly smart, anticipating a variety of objections within his writings.

    Oh, and thanks for allowing me to rant on your site, even though I am a good deal late to the party.

21. 

    jason

    December 30, 2010 at 8:42 am

    at 2:20 in the video the guy says that some galaxy’s are moving faster than the speed of light. Don’t believe that can happen.

22. 

    frog

    November 14, 2010 at 12:20 pm

    great job NASA. Thanks also to deepastronomy.com for the compilation. This will inspire future generations to keep searching for the questions that drive humanity in its quest for knowledge. Perhaps our curious nature will always be assisted by many the attributes and beliefs we have. Only the scientific method can be relied on to produce the goods.

23. 

    Calpatriot

    August 15, 2010 at 1:08 am

    Genesis 1:1

    “In the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth.”

    The hubble deep field photo validates the story of creation.

    The big bang is still nothing but a theory.

24. 

    JLT

    August 2, 2010 at 5:18 am

    Truly an awesome video. Our universe is amazing, much larger and more beautiful than i realized. And for theists, it brings an appreciation of how much more awesome the One who is now creating it is.

25. 

    Ched

    January 25, 2010 at 12:07 pm

    Thanks for the comments guys. I realize that I may have struck a nerve when I mentioned that a Creationist’s head might explode when they realized how large the universe was, implying that they are too ignorant to understand how small we really are in this universe.

    I stand by that. I think some people might mistakenly include Creationism in their religion, since they aren’t able to measure how deep they are in the lies. I view it as a rejection of science. If you reject science, I have nothing to say to you.

26. 

    Troy

    January 25, 2010 at 1:32 am

    I hate to tell you this because you are obviously enamored with the idea that Creationists are hampered by the idea of the universe be so bog, but in our Bible, it states that God created the universe and, hey, that’s okay with us. See, all that means is that our God truly is all powerful and capable of creating the wonders you have so kindly provided views of on your web page. Nothing in the Bible precludes the existence of other galaxies and possibly even other worlds with beings on them. Think about it… If our God is as powerful as we imply in our belief system, then He must have filled the universe you love to look at with an infinite number or worlds, full of of beings capable of worshiping Him. So your little video only further justifies our view of God who is supremely powerful, capable and omnipotent. Thank you for showing what God has truly created and given us to marvel at!

27. 

    BD

    January 24, 2010 at 2:51 pm

    Probably no creationist’s heads were exploded. I have to wonder, however, how darwinist’s heads are even able tobegin to hold or even comprehend the wonder of God’s creation.

28. 

    Wine

    January 24, 2010 at 10:53 am

    Troll harder, asshole.
    The video is absolutely breathtaking, truly humbling stuff.

29. 

    Cheese

    January 23, 2010 at 8:55 pm

    Creationists’ heads would explode? Why? God created the universe, and all the galaxies within.