Joshua’s Universe

The Ancient World Imagined

— Have you ever looked up at those unimaginable heights from where constellations, scattered across the boundless sky, send us their distant ancient light? — Joshua asked Louise and Tanita.

— Of course! — Louise replied. — Surely, everyone has been captivated by a starry sky at least once. It draws me in like a magnet. There’s no grander spectacle!

Joshua paused for a couple of seconds.

— For astronomers, the Universe is like a treasure trove! — he continued. Exploring it is the best reward they can imagine.

— Astronomy is a fascinating science, — Tanita chimed in. — Did you know that, on average, each galaxy contains about 200 billion stars? What could be more interesting than studying the cosmos? I think it’s simply amazing!

— Absolutely, — Joshua agreed. — The scales are astonishing, both in terms of space and time. When people started observing objects in our Universe, they quickly realized how incredible they were!

— I heard that the perception of the world around us changed dramatically when they invented the first telescope capable of better observing previously known objects and discovering new ones, like nebulae. It turns out the Universe is much larger than previously thought. — Louise said.

— By the way, I heard an amusing assertion, — Tanita added, — that if you were to get into a spacecraft and fly away from Earth at the speed of light, time would reverse for you. And if you looked back, you’d see dinosaurs running around!

— Wow! — exclaimed Louise. — I’ve always liked dinosaurs. They’re absolutely fascinating. Seeing them alive someday is my ultimate dream! Joshua sighed.

— Unfortunately, we don’t have spaceships and the fuel to travel at the speed of light.

— I believe that with time, we will! — Tanita encouraged him. — It will be mind-blowing!

— Who knows, — Joshua continued dreamily, — perhaps someday they’ll invent a time machine, and we’ll be able to witness all the incredible diversity of life on Earth in that distant era.

— The idea of a time machine has many skeptics, — Louise noted. — Yes, and that skepticism is growing, — Joshua agreed. — Trying to invent a time machine is a futile endeavor!

— But thanks to scientists, we have many other wonderful devices that work. — Tanita gently countered. — Inventing such useful scientific gadgets is a noble pursuit. And scientific progress is unstoppable.

— It’s interesting how scientists learn about the existence of all these extinct species. — Louise wondered. — And how do they measure the duration of their existence? It must require a very rigorous approach!

— Mostly through scientific excavations, — Joshua replied. — Typically, scientists are inventive and creative, coming up with various ways to find what they need. Researchers’ questions are quite tangled, but they’re worth unraveling.

— And how do they know where to dig? — Louise marveled. — What methodology do they follow?

— There are different signs, — Joshua explained. — For example, dried riverbeds. Rocks often erode near them, and you can discover various ancient artifacts. Usually, excavations are carried out in arid regions. Digging in fertile soil is useless. Nature itself tells us that.

— I heard that staying in arid regions can be dangerous. — Tanita said. — There’s no water; it’s scorching, and sandstorms and whirlwinds are possible. I think sometimes you just have to make yourself work in such conditions!

— Well, you’ll do a lot for the sake of science! — Joshua assured her. — You can endure a lot for the sake of science.

— I heard that many millions of years ago, the conditions for life on our planet were no worse than they are now. — Tanita said. — In fact, they were quite favorable for most species.

— Yes, — Joshua agreed. — Earth has always been a place for fascinating evolutionary experiments.

— I wonder which of these animals thrived the most? — Louise pondered. — It must have been predators.

— Many species flourished, — Joshua replied. — And when predators thrive, the species they prey on must also thrive.

— Exactly! — Tanita agreed. — Otherwise, if these herbivores didn’t thrive, predators would quickly eat them all and then die of hunger. Hello-hello!

— Ha-ha-ha! — Louise laughed.

— Oh-ho-ho! — Joshua joined in.

— Bu-ha-ha! — Tanita chimed in.

— Predators are disgusting, — she said when they had finished laughing. — I hate them!

— I disagree, — Louise stated. — They’re adorable.

— Adorable? — Tanita protested. — I imagine their bloody muzzles; they’re so touching. No, they’re just disgusting!

— Even if you don’t like them, it doesn’t diminish their merits, — Joshua remarked.

— They’re natural-born killers! — Tanita firmly stated. — That’s enough.

— Ladies, — Joshua said sensibly, — I’d like to point out that our human criteria don’t apply to the animal world. It’s just nature. It’s evolution. It can’t be good or cruel, good or bad. Please avoid emotional judgments. Thank you.

— Understood! — Tanita agreed.

— Nevertheless, predators are cute. — Louise stood her ground. — I adore them. Especially kittens.

— Everyone adores kittens. — Tanita noted.

— Of course. By the way, I have a cat. Persian. — Joshua added.

— I can’t afford one. — Tanita sadly admitted. — I have a very ordinary one; I don’t know its breed.

— But I don’t like insects. — Louise admitted. — And, by the way, insectivores, too.

— I usually don’t have anything against animals. But I really don’t like bats. — Joshua said. — They’re constantly flitting back and forth, flapping their wings. It’s disgusting.

— Disgusting! — Louise expressed her displeasure again.

— Cats are better. — Tanita added.

— Definitely! — Joshua agreed.

— Without a doubt! — Louise confirmed.

A related story: