Tag Archives: Future

Do Not go Gentle into That Good Night: A Call to Keep Going

L.P Madera

Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light

Written by Welsh poet Dylan Thomas in 1947, the poem ‘Do not go gentle into that good night carries many meanings. Originally written for his dying father, the poem is a plea for him to keep fighting and an expression of anger and frustration at what is happening to him.

Dylan Thomas passed away November 9, 1953 at the age of 39 years. He contracted pneumonia after a night of heavy drinking. One can infer not only by the poem but by the drinking and early death that the loss of his father surely had a detrimental impact on his life. His legacy, however, lives on through his poetry much like many past and present writers.

The use of repetition emphasizes his plea and each line demonstrates a combination of regret, dispair, and helplessness people feel toward their end.

The first line denotes the need for one to rebel against old age-not to let it consume you, but to live every day to its fullest.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right, Because their words forked no lightning they do not go gentle into that good night

This line suggests that even though one is old and they know their time is near and that it’s a natural thing they should accept, they still fight against it because they might have one last thing to say. They regret the things they didn’t say and the many things that will remain unsaid after.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay, Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Good men grieve at all the good deeds they could still do if they only had more time on this Earth so they press on to continue their good deeds as long as they can. When their time is finally up, they are sad and full of regret at the good things that were left undone.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight, and learn, too late, they grieved it on its way, Do not go gentle into that good night.

Individuals who lived wild, free, and reckless want to continue to do so and when their untimely end is near, they do not want to go. They want to continue to live as wild and free and want to live and explore forever. They don’t want it to end.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay, Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

People who know they’re dying or on death’s doorstep still fight against it even though they know it’s inevitable. Perhaps, this line suggests an almost natural rebellious instinct.

And you, my father, there on the sad height, curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray. Do not go gentle into that good night Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

His final, most heartfelt plea for his father to keep fighting and live is illustrated in the final line as he is talking to him on his deathbed. He is filled with strong emotions tying into the point of the poem which is a long drawn out plea to keep fighting. He’s giving many good examples throughout of how all these other people push through and he just wants his father to pull through in the same way.

Throughout the years, this poem has been used as a source of inspiration for many groups. It was even featured in the 2014 hit film Interstellar to which it was the fuel for the astronauts to not give up on their mission and keep trudging onward for a better future for humanity which would have been left to die on an uninhabitable planet.

Media is not the only place this work of writing has been used as a catalyst of motivation. Today, many individuals have used it to advocate against despair or decline. Many motivational influencers on social media have chosen this poem to use as a background for their videos. Whether the videos were for workout motivation, or daily life motivation in general, the poem and its words still create a powerful effect.

Seventy years after the wintery night it was debuted, the poem is still a popular source of inspiration for many no matter what they are struggling with. It is a wonderful poem that should be celebrated and cherished. While it was once the outlet of a poet releasing the grief of his dying father the only way he knew how, it can be used as a means of inspiration no matter what the situation is.

Things may seem rough in the world we live in today. America is experiencing a major affordability and housing crisis, there has been and still is a war with Ukraine, and we have suffered many a pandemic and are working out ways to combat any future pandemics. However, with all of these things, humanity remains tough.

Too many articles in the news share nothing but negativity. This may lead some into a deep pit of despair and fear. Of course, when you hear nothing but bad news all day every day it tends to drop the vibe significantly. However, there is hope. Like, General Leia says in The Force Awakens; “Hope is like the sun. If you only believe in it when you see it, you’ll never make it through the night.”

There are many wonderful things in this world to keep fighting for and more good news in the world than what’s being portrayed on media. The best advice? Go out there and explore for yourselves rather than let yourselves be trapped by the magic box of pessimism. Do not go gentle into that good night and always believe good things are right around the corner. Even if it doesn’t seem like it right now.

Space: To Boldly Go or to Be Grounded Forever?

“Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.”

Monologue of Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek

Many of you may recognize this quote from the popular 60’s sci-fi show, Star Trek. The featured protagonist, Captain James T. Kirk, embarked on many adventures through the universe with his friends aboard their beloved starship Enterprise. The central mission of the crew is to “explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations” and of course, “to boldly go where no man has gone before.” Since the beginning of time, humans have looked upon the stars with a sense of wonder and admiration. Ancient astronomers would even ‘connect the dots’ within the stars forming some of the constellations we know today. They would invent backstories for the gods, goddesses, and creatures they saw. Perhaps, this is why shows like Star Trek became so popular with many people. The central themes behind them restored this same sense of childlike wonder to those who dreamed of space as their ancestors before them.

Shows like this, in addition to the space race, fueled a new sense of excitement for the future. Since the end of the shuttle program, it seems that this sense of wonder and hope for our future has begun to diminish. With war, lack of funding, sickness, and climate change constantly holding us back, it has been extremely difficult to send humans back to the moon and beyond. Although NASA’s Artemis program and the rise in space tourism by eccentric billionaires like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Sir Richard Branson, have added new excitement in the space industry, there are still those who show intense disinterest and would rather drop the space program all together. The reasoning behind this belief is that we need to focus on saving our own planet before we destroy another one. Furthermore, there are still many individuals who are suffering on this planet and therefore it would be a waste of money and resources to invest in space exploration.

Others believe that interplanetary exploration is a necessity as our planet is doomed to perish in the future. The only hope of saving humanity is to broaden our reach and acquire multiple home planets. In a sense, both of these viewpoints are equally correct in their own way. Perhaps we should focus on nurturing our own planet and its people into a perfect paradise before we look for another home. However, it would also be the best idea to reach out into the stars for humanity’s sake, for the innovation of technology, better understanding of the universe, and the inspiration of people everywhere.

If we take a look at the pros and cons of traveling to space, the pros seem to outweigh the cons. For instance, in regards to the climate change argument, we can see that space travel actually helps us to better understand this issue in some ways. Most of the climate data and models researchers examine come from satellites put into orbit by climate scientists working for NASA and other affiliates. A lot of deep oceanic exploration is conducted by climate scientists and astrobiologists. Additionally, as we reach further out into space, we will encounter many new problems and the solutions to these problems will lead to new technologies that will benefit humanity. The biggest issue is that of food and how to grow it. Designing new food production technologies for astronauts will inevitably lead to methods that can be used to grow and distribute nutritious foods in impoverished areas of the world. NASA’s Deep Space Food Challenge that began early this year has been a prime example. The space agency asked the public to design a sustainable food production system that could help feed astronauts as well as those suffering from food insecurities on Earth. A technological feat more interesting is that of 3D printing. Astronauts on the International Space Station are conducting research that aims to use microgravity to 3D print human organs and other tissues. With this technology, humanity will no longer have to rely on organ donations or worry about bodily rejections due to an insufficient match.

While the benefits of space travel for humanity may seem endless, the greatest reason for exploration is this: humanity has always been, and will always be, curious. As Carl Sagan once said, “Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.” Without curiosity, humanity would be nowhere. You would not be here reading this blog post on whatever device you are using if your ancestors did not bring you here through curious exploration and risk-taking. The citizens of the countries that had the first maritime explorers probably felt the same way some of you do about space travel. They probably thought it was a waste of time and money but there is opportunity in exploration. There is hope in curiosity.

Those of you who think space exploration is a waste of time and money, that humanity should focus on saving our planet as well as our own suffering species, ask yourselves this: “What am I doing to help?” If the answer is nothing then do you really even get an opinion on the matter? If you are doing your part to help save this planet, if you are donating and volunteering in your local food pantry or Red Cross or Peace Corps, good for you. You are doing your part. My next question for you is: “Why can’t we do both?” Why can’t we go to space and help our people and our planet too? Is that so impossible? If so, why? Okay, that might be a few more questions than was expected but its something to consider.

Everyone has differing opinions. It’s what keeps things interesting between humans. Sometimes, this can be a good thing while other times, it can lead to intense conflict and even war. We must all remember how little we are in this endless universe. All we have is each other and while nothing we do may matter in the vast scheme of things, we do have the power to change the world around us and help one another. There are over seven billion humans scattered throughout this big ball of rock and water. We have the power to do really great things. We just have to believe in ourselves individually and as a whole.

With that, I will leave you all with some inspiring space-related quotes:

“When I orbited the Earth in a spaceship, I saw for the first time how beautiful our planet is. Mankind, let us preserve and increase this beauty and not destroy it.”

Yuri Gagarin (Russian Cosmonaut- First human in space)

“Don’t tell me man doesn’t belong out there. Man belongs wherever he wants to go-and he’ll do plenty well when he gets there.”

Wernher Von Braun (Aerospace Engineer)

“A sense of the unknown has always lured mankind and the greatest of the unknowns today is outer space. The terrors, the joys, and sense of accomplishment are epitomized in the space program.”

William Shatner (American Actor- Captain Kirk- Star Trek)

“Every generation has the obligation to free men’s minds for a look at new worlds…to look out from a higher plateau than the last generation.”

Ellison S. Onizuka (First Asian-American Astronaut to fly in space)

“All of a sudden, space isn’t friendly. All of a sudden, its a place where people can die…many more people are going to die. But we can’t explore space if the requirement is that there be no casualties; we can’t do anything if the requirement is that there be no casualties.”

Isaac Asimov (American Writer)

“Science is not a boy’s game, its not a girl’s game. Its everyone’s game. It’s about where we are and where we’re going. Space travel benefits us here on Earth. And we ain’t stopped yet. There’s more exploration to come.”

Nichelle Nichols (American actress-Lieutenant Uhura-Star Trek)

Reference Materials:

“Become a Volunteer.” How To Volunteer | American Red Cross, https://www.redcross.org/volunteer/become-a-volunteer.html#step1.

Hall, Loura. “Deep Space Food Challenge.” NASA, NASA, 12 Jan. 2021, https://www.nasa.gov/feature/deep-space-food-challenge/.

Johnson, Michael. “3D Printing, Biology Research Journey Back to Earth in Spacex’s Dragon.” NASA, NASA, 3 Apr. 2020, https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/3d-printing-biology-research-journey-back-to-earth-in-spacex-20-dragon.

“Oceanography.” NASA, NASA, https://science.nasa.gov/earth-science/focus-areas/oceanography.

“Taking a Global Perspective on Earth’s Climate.” NASA, NASA, 17 Sept. 2021, https://climate.nasa.gov/nasa_science/history/.

writers, TEAM GOODNET Made up of. “5 Stellar Environmental Volunteer Opportunities.” Goodnet, 18 Oct. 2020, https://www.goodnet.org/articles/5-stellar-environmental-volunteer-opportunities-list.