Dec 02 2009
Looking Farther (66) – Why Explore, Why Travel?
In my daydreams, I recently took a Disney cruise not to the Caribbean, but to distant galaxies. I snapped some photos, brought back some souvenirs: it was a great time.
Why explore, why travel? In the least — to entertain ourselves. At best — to increase our first-hand understanding of the world and universe.
Why do we find acquiring knowledge of distant places so attractive, so captivating? Because the new excites more neurons more powerfully than the familiar? Because knowledge is always potential power? I wonder.
[photo thanks to NASA]
