According to astronomers
the universe is 14 billion years old,
a fact that makes the long scroll
of my life—
its fine brushstrokes of autumn leaves, inclining
over a mountain pool; the quick,
inscrutable characters that say
something wise & eternal but look
to me like long-legged insects—
so infinitesimally short
that, in reality, I cannot be said
to have lived at all;
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
not to mention this day,
starting as usual with coffee & a glance
at the shocking headlines, with their promise
of a dire year ahead, which
cosmologically speaking,
is less than a mole on the cheek of the smallest
unnamed particle skating in an atom of oxygen
exhaled from a single breath of Time;
much less the hour I’ve sat
pondering this strangeness, while the earth—
still a pudgy adolescent in quantum terms—
turned a little on its axis
so that sunlight,
which set out a mere 8 minutes ago
on its singular mission to the kitchen table
could brighten the coiled peel of an orange,
my companion in nothingness,
that has been waiting here
on the saucer beside me
since the beginning.
Subscribe to Support Independent Journalism
Great science journalism requires human expertise, time, effort and creativity. And it costs money. That’s why I and the journalists here at Scientific American hope you’ll join our community.
When you subscribe, you are supporting staff and freelance journalists who are passionate about telling science stories that are true, important and compelling. Our editors and reporters are often experts in their fields, which means they understand the nuances of big discoveries and can untangle the breakthroughs from the hype. With a subscription, you are also supporting rigorous fact-checking to ensure the words we publish are precise and accurate. And you’re supporting original illustrations, graphics and photos that bring you closer to an advanced laboratory, an ice sheet in Antarctica or a space mission in orbit. You’re helping us craft other types of high-quality journalism as well: Our newsletters are carefully written, edited and curated by staffers you have or will come to know and love. Our Science Quickly podcast is based on original reporting, collaboration with editors and scientists and exacting production.
Subscriptions keep this engine running so we can continue to deliver thoughtful, rigorous and independent science journalism to you. In an era of viral misinformation, this work is crucial. If you value what we do, I hope you’ll consider joining us as a subscriber
