The Profit Prophet

Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Balkhī (Persian: جلال‌الدین محمد بلخى ‎), also known as Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī (Persian: جلال‌الدین محمد رومی ‎), Mawlānā or Molānā (Persian: مولانا ‎, meaning Our Master ), Mawlawī or Molavi (Persian: مولوی ‎, meaning My Master ), and more popularly in the English-speaking world simply as Rumi (30 September 1207 – 17 December 1273), was a 13th-century Persian poet, jurist, theologian, and Sufi mystic. Rumi's importance is considered to transcend national and ethnic borders. His poems have been widely translated into many of the world's languages and transposed into various formats. His best poems are listed below for your convenience. “It’s your road, and yours alone. Others may walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you.” “The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you. Don’t go back to sleep.” “Goodbyes are only for those who love with their eyes. Because for those who love with heart and soul there is no such thing as separation.”...

What if we are alone?  With the recent breathtaking Venus in Transit pictures happening yesterday, I was amazed at the size and scope of this cosmic happening. What struck me was how everyone was talking about how rare an event this was, and it got me thinking about space, and probabilities, and are we alone? I remember as a kid hearing Carl Sagan talk about the billion upon billion of stars in the universe and the probability that somewhere out there, there has to be life around one of those other stars. According to the European Space Agency’s scientists, there are 1 times 10 to the 12 (a 1 with 12 zeros trailing) stars in our galaxy, and perhaps 1 times 10 to the 11 or 12 galaxies in the universe.  That means there are 1 times 10 to the 23 or 24 (1 with 24 zeros trailing) stars in our universe. That is a vast amount of places that could have a planet like ours.  But now we have to think small, like in chance and probabilities, and this got me postulating. Ea...