Philosophy Wire by Spiros Kakos [2014-11-25]: Our whole solar system appears to, say space scientists, who published work last month corroborating its existence. And, oh, what a bubble it is: About 300 light years long (about 1,764,000,000,000,000 miles), and its walls are made of hot gas. How hot? About a million degrees. It's called the "Local Bubble" or "local hot bubble" and is shaped a little like a peanut. Scientists believe it was formed by supernovas, the largest explosions in space, as NASA calls them, that occur when a large star blows up.
The idea was first formulated in the 1970s and 80s, when humans first began exploring the solar system more intensely. They were aiming more advanced telescopes at what's called the interstellar medium. Between the planets and the stars of our galaxy is not just empty space. There are gasses, dust, ions -- and more -- sweeping around. When astronomers poked around in our solar system for it, they found little to nothing. It was like we were living in a virtually empty hole, one that has only a single atom per every liter of space. Around the same time, sensors launched outside of Earth's atmosphere revealed an abundance of something else coming from all directions -- x-ray radiation.
The idea that we live in a bubble was born: So much interstellar medium was gone, because the exploding supernovas have blown it away, and and left us surrounded with their remnants of radiating gas. [1]
We may live in a bubble.
But we may as well be free.
We may be limited in our solar system.
But we may as well be limited only to our self.
How many of us have the courage to let go into our own thoughts?
There is no solar system
There is no bubble.
There are no limits.
It is just You.
Sitting on your couch.
Floating at the limits of the universe...
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