A Mind-Boggling Experience!
On the Saturday after Christmas, Al
and I joined a long line of people—parents with kids, moms holding babies,
grandpas and grandmas—who had the same idea about spending the afternoon
exploring the expansive facility at the Michigan Science Center.
It was new to us, and took a while
to get oriented once inside. We first walked past the doors for the theater
taking note of the location so that we could be on time for the 1:00 showing of
“Wingsuit Fliers,” a movie title that sounded intriguing.
Before the movie, we stopped in
front of a cabinet full of “antique” toys that took us back in time to our
childhood days. Many of them were familiar… Tinker Toys, Lincoln Logs, an old
chemistry set and metal roller skates with a key for adjusting their length. Each
toy had a handwritten note by a scientist or engineer sharing how it had been a
source of inspiration.
Then, on to the movie, which was reminiscent
of the tale of Icarus and Daedalus. I was fascinated by that story when
studying Greek mythology in the sixth grade. Daedalus, the father of Icarus and
a master craftsman, fashioned wings for them so that they could escape from
imprisonment on the island of Crete.
Before flying to freedom, Daedalus
told young Icarus to follow after him, and warned that if he got too close to
the sun, the beeswax holding the feathers on the wings together would melt. But
Icarus ignored the warning and plunged to his death after flying upward towards
the sun.
People have long been enamored with
the idea of being able to fly and glide through the sky like birds, as
evidenced by that ancient tale. This was also the passion of three daring
wingsuit fliers featured in the 3-D movie, who aspired to fly along a ridge of
the Eiger in the Swiss Alps!
Dropped off by helicopter on a
ledge of the 13,000-foot peak, they jumped off one by one, stretching out their
arms and legs. As the wings unfurled, their high-tech wingsuits resembled the
shape of the flying squirrel.
This was the second attempt of the
skilled fliers, after having to abort earlier when a storm front moved in. The
photography was amazing as the three of them stayed close together and darted
along the ridge at high speeds, using wind currents to carry them along until
they reached the valley floor, elated at their success.
After the movie, we walked through the exhibit
that contained 40 replicas of the inventions of Leonardo da Vinci, artist,
architect, scientist and inventor, who lived from 1452-1519. As it turned out,
Da Vinci also was interested in flying!
One of his inventions was a contraption
designed to enable humans to fly. He envisioned a helicopter type of machine
with an overhead propellor, powered by cords attached to a person’s head, arms
and feet! He also designed an armored car, a machine gun and other machines
leaving one with the impression that there really isn’t anything new “under the
sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9).
Speaking of the sun, we stopped in
front of a cannister containing 10,000 beads—most of them yellow, a few blue
and one red. A poster explained that of the 10,000 stars seen from earth
(yellow), there are a few that could have life-bearing planets (blue), but only
one (red) that we know has a life-bearing planet revolving around it, our sun!
A little boy and his dad were spinning the
cannister, trying to find the red bead. After several minutes, they gave up,
and then I tried, to no avail. One out of ten-thousand, or perhaps more? Mind-boggling!
I left the center inspired by all
that mankind has learned through observation, exploration, experimentation… and
in awe of all that we still do not understand.
The apostle Paul puts it into
perspective with these eloquent words about the greatness of our God, Creator
of the Universe, who loves us all with an incomprehensible love and has
revealed it to us through His Son, Jesus Christ:
“Oh the depths of the riches of the
wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgements, and his paths
beyond tracing out! ‘Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his
counselor?’ ‘Who has ever given to God that God should repay him?’ For from him
and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen!”
Romans 11:33-36
NIV
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