Interstellar and the Cosmos

"The Cosmos is all that is or ever was or ever will be. Our feeblest contemplations of the Cosmos stirs us: there is a tingling in the spine, a catch in the voice, a faint sensation, as if a distant memory, of falling from a great height. We know we are approaching the greatest of mysteries."
- Carl Sagan, Cosmos

Lately, I've been developing this fascination of science-fiction, astronomy and the stars, and sciences that are outside of my science, Sociology. Cosmos (the book), Cosmos: A Space-Time Odyssey (hosted by Neil DeGrasse Tyson), and even the recent Interstellar film have challenged me, to learn and grow and think critically of what I know and what I want to know. 

While I do understand the basics of astronomy and some basic ideas of the complexity that is astrophysics, it's all so beyond me, incomprehensible, and I'm struggling to grasp these ideas. I'm not discouraged at all, but rather remorseful that I didn't develop an interest sooner. Maybe it's just me, but it seems like astronomy, astrophysics, robotics, engineering, with some form of biology (perhaps microbiology?) and chemistry (o-chem?) seem to be associated with one another, as though if you know one, you're bound to know the others. It feels like I missed out on an awesome, intellectual party of sorts. 

I think anything futuristic has my attention at the moment - steampunk in art, industrial/post-industrialism in music, and science-fiction, robotics, and industrialism in literature. It all seems so imaginative, extravagant, and conjure such unique worlds and circumstances that you can't help but want to explore and discover. 

In the end, I want to know as much as I can, so that I can impart my knowledge onto my children, when that time comes. I want to have a relationship with my kids the way Cooper has with his kids in Interstellar: he's not just a parent, but also a teacher, challenging his kids to think critically, learn new skills, and learn as much as humanly possible. It's an inspiration to be that kind of a father figure when the time comes.

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!"

Lately, I've been feeling down. It's hard for me to admit this, since I'm making the conscious decision to post this entry for all to see, for all to have a little glimpse at one of my many flaws. Especially when the Internet is known for posting content that puts us nice and high and far apart from the rest. Still, I promised myself to be honest, especially to my "self", as I am now. "To thine own self be true..." as Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet. 

Anyhow, for the sake of truth and honesty, I'm sad to say that I've been sad lately. I know that's ok: people always have that "down time" in the rhythm of Life and I'm not an exception. However, the problem lies in the fact that I perpetuate this sadness, allowing it to bleed on and on for days, weeks, sometimes months, and unfortunately (regretfully so) years. What bothers me most is that I can't seem to let go and move on and that's where I'm at at the moment...again. I'm at the cusp of being overwhelmed with negativity that's unnecessary in my life...yet I invite it again, insisting for it to stay, give it food and drink, and ask for it to stay for as long as possible before this sadness must (temporarily) depart from my life. I bring it upon myself and it's such a drag...

I want to get out of it, but I just don't know how. I always think if I could cry it all out, I'd be able to relinquish much of what I'm already holding on to, but I know that's only a temporary solution. I know it'll come back, sooner rather than later. I've been taking action and doing things that are helping me feel good about myself, about life. I've been exercising and eating healthier as a means to begin developing a healthier self-image of myself; I'm still blogging here (obviously) as a means of reflection of what I'm going through, what I'm experiencing, and what I'm learning from my experiences; and I've been reading, writing here, listening to a lot of music, and other things to keep my mind engaged (distracted, really) from the negativity that dares creep into my life. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. These are really baby steps to a better perspective of life, but I'm hoping these initiatives will cascade into some torrential happiness that can help erode much of what I'm already harboring.

New Reading List (CRL UPDATE!)

Perhaps what had made this Fall Semester so successful is the fact that I've learned to approach my professors with all sorts of questions - from the class material itself, to supplemental readings, and even discussing critical observations of the real world (these discussions were the favorites among myself and my professors). At the end of my semester, I've made it a point to talk to each of my professor to develop more academically focused reading list for me to have and to develop further as time passes on.

In some ways, there's an ulterior motive to this list: I hope that the readings will help me develop a focus in the field I'm studying (Sociology) for the sake of my final semester (research, internship, and thesis) and, if I'm daring enough, Grad School (wherever I may go since I've yet to really give this much thought). 

In the sake of fairness, these titles will also be a part of my (personally) infamous Comprehensive Reading List. These books, plus all the personal novels (and the like) that I want to read this year will skyrocket the number significantly. This will, in fact, force to reconsider my 75% goal that I always set for myself and perhaps consider a lower number (roughly 50-65%, if I'm fortunate enough). But the new and improved CRL won't be available for another few days (to add and even color code my reading list to account for the major changes soon to come).

In some ways, I do hope that you (the reader) will perhaps consider reading some of the books on my list and perhaps gain the same insights I've had from Flowers for Algernon (for example). Until next time, my fellow readers!