Destin from Smarter Every Day looks into the engineering of one of the most important features of the space station…with help from the actual astronauts!
7 Holes in the Space Station
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Tag Archives: Windows
What’s Outside Your Window?
Hey, there. Yes, you on the other side of the computer screen. Could you please do me a favor? It won’t take very long, I promise. If it’s safe and possible, I want you to go to the nearest window and look out for a minute. Seriously. Really, I’ll wait.
…Back? Okay, good. Thank you for doing that.
So, what did you see? Please, tell me. Did you see the sun or moonlight filtering through the trees? A mountain looming on the horizon? A parade of cars and trucks flowing noisily down the street? A squirrel on a telephone line? The side of building, with chipped, faded paint? Did you hear sounds of children playing? Was there music on the wind? Tell me, and hold nothing back. For as you look out that window – and as you read this sentence – over 7 billion people exist simultaneously. They are living, dying, starving, thriving, and merely getting through what is supposedly a daily existence. Those are the untold stories of life. The struggle to find comfort and relevance amidst the distractions of our world. Those countless dreams, fears, tragedies, and experiences all confined to a single planet which amounts to nothing more than an inconceivably tiny speck floating in a seemingly endless cosmos.
But that does not make our lives meaningless.
I wish I had all the answers. I wish I wasn’t afraid. It would make things so much easier. But I don’t. All I know is that you must find your own meaning in life. Live with purpose. And not just for your sake, but for the benefit the lives of others as well. No one else can do it for you, but they can help find the way. It’s not something that happens overnight; it’s the result of how you grow as a person. It might even be excruciating. It’s far easier to die than it is to fully live. Don’t just cling to the idea of your meaning, but grasp it firmly and strive to make it yours. If you haven’t found it yet, don’t you dare give up; I don’t have a dream, either. It may sound cliche, but you’re not alone. So keep looking.
The window is a good place to start.
Polymathically 