You want to talk about secrets of the Universe? It was on this date, July 19, 1595, when the astronomer Johannes Kepler had an epiphany. Yes, an epiphany. Upon having the revelation, Kepler developed his theory of the geometrical basis of the Universe. All of this while he was spending time in Graz, teaching. (For those of us who do not know it, Graz is the capital city of the Austrian state of Styria. It is also the second-largest city in Austria after Vienna. It may very well be the center of the Universe, for all we know.)
Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) is regarded by many as the founder of modern astronomy. However, he made important contributions to the philosophy and methodology of science as a whole. In other words, he had his notions about the workings of the Universe.
Most people are aware of his astronomical work, particularly his laws describing the revolutions of the planets. Revolution, as in, an instance of revolving, not a forcible overthrowing of a government.
The revolutions of the planets are nothing short of a miracle if you ask me. Have you ever stopped to think about it, that here we are, standing here on ball number three? We are a part of a solar system, where nine planets — if you include disgruntled Pluto — move nicely around the sun. And when I say nicely, I mean that literally. Each planet adheres to an incredibly strict schedule, down the second, as it soars through an incredibly vast amount of space, on the exact same track, around and around the powerful sun, for billions of years — 4.571 billion years old, to be exact, Happy Birthday to us. And, to throw a few more carrots in the stew, Venus spins on its axis from east to west while Uranus is tilted so far over, it’s virtually spinning on its side. Every other planet, including Earth, spins from west to east, and scientists haven’t figured out why.
But Kepler tried. The Epiphany I mentioned was all about him searching for the geometrical plan in which he thought God used to create the Universe. He came up with these cosmological theories, which embraced music and astrology as well as astronomy, to relate to this work.
But Kepler was seen as both a leader in science and an eccentric mystagogue. He was bent on proving there were polygonal links between planets. (Sidebar: What do you say when I leave the room? Polygon.)
Anyway, Kepler’s deal didn’t really hold water.
What interested me more than anything about this story was the epiphany part. Of course, we know the motherload of all epiphanies when the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles by the Magi is described in Matthew 2:1–12. I remember celebrating the Epiphany as a young Catholic child and not having a clue what everyone was fussing about.
But for the rest of us, an epiphany happens when we have a moment of sudden revelation or insight.
All except me. I don’t know that I’ve ever had an epiphany. Sure, I’ve remembered where my keys were after looking for them for two days. But the moment I remembered could not be classified as an epiphany. It’s just that I remembered something.
I don’t know that I’ve ever had a sudden revelation. But I’ve always been slow on the uptake. Maybe for me, it is a long and constant thrumming on my brain until it embeds itself there. Like when you bake a pie, and all that stuff oozes through the lattice on top.
Regardless. It’s Kepler’s Epiphany Day.
But here’s the other thing. Can it be an epiphany if our sudden revelation
turns out to be wrong?
No matter how it goes, one thing we can do.
Be brilliant today, in whatever shape that occurs.
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“I never made one of my discoveries through the process of rational thinking”
― Albert Einstein
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“Sometimes the dreams that come true are the dreams you never even knew you had.”
― Alice Sebold, The Lovely Bones
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“What is wanted is not the will to believe, but the will to find out, which is the exact opposite.”
― Bertrand Russell
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The secret of the Universe. Kapowwie.
