For the same reason someone does not have to worship their god at a church – or some other designated holy spot – I believe it is unnecessary to travel the world to appreciate its beauties and wonders. It is a commonly followed idea within science that we do not – we must not – live in a privileged location in the universe. That is to say, all laws govern the same from any given location and an observer should not believe they live in a particularly unique area. Generally speaking, my backyard is no different than any other place on Earth. Of course, it may not have the dynamics of the Grand Canyon or The Alps, or the variations of flora and fauna as the Great Coral Reef – but that does not mean it can’t be studied and appreciated the same as any of those locations. A tree is just as remarkable as any other tree. An insect can be just as awe-inspiring in its complexities as another on the other side of the planet.

One of my goals in life is to see the variations of flora and fauna and geology the Earth has to offer by traveling, but by no means do I want to limit these experiences to those very specific instances. There is a world of wonder in my backyard alone that one could spend an entire lifetime uncovering its secrets. Wasn’t it Darwin who spent the vast majority of his life describing one particular beetle (mollusk)? In fact, my nephew found a rock while playing in my backyard which I later discovered contained a 450 million year old fossil. Let me repeat that… a four-hundred and fifty million year old fossil! Holding something of that verified age is a magical feeling that makes me feel more connected to the ‘realness’ of the Earth, the timescale of things, the collection of life that is such a privilege to be a part of… and just gives off a feeling of respect that I simply cannot deny.

I plan to continue to ‘worship’ in my backyard. I plan to uncover the intricacies on the scale of the insect world using a magic eyepiece that science has gifted us; the micro-cosmos will be revealed through my microscope. I will continue to peer into oblivion from my backyard cathedral and reveal revelations the heavens hold; my observatory will spill the intimate secrets the universe has kept from us for so long. And when I say worship, I mean the respect of Nature and the appreciation for those people who have devoted their entire lives to deciphering its mysteries; and standing in awe of emergent systems interacting on incomprehensible levels. We have only dipped our toe in the ocean of knowledge, and our bible will never be finished…

It is a great time to be alive with all the tools that modern science has given us. The world is ours to explore. I believe lives are enriched by the knowledge of the world around them. Science and technology gives us the tools to make the discoveries of a lifetime. This knowledge gives us instant gratification, while at the same time providing invaluable data to future generations. Science… what’s not to love!?