The other night, on my way between my car and my back door, I caught a glimpse of the night sky. I suspect you know this feeling - gobsmacked by the glory of nature… your mouth open, staring up.
In this moment, I was transported right back to Appledore Island a couple of summers ago when I literally stumbled upon a small group of students laying on their backs, star gazing. I immediately asked if I could join them; it was August and the Perseid meteor shower was in full swing. As we all lay there the students told me they had never seen so many stars. I pointed out a few constellations. Two students were from mega cities where they reported that no one ever looks up. They shouted with joy every time a meteor shot past. We were fortunate - we got some great ones with long tails that made wide arcs, ensuring that everyone saw the same dash of light. It was a very special moment for me to share with them. The pure wonder and awe of a dark night sky filled with stars.
Carl Sagan said, “I think everyone in every culture has felt a sense of awe and wonder looking at the sky.” I believe Carl would agree that having a sense of wonder is where great science is born. We are so darn lucky at Shoals Marine Laboratory to have wonderfully dark skies and a vast ocean to induce these moments often. We should all celebrate what you and we are doing at SML, purposefully bringing eager and curious minds to a place where wonder and awe ignite science and scientific careers. Now, go outside and look up…
