Subj : Back again
To   : KEVIN GIBSON
From : RICHARD M. MEIC
Date : Sun Jul 15 2001 08:13 am

->  RM> "We are the universe attempting to discover itself."
-> 
->  That's similar to saying "I am the eye"

.... in the sky

->  beyond "We are the world."  

.... we are the children.

->  A person might use different words
->  to describe the dawning of consciousness and the struggle to
->  learn and comprehend.

Pretty much what I mean.  I am not looking for exact words used marely the 
idea.

Carl Sagan was a big fan of Einstein so I can imagine him shortening your 
quote below to the one I provided.

->   "A human being is a part of the whole, called by us the Universe,
->   a part limited in time and space.  He experiences himself, his
->   thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest - a kind
->   of optical delusion of his consciousness.  This delusion is a kind
->   of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to
->   affection for a few persons nearest to us.  Our task must be to
->   free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion
->   to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.
->   Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but the striving for such
->   achievement is in itself a part of the liberation and of a foundation
->   for inner security."
->                                     -- Albert Einstein

Albert was a rather wordy fellow.  He seemed to really enjoy talking... so 
much so that he was often witnessed talking with himself.  But anyway... I 
wonder if he had heard it elsewhere and was simply restating it or if he 
was the originator.  I can also see how the writers of a TV show would 
take the quote from Einstein and reword it for their Minbari race.  

->   For a different perspective, peruse the writings of Pierre Teilhard
->   de Chardin on "noogenesis" and "the noosphere."

What is "noogenesis" and "the noosphere"?  Just a quck explanation is fine.

->   There's more that I would say, but this subject could easily consume
->   far more time than I want to devote to it.

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