By Dexter MacBride, JD
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“Universe: the totality of existing or created things, including the earth (with all on it or in it; the heavenly bodies, and all else throughout space.” ..-American College Dictionary It is generally agreed the ancient Greeks believed their “world” to be flat, circular, and their country located in the middle. There were two central points in their universe: Mount Olympus (9,730 ft.), home of the Gods, and Delphi (site of Apollo’s Temple Oracle). Around this vast circular disk flowed the all-embracing “River Ocean”. The Romans received, embraced and extended the Greek (Hellas) cosmogony, e.g., Zeus became Jupiter, Chronos emerged as Saturn. Roman “government” appears about 27 B.C., and was extended to the later “Empire” in 284 A.D. For centuries the “centricity” concept was that of “All roads lead to Rome”. Not only did the roads “lead to Rome”..these roads led out of Rome, especially in the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries. A vast network of roads was available for armies on the move, especially for Christian Crusaders heading eastward to reach, and battle for, access to the “Holy Land” (which was held by Mohammedans). Especially in those three centuries (which witnessed 8 Crusades) the Holy Land was the central symbol of Christian religious fervor. Other cultural centers, e.g., Byzantium (formerly Constantinoble; Istanbul) perceived their nation to be “ Central.” Byzantium erected a great central monolith from which all parts of the empire could be determined by measurement. Our Western Hemisphere is equally illustrative of the “Center of the Universe” concept and perspective. Consider: Peru’s indigenous peoples embraced the belief that their Incan Capitol City of Cusco was founded by the son of the Sun, Manca Capac, the “First Incan,” who left Lake Titicaca (alt. 12,507; 3,200 sq.miles) to search for “The Central Place” of the Andean world. He found a spot which, when he plunged the Golden Rod into the ground, the Rod disappeared. He had reached “Goago”, the “Navel of Earth” (Quechua language). Cusco today is called “the Archaeological Capitol of the Americas...the continent’s oldest continually inhabited city..the hub of the South American Travel Network.” |
In similitude: present-day Mexico City, the Republic’s Capitol, was once Aztec Tenochtitlan, a central city which was revealed to the indigenous people through a prophetic vision of a magnificent Eagle perched on a rock in the great central lake; it was the “Center” promised them for their future. In evaluating these histories of “cultural centricity”, you may ask: Where is our present-day Center of the Universe? The most persuasive response... indeed, the most creative and prescient “answer” is that brilliantly proffered by columnist Dan Neil in “All Rays Lead to Pasadena” (Los Angeles Times; February 5, ’06; West). Dan Neil discusses the Interplanetary Network Directorate Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in Pasadena, California and describes the work of the Deep Space Network which employs a “big radio that NASA uses to talk to spacecraft...the network which makes the JPL go.” Noting that California is the fifth largest economy in the world and “...is the cultural, industrial and entrepreneurial center of the United States,” Neil continues by describing “JPL, the NASA-Caltech campus tucked into an alluvial fan of the San Gabriel Mountains” and emphasizes “the machines that reconnoiter our solar system.” While admitting that there is “no 3-D geometric center of Beichman the universe” (quoting astrophysicist Dr. Charles Beichman, Ex-Director, JPL/ Caltech’s Michelin Science Center), columnist Neil asks : “A Pasadena centric cosmos?” After agreeing that another California city (Mountain View, near San Francisco) may also be in the running for “Center of the Universe” because of the SETI Institute (Search for Extra Terrestial Intelligence) which is located in Mountain View, Neil and Beichman have come to a joint conclusion: “California argues for pride of place, but Northern California leads in listening, while Southern California leads in reaching out.” POST DICTUM: In this entire “Center of The Universe” issue, my wife insists that the City of Wills Point “Blue Bird Capital of Texas”...a few miles easterly of Dallas) is the Center of the Universe (based on her childhood recollections). For me, Willoughby Bay/Ocean View (my early memorable days in Tidewater Virginia) should be worthy of Centric consideration. For those of you who wish for an additional “Center of the Universe” selection in Southern California: there are historic data pointing to the City of Whittier, where indigenous peoples are reported to have cherished the notion that the “center of Universe” was located in their community and, in today’s world, that central spot might be at the intersection of Whittier Boulevard and Santa Fe Springs Road. |