Jawbreaker

Arthur C. Clarke, one of the coolest people who ever lived, said “Any sufficiently advanced technology will appear to be magic,” or something like that, and it’s true.  It was the idea behind “The Man Who Would Be King,” one of my favorite movies.  It explains cargo cults and the conquest of the Incas.  It’s also true internally, within one era and one civilization.  That is, I have no idea how scientists figure out some of the stuff they figure out, it seems like magic to me.  Nonetheless, I am happy that there are people in this world that much more intelligent than I am.  It means there is hope for the human race.

I’m referring to this.  How the heck they know what’s at the center of the Earth, when we’ve never been down anywhere near that far, is beyond me.  The deepest point in the oceans is about 15 kilometers down, the deepest mines on Earth less than that.  They are talking about 700 kilometers down.  A huge reservoir of water, 3 times the volume of the Earth’s oceans.  Encased in rock.

I’m not sure what value this knowledge has.  It’s not like we’re going to drill for it.  It’s not as if we actually have a water shortage.  Well, occasionally, here and there, but we’ll be able to solve that problem much easier through desalination, more efficient usage and distribution, etc…

It is a humbling thought, though.  The planet we live on is basically like a big jawbreaker with a surprise at the center.