Explaining Our Role in the Universe to Young People

At left, we have the words of American planetary scientist Dr. Carolyn Porco, who explores the outer Solar System, beginning with her imaging work on the Voyager missions to Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune in the 1980s.

FWIW, I don’t take the same tack.  As a guy who’s done his fair share of tutoring young people in science, and who has also raised two kids, I’ve had to deal with the issue a great many times.

When someone wants me to tell them what happens when we die, I ask, “Do you want to know what scientists have learned about the universe as it applies here, or what the believers in an all-powerful God think? I’m happy to explain the ideas of both of them.”

Normally, at this point, the kid (understandably) wants to change the subject, which is just fine with me.