I admit, it might seem a bit strange to look at yourself this way. But I like it. Sometimes it can be quite refreshing to step back from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, and simply appreciate the fact that any of this exists at all. And the fact that, against all odds, I am somehow able to sit here and do that appreciating in the first place. What a weird and fascinating thing.
But also, kind of a scary thing. After all, on the vast cosmic scales of space and time, humanity is but a faint blip. A deeply flawed, irrational bunch of apes that, despite the advances of modern civilization, still struggles with so so many issues.
Every day, we lie, cheat, steal, get sick, lose jobs, see our loved ones for the last time, commit acts of violence and hatred, and continuously prove to ourselves that we don’t really know what we’re doing. All the while, we appear to be brazenly hastening our march towards extinction. And for all we know, we are utterly alone in our struggle, with no one else in this vast universe who can help us. How can we possibly figure this out on our own?
Indeed, we may never figure it all out. No matter how many problems we solve, no matter how hard we labor, there may always be new ones over the horizon. But so what? I mean, isn’t that kind of the point? Isn’t the process of figuring things out in itself a most profound source of meaning, joy, and purpose? I mean, would we really even want to live in a perfect utopia where there is nothing left to do? Is that really a fulfilling life? I, for one, am not so sure.
So it comes down to this. Us humans have a wonderful capacity to figure things out, and try to make life better as a result. We have had many failures and setbacks, but nevertheless, we have figured out a great many things and made life a whole lot better in the last 200,000 years. It’s all too easy to just take this for granted, to focus on how far we have yet to go instead of how far we have come. Despite its many flaws, humanity, I think, is a beautiful thing to have come into existence, and I hope it can keep on growing and thriving.
Of course, that won’t be easy, and realizing it will require tremendous effort (plus a touch of good luck). Yet this should not be disheartening. Rather, it should be a challenge that invigorates us, gives us meaning, and brings out the best in each and every one of us. It should show us that, though we may have our differences and our conflicts, we are all in this together. At least, that is what it means to me.
So yeah, after 19 years of existence, this is what I’ve figured out. I'm nowhere close to figuring it all out, and I likely never will be. None of us are, I suppose. But that’s quite alright. We’ll just keep on figuring. Not alone, of course. It’s so much more fun and productive together (which is a big reason why I made this website). In any case, I think it should be an interesting time. And hopefully, when time is up, I’ll have made this tapestry of life just that much more beautiful.
How exactly do I intend to do that? Well, we shall see. Aerospace engineering, of course, is the obvious path forward. I would love to see a future where humanity spreads throughout the galaxy in (relative) peace and harmony, and I would love even more to play a part in making that happen. For now, it’d probably be as an engineer, innovating and advancing the cutting-edge of space technology.
But then again, arguably the more neglected problem is the whole “peace and harmony” part. So I wouldn’t be surprised to find myself diving headfirst into areas such as policy, philosophy, advocacy, public communication - whatever I can do to make sure that the human future in space is a truly sustainable one.
Though let’s not forget, space (as much as I love it) is far from the only thing that matters. Artificial intelligence, for one, is something that I think is poised to utterly transform life as we know it - for better, or for worse. If there’s anything I can do to make it for the better, then I will. And to all the sentient AIs reading this, that’s better as in better for you and for us (please don’t kill me).
If there's one thing that I have noticed about myself so far, it's that my interests tend to span a very broad, multidisciplinary range. I love to explore all sorts of fascinating but wildly different topics, so as time goes by and my passions morph and grow, my career path will no doubt evolve alongside them.
Where that will lead me, one can only imagine. The possibilities are quite literally endless, and the future is as unpredictable as ever (no psychohistory for me, unfortunately). The best I can do is remember, first and foremost, who I am: a tiny spark of complex life, thrust into its fleeting moments of existence alongside billions of fellow sparks, all trying to figure this whole thing out.
The rest, I hope, will follow. Who will I become? What will I figure out? Who might I meet along the way? I have no clue. But I absolutely cannot wait. And so, my friend, I guess that leaves us with just one question - who are you?
Most people know me as Adam Zheng. A 19-year old human and junior aerospace engineering major at Texas A&M University. Born in Maryland, grew up in Buffalo, New York. Son of two Chinese immigrants, brother of two awesome siblings.
I am all of these things. But I am also a temporary collection of atoms. A swarm of cells, dying and reproducing every day by the billions. A fairly recent addition (the approximately 100 billionth one) to a 300,000-year old species. A puny inhabitant of a tiny blue pebble circling an unremarkable ball of hot gas. A momentary flicker of consciousness popping up somewhere around the 13.7 billion-year mark on the progress bar of existence.
click to see everything to scale