In 2004, my grandfather underwent a successful quadruple bypass surgery, which cleared four blocked arteries in his heart. He is alive and well today due to the science of medicine. Many people would thank God for sparing his life; I thank science. My grandfather happened to be a doctor for 40 years; he used his own medical knowledge to transcend nature’s course of life and death by recognizing his own symptoms and driving himself to the hospital for the proper medical tests.
I study astrophysics because I believe that I am capable of pushing the boundaries of science and that no goal is unattainable. What seems like science fiction in the past often becomes a technology of the future. I believe that humanity is worth saving or preserving, that humans are special because they are capable of both reasoning and art, and that the most important endeavor we should make is to ensure that our species survives. Most people place this among the last few items on their list of priorities; I, on the other hand, understand that our time on Earth is limited and that life on Earth could cease to exist by either natural or anthropogenic forces, both of which seem to be becoming more potent as time goes on.
I study about planets and stars, atmospheres and habitable zones, plate tectonics and solar winds not only because I find these topics cool, but because my knowledge and my research may one day be used to save all of humanity, to colonize other worlds, to push the boundaries of our exploration, or to escape the finite fate of Earth. Just like my grandfather used his experience in the medical field to diagnose himself and save his own life, I too hope to be able to identify a way to save humanity, not through religion or chance, but through hard work and scientific proof.
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