I changed my major quite a few times before I finally settled on studying astrophysics. Carl Sagan had a major influence on the way that I view the universe and my place in it. His words showed me that studying science can be a spiritual and extremely fulfilling experience.

On February 14th, 1990 the Voyager space craft was approaching the outer edges of our solar system. At the request of Sagan, the following picture was taken.

The small speck in the picture is Earth. The video below is an excerpt from his book Pale Blue Dot which was inspired by the Voyager photo. This excerpt encapsulates the darkness of humanity and draws a vision for a future full of more peace and harmony. Pale Blue Dot reminds of me how small I am in a universe full of so much possibility. It gives me hope that things can change for the better if we are able to connect with each other rather than focusing on what divides us. After all, we really are just like “Horton Hears a Who!” characters floating on a speck in the vastness of space.