Ahead and Behind

So there used to be this Wednesday afternoon Pizza hour in the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Purdue University when I was a PhD student there. And what this was about was an interaction between students and either a visitor or one of the professors from within the department.

One particular Wednesday an astronaut who had done a space walk was visiting. I was excited! I mean how often does one get an opportunity to interact with someone who has actually gone to outer space, and if that isn't enough, has actually floated in space *outside* the shuttle.

I think every single person in that room was kind of awestruck as he described his experience. I was too :)! I mean this guy had actually looked down at Earth while floating in space:)!

Now Purdue is an awesome university. I've spent six years there, wear the university name proudly, and try my best to live up to the standards it sets and demands. And astronauts are, by definition, some of the coolest people walking the Earth! But there was one thing this gentleman said that kind of left me a bit stunned in not so positive a manner.

He mentioned that he could actually see Las Vegas from space since it's lit up so brightly. And it gave him a sense of pride as that was symbolic of how far behind the US has left the rest of the world.

Now of course its true that the US is far ahead of the rest of the world when it comes to scientific and technological advancement. But I wish he had chosen a better example.

Why do I say this? Because Las Vegas, to me, stands for everything that the human race *should not* be aspiring for.

What is Las Vegas known for? Gambling, strip clubs, prostitution, possibly every single vice that one can think of and people basically flushing their money down the toilet in indulgence.

That's a place that ought to make Americans go: Wait a minute, we aspired to be great! Why have we gone so wrong here?

Do you see what I'm saying?

Comment from a friend: That IS the worst example ever! I thought he would have been able to see Las Vegas and lamented on where mankind had got to - because apparently going into space gives people a better perspective on humanity!

My addition: I once heard someone say that the first time Gautam Buddha, before he became Gautam Buddha and was still prince Siddhartha, stepped outside the palace, he needed to see just one old person, one sick person, and one dead body, to go "Oh Boy!" and start trying to figure out what it's all about. What an enhanced level of sensitivity! What clarity of thought! I think what the world needs today is that kind of an intellectual leap forward.