| Messier objects were first discovered in the 18th century. They were catalogued in order that eyeball observers using small telescopes would not confuse them with comets. To the naked eye, most of these objects resemble dim grayish blobs. In my view, the bulk of our problems as a species are connected to our lack of vision. We need to think of ourselves as creatures of the universe rather than in wallowing in the shallow viewpoints which propogate the three great afflictions of mankind: racism, sexism, and nationalism. |