Space Telescopes, Consciousness, and Shoe Deals in Space!

Yesterday I’m walking and started thinking about the James Web Telescope. It is sucking in signals from all over the place. Then I think about the Hubble telescope, its predecessor of sorts. Two apparatuses taking in the universe. And it felt like they were eyes. Then I realized how many people went into putting these up in space. And then I thought about how many cells in my body work together to make my eyes work. And it seemed as if life was working together on multiple scales to observe itself. Like — whatever artificial intelligence and computers systems are — they are working with us to establish a higher form of life. That is controversial. Humanity doesn’t quite yet understand consciousness, so I won’t make the claim that our combined efforts are a higher form of sentience. But I won’t say they aren’t either. You may play devil’s advocate on either side you prefer.