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[musical tones]
[electric sounds of data]

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Welcome to the 2015
NASA Ames Summer Series.

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Throughout history,
we have looked around us,

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both here on Earth
and out in the universe,

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to start understanding
where we are,

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where we came from,
and where we're going.

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The more we have explored,

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the more we have learned
about ourselves.

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Today's seminar,

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entitled "A Cosmic End:
From the Earth to the Universe,"

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will be presented
by Father Dr. José Funes.

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He is the Director
of the Vatican Observatory

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and received degrees--

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both a bachelor's degree
in philosophy

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from the University
of Del Salvador in Argentina,

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followed by a bachelor's degree
in theology

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from the
Pontifical Gregorian University

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in Rome.

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He has also received degrees--
a master's degree in astronomy

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from the
Universidad Nacional de Córdoba

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in Argentina

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and a doctorate
from the University of Padua

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in Italy.

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He joined
the Vatican Observatory in 2000

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and, in 2006,

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became the director
of the Observatory.

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He has led, conducted,
and worked

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with numerous conferences

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and research meetings.

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He has many
scientific publications

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and is continuously working
both on research

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and leading
the Vatican Observatory.

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Please join me in welcoming
Father Dr. José Funes.

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[applause]

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Good morning, everyone.

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Thank you, Dr. Cohen,
for this very nice presentation,

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and thank you for inviting me
to be here.

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It's a real pleasure
to be with you this morning

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and I also would like
to thank Monica Ebert

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for arranging all the details
for the talk.

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First of all,

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I would like
to tell you one thing

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before telling a story.

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You already realize that.

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This is what I used
to tell my students

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when I used to teach

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an introductory course
in astronomy

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at the University of Arizona.

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The greatest challenge
you will face in my class,

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it is not math, not physics.

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It is my accent.

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- So...
[laughter]

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I have a strong
Spanish, Argentinean accent.

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I will try to do my best.

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So, eh...

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But this is what is important,
I wanted to say.

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When I was a kid,
about 12 years old

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in Argentina, in Córdoba--

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That's the time
when kids start to think

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about becoming astronomer,
ecologist, geologist, etcetera.

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So I was inspired by NASA.

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It was the golden age
of the exploration of space,

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and a classmate
passed to me a list

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with the addresses
of all NASA centers.

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So, with my very rough English,

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I haven't made
much progress,

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but I wrote the letter,

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and I asked my father
to type that letter,

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and I sent it
to one of the NASA centers

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asking for material.

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So they send me materials
about the Apollo mission...

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other NASA missions,

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and at the end, it says,

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"If you want to receive
more material,

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send this money
to this address."

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We were poor in Argentina.
I still--We are poor.

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So I didn't have the money,
the dollars to send it to NASA,

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so I try a different center--
NASA center.

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[laughter]

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You know, when you don't have
many resources,

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you have to be creative,

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So, at the end, I got a lot
of material from NASA,

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and I remember always looking
forward

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the postman to bring the mail
to my house,

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and I remember these
brown packages coming from NASA.

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So I am inspired
by your work, and I hope--

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this is my wish for NASA
and people working at NASA--

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that you continue
to inspire next generations.

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So, eh, let's see
what inspire me

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for this talk.

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As the Director
of the Vatican Observatory,

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I'm a member of the
Pontifical Academy of Sciences,

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and, more or less,
I presented this talk

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in that meeting,

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and there was something

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that caught my attention
in the booklet,

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and it said,
"Human curiosity

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is the driving force
for scientific development

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in which belief systems
and philosophies

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still have their valid place."

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So curiosity
is the driving force

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for our research for this talk
and also for curiosity.

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I couldn't--
not thinking curiosity.

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And, of course,
this is a selfie.

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[laughter]

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Also in the address
Pope Francis gave

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to the academicians,
he said,

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"To the scientist,

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and especially
to the Christian scientist,

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corresponds the attitude
to examine the future

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of humanity and the Earth."

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And I would add,
"And the universe."

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And we have seen these days
this concern of the Pope

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for the future of the Earth
with the recent document--

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papal document, the encyclical.

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So, before entering
into this subject,

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I would like to, if I can,

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the $1 million answer--

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question, sorry.
This is...

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You can give me later
one dollar million, too,

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for the answer.

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So why the Vatican
is interested in astronomy?

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And the short answer
is, "Who knows?"

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[laughter]

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But I need to tell you a story.

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Otherwise it's difficult
to explain why the Vatican

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is interested in astronomy.

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Here we have these Popes.

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This is Pope Gregory XIII,
who reformed the calendar

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that we use today.

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This is Pope Leo XIII,

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who, in 1891,

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founded
the Vatican Observatory.

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This is Pope Pius XI.

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With him,
the Observatory moved

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from the Vatican
to Castel Gandolfo.

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This is the papal residence
for the summer.

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In 2009, we move...

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from the Palace of the Pope.

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That used to be my office.
[chuckles]

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- It was very nice.
[laughter]

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We had a wonderful residence,
now our headquarters.

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Here it is.
You see the gardens.

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And because the history
of the Vatican Observatory

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is similar to the history
of other observatories

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around the world,

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we escaped to Arizona
looking for dark skies.

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So, in the '80s,
the Vatican--

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a group of Jesuits
from the Vatican Observatory

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arrived in Tucson,

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and we have
a very good collaboration

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with the University of Arizona.

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This is
the Department of Astronomy,

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Steward Observatory.

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And this is
the Vatican Telescope

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on Mount Graham.

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This is Pope Benedict

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holding a meteorite
from Mars...

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and the "L'Osservatore Romano,"
the Vatican newspaper,

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published this picture

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on the first page
of the newspaper

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with this headline--

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"Mars in the hands of the Pope."

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[laughter]

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This is my desk, the desk
of the Director, and here it is.

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Pope Benedict sign,

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and I explain to him
that here...

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there is the signatures--

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maybe this is
a unique document--

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the signatures
of all popes since Pius XI

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to John Paul II,

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and I am telling him
that with his signature

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and with the blessing
of the new facilities,

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the Vatican Observatory

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is starting a new stage

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in the history
of the Observatory.

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Just a clarification--

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this is not a Vatican check.

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I'm not asking the Pope
to sign a check for me.

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So this is our place.
As you see, it's very nice.

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The Jesuits used to say...

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[speaking Latin]

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"If you have a garden
with a library,

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there is nothing you will lack."

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So we have a wonderful garden

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and a wonderful library
with antique books too.

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So, as Pope Benedict said
to the participants

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of a colloquium
we organized

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for the
International Year of Astronomy,

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he said that,

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"As you know,
the history of the Observatory

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is in a very real way linked
to the figure of Galileo,

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the controversies
which surrounded his research,

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and the Church's attempt
to attain a correct

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and fruitful understanding
of the relationship

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between science and religion."

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In few words,
Thanks to Galileo, I'm here,

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and thanks to Galileo,
the Vatican Observatory

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contributes a little bit
to the research in the world.

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Among our precious things,
our little treasure,

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we have this astrolabe
from the 16th century,

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and we have also--

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This is one example
of the antique books.

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This is from Father--

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He was a Jesuit--
Giovanni Battista Riccioli.

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This book is from 1651,

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and you see two systems
are weighted.

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This is the Copernican System
and the Tycho Brahe System,

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and the pictures show
at the time for the Jesuits,

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at least for this Jesuit,
the Tycho Brahe was heavier.

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It had better foundation.

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Just a curiosity.

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What is our mission?

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As our colleagues,

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our deepest desire
is to be on the frontier

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of astronomical research,

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and we try to address
these questions as you do too.

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Are we alone in the universe?
Are there other Earths?

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How do stars and planets
form and evolve?

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How do galaxies
form and evolve?

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What is dark matter
and dark energy?

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What do we know
about the universe

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in its first instants?

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Are there many universes?

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So these are
some of the questions

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that, uh, inspires us.

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We also have a lab
of meteorites.

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We have about 1,000 pieces,

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and this is
the Martian meteorite

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that the Pope was holding
in his hands.

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There is also in the Vatican,

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the Pontifical Academy
of Sciences.

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And in 2009,
we organized a meeting

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on astrobiology
that had a good impact.

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This is--

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I like very much this quotation.
I'm not going to read it all,

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but Cardinal Lajolo--

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he was the head
of the Vatican estate

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at the time.

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He said that
about astrobiology...

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He discussed
the task of searching life

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and intelligent life
"demands scientific integrity

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and an intense
and indispensable case

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of a vast multi-disciplinary
research."

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For those of you,
you know better than me

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that astrobiology requires

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to be an expert in many fields,

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which is something
that is very difficult.

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He continues.

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"In research, the scientist
must also be allowed

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the possibility
to walk paths

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which do not always lead
to the positive results."

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Sometimes our research...

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we don't arrive to results,

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and the community,
our countries,

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should allow us the possibility
even to fail

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in our research in our projects.

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Not always
we may have a result.

259
00:13:50,766 --> 00:13:54,566
I remember when I was doing
my PhD in astronomy in Padua,

260
00:13:54,566 --> 00:13:56,166
in my community.

261
00:13:56,166 --> 00:13:59,133
I was living
with other Jesuits.

262
00:13:59,133 --> 00:14:02,900
I was the only astronomer,
the only one doing research,

263
00:14:02,900 --> 00:14:06,566
and almost every day,
they would ask me,

264
00:14:06,566 --> 00:14:08,666
"What did you discover today?"

265
00:14:08,666 --> 00:14:12,400
And it's not always easy
to answer that question.

266
00:14:14,233 --> 00:14:17,966
This meeting had
a lot of impact

267
00:14:17,966 --> 00:14:20,566
in the media at the time.

268
00:14:22,666 --> 00:14:24,566
You'll see
the "Washington Post," "Time,"

269
00:14:24,566 --> 00:14:28,333
ABC News, "USA Today"...

270
00:14:28,333 --> 00:14:32,400
"E.T. Phone Rome: Vatican Looks
for Signs of Alien Life."

271
00:14:32,400 --> 00:14:35,400
What is important

272
00:14:35,400 --> 00:14:38,166
beyond these, um...

273
00:14:38,166 --> 00:14:42,366
headlines is that the Vatican

274
00:14:42,366 --> 00:14:45,566
is encouraging

275
00:14:45,566 --> 00:14:47,400
cutting-edge research,

276
00:14:47,400 --> 00:14:49,900
because astrobiology,

277
00:14:49,900 --> 00:14:51,933
already we have that discipline

278
00:14:51,933 --> 00:14:55,500
for 20 years or so.

279
00:14:55,500 --> 00:14:57,566
It's an important science,

280
00:14:57,566 --> 00:14:59,333
an important research,

281
00:14:59,333 --> 00:15:01,233
and the Vatican organizing

282
00:15:01,233 --> 00:15:03,200
and hosting
this kind of meeting

283
00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:06,900
is considering this
an important part of science.

284
00:15:08,333 --> 00:15:10,666
One important--
very important activity

285
00:15:10,666 --> 00:15:12,500
we have
at the Vatican Observatory

286
00:15:12,500 --> 00:15:15,266
are our Summer Schools.

287
00:15:15,266 --> 00:15:18,400
We have--Every two years,
grad students come in

288
00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:20,500
from all over the world,
literally.

289
00:15:20,500 --> 00:15:22,933
In the last Summer School,
we have 25 students

290
00:15:22,933 --> 00:15:24,566
from 22 countries.

291
00:15:24,566 --> 00:15:26,900
There you see
the audience we had

292
00:15:26,900 --> 00:15:28,933
with Pope Benedict.

293
00:15:28,933 --> 00:15:32,700
And the next Summer School
will be next year

294
00:15:32,700 --> 00:15:35,533
on water in the solar system
and beyond.

295
00:15:35,533 --> 00:15:38,433
So, if you're a student
or you know students,

296
00:15:38,433 --> 00:15:41,733
of course, encourage them
to apply for the school.

297
00:15:41,733 --> 00:15:44,166
It's a great experience.

298
00:15:44,166 --> 00:15:48,166
With John Paul II,
the Observatory

299
00:15:48,166 --> 00:15:51,300
had a great influence
in studies

300
00:15:51,300 --> 00:15:54,200
that not only involved science,
but also philosophy

301
00:15:54,200 --> 00:15:57,166
and theology.

302
00:15:57,166 --> 00:16:01,666
So let's go to the talk,
and let's...

303
00:16:01,666 --> 00:16:05,900
The universe--
Let's quote the universe.

304
00:16:05,900 --> 00:16:08,800
"In the beginning
is my end."

305
00:16:08,800 --> 00:16:11,400
In fact, it's not
the universe.

306
00:16:11,400 --> 00:16:15,433
It is T.S. Eliot.

307
00:16:15,433 --> 00:16:18,133
Or better,
is the universe talking

308
00:16:18,133 --> 00:16:22,066
through T.S. Eliot?

309
00:16:22,066 --> 00:16:24,933
In the initial conditions
of the universe,

310
00:16:24,933 --> 00:16:29,900
there somehow
is determined the end.

311
00:16:32,066 --> 00:16:35,133
So these are the questions
that humanity

312
00:16:35,133 --> 00:16:39,033
has posed along centuries.

313
00:16:39,033 --> 00:16:41,733
Where are we?
Where did we come from?

314
00:16:41,733 --> 00:16:44,800
Where are we going?

315
00:16:44,800 --> 00:16:48,500
And, fortunately,
scientists are not the only ones

316
00:16:48,500 --> 00:16:51,066
to raise those questions.

317
00:16:51,066 --> 00:16:54,833
This is--I'm not an expert
in arts and fine arts,

318
00:16:54,833 --> 00:16:58,166
but this is a painting
by Paul Gauguin

319
00:16:58,166 --> 00:17:00,233
and with this title--

320
00:17:00,233 --> 00:17:03,200
"Where are we?
Where did we come from?

321
00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:05,233
Where are we going?"

322
00:17:05,233 --> 00:17:09,500
So there are different
approaches to the beginning

323
00:17:09,500 --> 00:17:11,566
and to the end
of the universe.

324
00:17:11,566 --> 00:17:14,000
Science is just one of them.

325
00:17:16,333 --> 00:17:19,500
So, as scientists,
our starting point

326
00:17:19,500 --> 00:17:21,833
is the observed universe.

327
00:17:21,833 --> 00:17:25,033
We can only think the past
and the future of the universe

328
00:17:25,033 --> 00:17:27,300
from its present
and from the data

329
00:17:27,300 --> 00:17:30,633
we have collected
and interpreted.

330
00:17:30,633 --> 00:17:34,333
We test our ideas
with a reality check.

331
00:17:34,333 --> 00:17:38,000
I won't discuss
in this presentation

332
00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:42,100
any biological evolution
or technical development

333
00:17:42,100 --> 00:17:46,066
because it
exceeds my knowledge.

334
00:17:47,866 --> 00:17:51,400
So I would like to say that...

335
00:17:51,400 --> 00:17:54,633
we are a species
with long eyes,

336
00:17:54,633 --> 00:17:58,900
and Galileo Galilei
is our forefather.

337
00:18:02,666 --> 00:18:07,066
We use telescopes
to reach where our eyes...

338
00:18:09,200 --> 00:18:11,900
Do not allow us to see.

339
00:18:13,900 --> 00:18:17,600
In Arizona,
you, of course, know Kitt Peak,

340
00:18:17,600 --> 00:18:19,300
the National Observatory.

341
00:18:19,300 --> 00:18:22,433
There was a treaty
between the U.S. Government

342
00:18:22,433 --> 00:18:25,866
and Tohono O'odham tribe,

343
00:18:25,866 --> 00:18:29,066
and the Tohono O'odham tribe--

344
00:18:29,066 --> 00:18:31,066
they don't have a word
for "astronomers."

345
00:18:31,066 --> 00:18:33,866
So they use these words--

346
00:18:33,866 --> 00:18:36,866
"the people with long eyes."

347
00:18:36,866 --> 00:18:39,566
We are people
with long eyes,

348
00:18:39,566 --> 00:18:43,466
and telescopes are part,
somehow, of ourselves.

349
00:18:43,466 --> 00:18:48,733
And with the data that
we collect from the telescope,

350
00:18:48,733 --> 00:18:51,400
we can try to understand
the beginning

351
00:18:51,400 --> 00:18:53,700
and the end of the universe.

352
00:18:53,700 --> 00:18:58,300
So what we know
is that, um...

353
00:18:58,300 --> 00:19:00,900
there is experimental data
confirming the Big Bang.

354
00:19:00,900 --> 00:19:05,766
Briefly, we know
the expansion of the universe,

355
00:19:05,766 --> 00:19:07,333
Hubble's law.

356
00:19:07,333 --> 00:19:10,566
The cosmic background radiation,

357
00:19:10,566 --> 00:19:13,733
and we know also
that the Big Bang theory

358
00:19:13,733 --> 00:19:15,066
correctly predicts

359
00:19:15,066 --> 00:19:17,233
the cosmic abundance
of hydrogen,

360
00:19:17,233 --> 00:19:20,233
helium,
and other light elements.

361
00:19:21,333 --> 00:19:23,200
We also know
that this universe

362
00:19:23,200 --> 00:19:26,500
is accelerating
in expansion

363
00:19:26,500 --> 00:19:29,933
and the Nobel Prize
was given in 2009

364
00:19:29,933 --> 00:19:33,900
for this discovery
to Saul Perlmutter,

365
00:19:33,900 --> 00:19:37,333
Brian Schmidt, and Adam Riess.

366
00:19:37,333 --> 00:19:41,400
So we know that...

367
00:19:41,400 --> 00:19:45,400
the year after
the data from Planck

368
00:19:45,400 --> 00:19:46,900
that the age of the universe

369
00:19:46,900 --> 00:19:50,900
is about 13.8 million years

370
00:19:50,900 --> 00:19:53,066
and that the universe

371
00:19:53,066 --> 00:19:56,733
is made of basically
dark matter,

372
00:19:56,733 --> 00:19:59,866
about 70%.

373
00:19:59,866 --> 00:20:03,533
But any matter, normal matter,
as you say, about 5%

374
00:20:03,533 --> 00:20:07,866
and dark energy, about 68%.

375
00:20:09,400 --> 00:20:13,166
We know that the universe
is expanding,

376
00:20:13,166 --> 00:20:17,233
and it's accelerating,

377
00:20:17,233 --> 00:20:20,100
and if we know

378
00:20:20,100 --> 00:20:23,533
that this is the present
of the universe,

379
00:20:23,533 --> 00:20:26,033
this is what we can observe.

380
00:20:26,033 --> 00:20:28,733
There are different
possibilities

381
00:20:28,733 --> 00:20:33,466
for the past and for the future
of the universe.

382
00:20:33,466 --> 00:20:35,933
From the data
we have collected,

383
00:20:35,933 --> 00:20:41,900
we know that we live
in an accelerating universe

384
00:20:41,900 --> 00:20:45,900
and in the oldest
possibility scenario

385
00:20:45,900 --> 00:20:48,633
according to the data
we know.

386
00:20:50,633 --> 00:20:55,100
I like to compare
the age of the universe

387
00:20:55,100 --> 00:20:59,900
with other time scales
for the rest of the talk.

388
00:20:59,900 --> 00:21:06,400
So one cosmic year is equal,

389
00:21:06,400 --> 00:21:08,400
for the sake
of this presentation,

390
00:21:08,400 --> 00:21:10,900
to 14 billion solar years.

391
00:21:15,133 --> 00:21:17,900
What we can say
about our future?

392
00:21:19,800 --> 00:21:23,766
Of course,
the predictions will depend

393
00:21:23,766 --> 00:21:26,566
on the time scale that we use.

394
00:21:28,500 --> 00:21:31,766
Let's talk
about a little bit of art,

395
00:21:31,766 --> 00:21:35,233
even though it's not my field.

396
00:21:35,233 --> 00:21:39,166
It is very challenging
to make any prediction

397
00:21:39,166 --> 00:21:40,700
for the future,

398
00:21:40,700 --> 00:21:43,900
and particularly
regarding to the Earth,

399
00:21:43,900 --> 00:21:46,900
there are
four geological processes

400
00:21:46,900 --> 00:21:50,433
that determine the shape
of the surface of the Earth.

401
00:21:50,433 --> 00:21:54,666
They impact the cratering,
the volcanism, tectonics,

402
00:21:54,666 --> 00:21:56,900
and erosion.

403
00:21:56,900 --> 00:21:59,900
We need also
to take into consideration--

404
00:21:59,900 --> 00:22:03,566
into account the change
in the atmosphere and the oceans

405
00:22:03,566 --> 00:22:07,233
and the dynamic evolution
of the Earth/Moon System.

406
00:22:07,233 --> 00:22:10,066
So things are very complex.

407
00:22:11,466 --> 00:22:16,900
Just in one slide,
I am resuming, hopefully,

408
00:22:16,900 --> 00:22:21,066
about 14 billion years
of story or more

409
00:22:21,066 --> 00:22:23,233
in 50 minutes.

410
00:22:23,233 --> 00:22:26,566
So you will forgive me
if I miss something

411
00:22:26,566 --> 00:22:29,400
or I don't give enough details,

412
00:22:29,400 --> 00:22:32,366
but sometimes it's good
to have a whole picture,

413
00:22:32,366 --> 00:22:33,900
a big picture.

414
00:22:33,900 --> 00:22:35,600
The image of the Earth
in 3 billion years,

415
00:22:35,600 --> 00:22:40,566
about 0.2 cosmic years,
is of a declining world.

416
00:22:40,566 --> 00:22:44,400
In 8 billion years,
0.6 cosmic years,

417
00:22:44,400 --> 00:22:46,566
the Sun will become
a red giant,

418
00:22:46,566 --> 00:22:48,766
expanding to the present orbit
of the Earth.

419
00:22:48,766 --> 00:22:52,066
The Sun will span--

420
00:22:52,066 --> 00:22:54,733
that expands will expel
a considerable part

421
00:22:54,733 --> 00:22:56,966
of its mass into space,

422
00:22:56,966 --> 00:22:59,633
and when the Sun expands
to the current orbit

423
00:22:59,633 --> 00:23:01,733
of the Earth,

424
00:23:01,733 --> 00:23:04,166
the Earth itself
will have moved

425
00:23:04,166 --> 00:23:06,366
to almost twice
its current distance

426
00:23:06,366 --> 00:23:08,233
from the Sun.

427
00:23:10,300 --> 00:23:12,866
Another thing that we need
to take into account

428
00:23:12,866 --> 00:23:16,033
is the threat
of near-Earth objects

429
00:23:16,033 --> 00:23:18,366
that might hit the Earth,

430
00:23:18,366 --> 00:23:22,400
and this is just a plot

431
00:23:22,400 --> 00:23:26,900
where you have the frequency
for impacts

432
00:23:26,900 --> 00:23:30,100
and the size of the impactor.

433
00:23:30,100 --> 00:23:33,366
The craters
are ten times larger,

434
00:23:33,366 --> 00:23:38,233
and you see how often
we may get these events

435
00:23:38,233 --> 00:23:39,900
on Earth.

436
00:23:42,033 --> 00:23:46,733
Just a recall
of what happened recently...

437
00:23:46,733 --> 00:23:48,400
in Russia.

438
00:23:51,566 --> 00:23:54,800
We have records
that these things really happen.

439
00:23:54,800 --> 00:23:59,400
And this is a simulation
from ESA.

440
00:23:59,400 --> 00:24:02,400
For you may remember in--

441
00:24:02,400 --> 00:24:03,733
[loud bang]

442
00:24:03,733 --> 00:24:04,933
Sorry.

443
00:24:04,933 --> 00:24:07,000
[volume decreases]

444
00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:13,300
What happened
when the Levy-Shoemaker Comet,

445
00:24:13,300 --> 00:24:18,233
in different fragments,
hit Jupiter.

446
00:24:18,233 --> 00:24:20,233
So I'm sure you know--

447
00:24:20,233 --> 00:24:23,366
all these images
are very well known to you.

448
00:24:25,066 --> 00:24:30,233
So what can we say
about the solar neighborhood?

449
00:24:30,233 --> 00:24:33,533
A nearby star could pass by
about three light-years

450
00:24:33,533 --> 00:24:36,400
from the Sun.

451
00:24:36,400 --> 00:24:39,833
This event could happen
every 100,000 years.

452
00:24:39,833 --> 00:24:41,066
The Sun--

453
00:24:41,066 --> 00:24:42,766
Also, another possibility is

454
00:24:42,766 --> 00:24:46,000
that likely it's going
to encounter a molecular cloud

455
00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:49,166
maybe once or twice
in one billion years,

456
00:24:49,166 --> 00:24:53,466
and the gravitational pull
would cause a shower of comets

457
00:24:53,466 --> 00:24:55,233
that would result--

458
00:24:55,233 --> 00:24:59,700
may well increase the impact
rate for these comets.

459
00:25:03,366 --> 00:25:05,833
Supernova threat...

460
00:25:05,833 --> 00:25:09,233
We also may suffer,

461
00:25:09,233 --> 00:25:12,000
if we are still here...

462
00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:15,066
that a supernova occurs

463
00:25:15,066 --> 00:25:19,866
within 100, 200 light-years
from the Sun

464
00:25:19,866 --> 00:25:24,033
every 100 or 200 million years.

465
00:25:24,033 --> 00:25:27,166
This is likely
to have a noticeable effect

466
00:25:27,166 --> 00:25:29,400
on the solar system.

467
00:25:33,200 --> 00:25:35,900
Our galaxy...

468
00:25:35,900 --> 00:25:40,300
We know that galaxies
are composed by gas, dust,

469
00:25:40,300 --> 00:25:44,200
stars, and dark matter.

470
00:25:44,200 --> 00:25:48,400
In galaxies,
we have the rotation.

471
00:25:48,400 --> 00:25:53,133
We can say that one galaxy year
is about 0.01 cosmic year,

472
00:25:53,133 --> 00:25:59,066
and we have this cycling
of stars, gas, and dust

473
00:25:59,066 --> 00:26:03,233
that occurs within our galaxy.

474
00:26:05,400 --> 00:26:08,400
We know that galaxies

475
00:26:08,400 --> 00:26:11,633
also form cluster of galaxies,

476
00:26:11,633 --> 00:26:14,733
and they form and evolve,

477
00:26:14,733 --> 00:26:19,400
and we know
from galaxy evolution

478
00:26:19,400 --> 00:26:24,800
that there are two time scales
in the evolution of galaxies.

479
00:26:24,800 --> 00:26:29,233
Galaxies are tracers
of the cosmic evolution

480
00:26:29,233 --> 00:26:32,066
in the last 13 billion years,

481
00:26:32,066 --> 00:26:36,233
and there are, like, two clocks

482
00:26:36,233 --> 00:26:40,400
shaping galaxies.

483
00:26:40,400 --> 00:26:43,400
There we have time--

484
00:26:43,400 --> 00:26:46,066
a redshift here

485
00:26:46,066 --> 00:26:50,766
and looking back time here.

486
00:26:50,766 --> 00:26:54,566
This is the clock
of cosmic evolution

487
00:26:54,566 --> 00:26:56,500
for the whole universe.

488
00:26:56,500 --> 00:27:03,300
And then we have the time
that the clock--

489
00:27:03,300 --> 00:27:07,233
that it's given us,
the stellar time,

490
00:27:07,233 --> 00:27:10,233
related to the evolution
of stars.

491
00:27:10,233 --> 00:27:14,900
For a star with one solar mass,
like our Sun,

492
00:27:14,900 --> 00:27:18,766
this is the span life
for the stars.

493
00:27:18,766 --> 00:27:23,066
When the stars become
more massive,

494
00:27:23,066 --> 00:27:26,566
they live shorter lives.

495
00:27:29,966 --> 00:27:35,400
This diagram
from Kormendy & Kennicutt

496
00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:38,166
show us different factors
that intervene

497
00:27:38,166 --> 00:27:42,066
in the formation and evolution
of galaxies.

498
00:27:42,066 --> 00:27:46,933
You have here
internal processes

499
00:27:46,933 --> 00:27:48,233
on this side,

500
00:27:48,233 --> 00:27:52,066
and on the right side,
you have external processes.

501
00:27:52,066 --> 00:27:55,900
So inside the galaxy,

502
00:27:55,900 --> 00:27:58,166
you have star formation,

503
00:27:58,166 --> 00:28:01,733
gas recycling,

504
00:28:01,733 --> 00:28:06,400
and the supernova production.

505
00:28:06,400 --> 00:28:09,066
And then on the...

506
00:28:09,066 --> 00:28:10,400
Here, you have also

507
00:28:10,400 --> 00:28:13,700
interaction with other galaxies
through mergers.

508
00:28:13,700 --> 00:28:16,900
For example, on the top,

509
00:28:16,900 --> 00:28:19,066
you have fast processes,

510
00:28:19,066 --> 00:28:20,566
and on the bottom,

511
00:28:20,566 --> 00:28:26,400
you have low processes.

512
00:28:29,400 --> 00:28:33,733
You have the collapse of gas
that will form the galaxy,

513
00:28:33,733 --> 00:28:38,400
and then you have
very long-term processes.

514
00:28:40,066 --> 00:28:42,866
What we call "secular evolution"

515
00:28:42,866 --> 00:28:47,733
that is driven by bars...

516
00:28:47,733 --> 00:28:51,233
dark matter, and other things
in the galaxy.

517
00:28:52,933 --> 00:28:58,066
So, in this video,
it shows in the time...

518
00:28:59,666 --> 00:29:01,733
Of a...

519
00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:07,366
Of a cosmic year,
about 14 billion years,

520
00:29:07,366 --> 00:29:12,333
the evolution and formation
and transformation of galaxies.

521
00:29:12,333 --> 00:29:18,400
So this is what happened
in about one cosmic year.

522
00:29:18,400 --> 00:29:21,400
[epic music]

523
00:29:27,900 --> 00:29:30,633
I think you know
the story, so...

524
00:29:30,633 --> 00:29:34,233
The other thing that we know

525
00:29:34,233 --> 00:29:37,566
is the star-formation history
of the universe.

526
00:29:39,400 --> 00:29:43,400
Here, again, you have
the star formation, red,

527
00:29:43,400 --> 00:29:45,500
in the universe
versus time.

528
00:29:45,500 --> 00:29:48,533
This is the present
of the universe.

529
00:29:48,533 --> 00:29:54,066
So, in the future,
the universe will form

530
00:29:54,066 --> 00:29:55,866
less and less stars.

531
00:29:55,866 --> 00:30:00,166
The universe was
very much effective

532
00:30:00,166 --> 00:30:02,233
in forming stars

533
00:30:02,233 --> 00:30:06,033
between 1 billion
and 3 billion years

534
00:30:06,033 --> 00:30:09,233
from the present.

535
00:30:11,566 --> 00:30:17,333
With Robert Kennicutt,
some years ago in a team,

536
00:30:17,333 --> 00:30:19,900
we tried to study

537
00:30:19,900 --> 00:30:23,000
the star formation
in the local universe,

538
00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:24,400
because at the time,

539
00:30:24,400 --> 00:30:29,566
this wasn't a very well known
part of the diagram.

540
00:30:29,566 --> 00:30:32,733
We tried to add
some points here.

541
00:30:32,733 --> 00:30:35,800
So...

542
00:30:35,800 --> 00:30:38,266
what is going to happen
with galaxies?

543
00:30:38,266 --> 00:30:40,900
In about 10 to 100 years

544
00:30:40,900 --> 00:30:43,366
or 10 to 90 cosmic years,

545
00:30:43,366 --> 00:30:46,866
galaxies will fade
into the darkness.

546
00:30:46,866 --> 00:30:50,700
Cluster of galaxies will
become cluster of black holes.

547
00:30:50,700 --> 00:30:54,233
Finally, black holes
will evaporate.

548
00:30:57,666 --> 00:30:59,233
In the very distant future,

549
00:30:59,233 --> 00:31:02,400
the universe eventually
will be shredded,

550
00:31:02,400 --> 00:31:03,666
what is called the "Big Rip."

551
00:31:03,666 --> 00:31:07,400
The universe could not have
a single, final end,

552
00:31:07,400 --> 00:31:10,233
but multiple ends.

553
00:31:10,233 --> 00:31:13,133
The universe is going
toward a final state

554
00:31:13,133 --> 00:31:16,000
of cold and darkness,
thermal death,

555
00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:18,066
which says that the universe

556
00:31:18,066 --> 00:31:21,233
will go toward a state
of maximum entropy--

557
00:31:21,233 --> 00:31:23,833
what is called
the "Big Freeze."

558
00:31:23,833 --> 00:31:26,066
The long-term scenario,

559
00:31:26,066 --> 00:31:30,066
with everything in the universe
dying gradually,

560
00:31:30,066 --> 00:31:34,566
will be obviously hostile
to life.

561
00:31:34,566 --> 00:31:39,566
This is not a very promising
future for us, I guess.

562
00:31:39,566 --> 00:31:41,933
Using again
the words of the poet--

563
00:31:41,933 --> 00:31:45,366
"This is the way
the world ends.

564
00:31:45,366 --> 00:31:47,133
This is the way
the world ends.

565
00:31:47,133 --> 00:31:49,400
This is the way
the world ends,

566
00:31:49,400 --> 00:31:52,933
not with a bang,
but a whimper."

567
00:31:52,933 --> 00:31:54,800
T.S. Eliot.

568
00:31:54,800 --> 00:31:56,400
So, at this point, this is,

569
00:31:56,400 --> 00:31:59,166
until here, more or less,

570
00:31:59,166 --> 00:32:01,233
what we can say

571
00:32:01,233 --> 00:32:03,133
from the scientific point
of view.

572
00:32:03,133 --> 00:32:06,133
You can correct me
on many things,

573
00:32:06,133 --> 00:32:10,500
but it's very difficult
to say what is going to be

574
00:32:10,500 --> 00:32:13,500
the Earth, the Sun,
our galaxy,

575
00:32:13,500 --> 00:32:16,233
and the universe as a whole.

576
00:32:18,333 --> 00:32:21,733
The beginning of this seminar

577
00:32:21,733 --> 00:32:25,133
was like going into a flight

578
00:32:25,133 --> 00:32:27,066
with all these indications,

579
00:32:27,066 --> 00:32:30,400
and I hope we are going to have
a safe landing

580
00:32:30,400 --> 00:32:31,900
after this talk.

581
00:32:31,900 --> 00:32:33,900
But...

582
00:32:33,900 --> 00:32:37,400
this has been
a scientific voyage

583
00:32:37,400 --> 00:32:39,566
to the end of the universe,

584
00:32:39,566 --> 00:32:44,233
but it is also
on a spiritual journey

585
00:32:44,233 --> 00:32:49,400
to the final frontier
of our existential frontier.

586
00:32:53,233 --> 00:32:54,566
"Final frontier"--

587
00:32:54,566 --> 00:32:56,833
I'm sure you already had
the background.

588
00:32:56,833 --> 00:32:59,933
"Star Trek," no?

589
00:32:59,933 --> 00:33:02,533
I'm a "Star Trek" fan.

590
00:33:02,533 --> 00:33:06,000
So, eh...

591
00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:08,500
emptiness and questions.

592
00:33:08,500 --> 00:33:11,900
At this point of my talk--

593
00:33:11,900 --> 00:33:16,066
When I prepared this talk,
I would say...

594
00:33:16,066 --> 00:33:19,800
that it was also
a spiritual experience

595
00:33:19,800 --> 00:33:21,900
to prepare this talk,

596
00:33:21,900 --> 00:33:25,500
because, somehow...

597
00:33:25,500 --> 00:33:30,233
I think Fried Nietzsche
here summarized quite well

598
00:33:30,233 --> 00:33:34,300
what was my feelings.

599
00:33:34,300 --> 00:33:37,400
"When you look long
into the abyss..."

600
00:33:37,400 --> 00:33:39,500
Could be
this empty universe...

601
00:33:39,500 --> 00:33:42,400
"The abyss looks into you."

602
00:33:42,400 --> 00:33:48,166
Or put in the words
of the Bible,

603
00:33:48,166 --> 00:33:52,066
"A vast emptiness,
Qoheleth says, an immense void,

604
00:33:52,066 --> 00:33:55,733
everything is empty."

605
00:33:55,733 --> 00:33:58,900
So is this the last word?

606
00:34:00,366 --> 00:34:02,066
I don't know.

607
00:34:04,566 --> 00:34:08,400
As we are used,
maybe we have some kind

608
00:34:08,400 --> 00:34:11,566
of second episode.

609
00:34:13,500 --> 00:34:15,066
I would like to say

610
00:34:15,066 --> 00:34:18,933
what might happen perhaps
with life.

611
00:34:18,933 --> 00:34:20,966
Life is resilient.

612
00:34:20,966 --> 00:34:24,900
We have many proofs of that.

613
00:34:24,900 --> 00:34:27,366
We have proved,
you know better than me,

614
00:34:27,366 --> 00:34:30,433
in the extremophiles
that are able to live

615
00:34:30,433 --> 00:34:34,066
in very hard conditions
for life--

616
00:34:35,533 --> 00:34:37,900
We see sometimes flowers

617
00:34:37,900 --> 00:34:41,900
in places that we don't expect
to see them.

618
00:34:41,900 --> 00:34:45,066
And this is...

619
00:34:45,066 --> 00:34:50,133
The gardens
in the Papal Summer Gardens

620
00:34:50,133 --> 00:34:52,300
in Castel Gandolfo.

621
00:34:52,300 --> 00:34:56,300
They used to be the house
of the Emperor Domitian,

622
00:34:56,300 --> 00:34:59,233
who build his villa there.

623
00:35:01,600 --> 00:35:05,533
And, you know...

624
00:35:05,533 --> 00:35:07,400
not many years ago,

625
00:35:07,400 --> 00:35:10,466
only about 2,000 years ago,

626
00:35:10,466 --> 00:35:14,300
people used to live here...

627
00:35:14,300 --> 00:35:17,566
not with this there,
living right there,

628
00:35:17,566 --> 00:35:21,066
but there are so many trees

629
00:35:21,066 --> 00:35:24,900
that are living
in these stones.

630
00:35:27,000 --> 00:35:29,833
I would like to say a word
about astrobiology

631
00:35:29,833 --> 00:35:31,566
from a different point of view.

632
00:35:31,566 --> 00:35:34,200
I think for you, I hope,
it's going to be new,

633
00:35:34,200 --> 00:35:37,833
and this is from a Jesuit,
Father Angelo Secchi.

634
00:35:37,833 --> 00:35:41,900
I'm going to say in a second
who he was.

635
00:35:41,900 --> 00:35:48,800
He wrote this
in the late 1800s.

636
00:35:48,800 --> 00:35:50,733
"What to think of these stars

637
00:35:50,733 --> 00:35:53,733
without any doubt
to our Sun..."

638
00:35:53,733 --> 00:35:56,066
I will say that's astrophysics.

639
00:35:56,066 --> 00:35:57,400
"Destined like the Sun

640
00:35:57,400 --> 00:35:59,833
to keep alive
an enormous quantity

641
00:35:59,833 --> 00:36:01,733
of creatures of every kind?"

642
00:36:01,733 --> 00:36:03,666
Biology.

643
00:36:03,666 --> 00:36:06,766
"Those immense regions
must be inhabited

644
00:36:06,766 --> 00:36:09,500
by intelligent beings
endowed with reason,

645
00:36:09,500 --> 00:36:13,200
capable to know, love,
and honor the Creator,

646
00:36:13,200 --> 00:36:15,966
and perhaps these inhabitants
of the stars

647
00:36:15,966 --> 00:36:18,066
are more faithful than us

648
00:36:18,066 --> 00:36:20,066
to the duties
of acknowledgement

649
00:36:20,066 --> 00:36:24,000
towards who draw them
from nothing.

650
00:36:24,000 --> 00:36:25,800
We want to hope
that among them,

651
00:36:25,800 --> 00:36:30,033
there were not those unlucky
that, in their pride,

652
00:36:30,033 --> 00:36:32,733
deny the existence
of the Creator."

653
00:36:32,733 --> 00:36:34,833
And I will say
that's theology fiction

654
00:36:34,833 --> 00:36:36,400
because he's speculating.

655
00:36:36,400 --> 00:36:37,533
We don't know that.

656
00:36:37,533 --> 00:36:42,000
We need first proof.

657
00:36:42,000 --> 00:36:43,700
So who was Father Secchi?

658
00:36:43,700 --> 00:36:46,566
He was an Italian astronomer,
a Jesuit.

659
00:36:46,566 --> 00:36:49,433
He was
the Director of the Observatory

660
00:36:49,433 --> 00:36:50,566
of the Roman College,

661
00:36:50,566 --> 00:36:54,133
which today is
Gregorian University.

662
00:36:54,133 --> 00:36:57,733
He was one of the pioneers
in astronomical spectroscopy

663
00:36:57,733 --> 00:37:00,900
and was one
of the first scientists to state

664
00:37:00,900 --> 00:37:03,033
that the Sun was a star.

665
00:37:03,033 --> 00:37:07,366
He collected 4,000
stellar spectrograms,

666
00:37:07,366 --> 00:37:10,800
developed the first system
of stellar classification,

667
00:37:10,800 --> 00:37:14,900
and discovered carbon stars.

668
00:37:14,900 --> 00:37:19,733
And I also would like
to quote Martin Rees

669
00:37:19,733 --> 00:37:24,966
about our position
in the cosmos today.

670
00:37:24,966 --> 00:37:28,433
"The wider cosmos
has a potential future

671
00:37:28,433 --> 00:37:30,733
that could even be infinite,

672
00:37:30,733 --> 00:37:34,566
but will these vast expanses
of time be filled with life

673
00:37:34,566 --> 00:37:38,733
or as empty as the Earth's
first sterile seas?

674
00:37:38,733 --> 00:37:44,066
The choice may depend on us,
this century."

675
00:37:44,066 --> 00:37:47,866
"The most crucial location
in space and time,

676
00:37:47,866 --> 00:37:53,233
apart from the Big Bang itself,
could be here and now."

677
00:37:55,366 --> 00:37:57,933
I have some questions.

678
00:37:57,933 --> 00:38:02,300
If our location in the universe
is crucial for life,

679
00:38:02,300 --> 00:38:05,633
all life will end with Earth?

680
00:38:05,633 --> 00:38:09,333
Is life a common phenomenon?

681
00:38:09,333 --> 00:38:11,733
What will happen with life

682
00:38:11,733 --> 00:38:13,900
in trillions
and trillions of years

683
00:38:13,900 --> 00:38:15,633
when the universe fades?

684
00:38:15,633 --> 00:38:17,933
Is there other universes?

685
00:38:17,933 --> 00:38:21,100
Will life survive
in those place?

686
00:38:21,100 --> 00:38:23,733
Is there any
other questions?

687
00:38:25,333 --> 00:38:29,400
An incomplete thought.

688
00:38:32,433 --> 00:38:36,566
I'm quoting here
Pope Francis giving an address

689
00:38:36,566 --> 00:38:40,066
to the professor
of theology and philosophy

690
00:38:40,066 --> 00:38:42,400
at the Gregorian University.

691
00:38:44,333 --> 00:38:46,233
"The theologian
who is satisfied

692
00:38:46,233 --> 00:38:50,566
with his complete
and conclusive thought

693
00:38:50,566 --> 00:38:52,733
is mediocre.

694
00:38:52,733 --> 00:38:56,233
The good theologian
and philosopher has an open--

695
00:38:56,233 --> 00:38:59,666
that is,
an incomplete thought,

696
00:38:59,666 --> 00:39:02,300
always open
to the maius of God

697
00:39:02,300 --> 00:39:05,900
and of the truth,
always in development."

698
00:39:07,400 --> 00:39:10,100
And I would change
a little bit the wording,

699
00:39:10,100 --> 00:39:13,833
and I would say, um...

700
00:39:13,833 --> 00:39:16,066
"The scientist
who is satisfied

701
00:39:16,066 --> 00:39:20,233
with his or her complete
and conclusive thought

702
00:39:20,233 --> 00:39:21,633
is mediocre.

703
00:39:21,633 --> 00:39:23,900
The good scientist
has an open--

704
00:39:23,900 --> 00:39:26,233
that is, an incomplete thought,

705
00:39:26,233 --> 00:39:29,166
always open to the maius
of the truth,

706
00:39:29,166 --> 00:39:32,233
always in development."

707
00:39:32,233 --> 00:39:35,566
And to conclude,
I would like to end

708
00:39:35,566 --> 00:39:38,566
with incomplete matters,

709
00:39:38,566 --> 00:39:42,800
and then we can talk
about this.

710
00:39:42,800 --> 00:39:44,266
We do not agree
about the origin

711
00:39:44,266 --> 00:39:48,466
and the definition of life
and intelligent life.

712
00:39:48,466 --> 00:39:52,266
We do not know
how to define a civilization.

713
00:39:52,266 --> 00:39:57,233
We don't know about dark matter
and dark energy.

714
00:39:57,233 --> 00:40:00,566
We are still missing
a theory of everything

715
00:40:00,566 --> 00:40:03,266
that may combine
general relativity

716
00:40:03,266 --> 00:40:05,933
and quantum mechanics
and the Standard Model

717
00:40:05,933 --> 00:40:09,966
And, of course,
the list is incomplete,

718
00:40:09,966 --> 00:40:13,500
and this presentation
is incomplete.

719
00:40:13,500 --> 00:40:15,100
Thank you very much.

720
00:40:15,100 --> 00:40:18,100
[applause]

721
00:40:24,400 --> 00:40:26,566
We have time
for a few questions.

722
00:40:26,566 --> 00:40:28,733
If you have a question,
please stand up.

723
00:40:28,733 --> 00:40:30,400
Go to the middle aisle.

724
00:40:30,400 --> 00:40:32,133
There's a microphone.
Stand there.

725
00:40:32,133 --> 00:40:34,100
Be succinct
with your question

726
00:40:34,100 --> 00:40:37,400
and move away
from the microphone.

727
00:40:48,233 --> 00:40:49,733
So let me ask a question

728
00:40:49,733 --> 00:40:55,133
till someone gets
the energy to move up and ask.

729
00:40:55,133 --> 00:40:56,833
I actually think
and I concur

730
00:40:56,833 --> 00:40:59,366
with the point
of looking out there

731
00:40:59,366 --> 00:41:03,233
for learning more
about ourselves.

732
00:41:05,566 --> 00:41:08,900
Is there any parts
of the Vatican Observatory

733
00:41:08,900 --> 00:41:10,900
that looks at...

734
00:41:14,733 --> 00:41:19,400
Life in terms of us going
and exploring other planets

735
00:41:19,400 --> 00:41:23,066
and how that sits
within that arena?

736
00:41:25,700 --> 00:41:28,733
That is a good question,
and...

737
00:41:28,733 --> 00:41:30,233
I would like to say

738
00:41:30,233 --> 00:41:33,900
that the Observatory
is a small group.

739
00:41:33,900 --> 00:41:40,133
With employees and scientists,
religious personnel,

740
00:41:40,133 --> 00:41:43,733
we are no more
than around 20 people.

741
00:41:43,733 --> 00:41:45,733
So...

742
00:41:45,733 --> 00:41:49,733
if we play for a moment,
I don't know...

743
00:41:49,733 --> 00:41:52,733
Passing from the cosmic years
of NASA

744
00:41:52,733 --> 00:41:56,500
to our few numbers
at the Vatican Observatory,

745
00:41:56,500 --> 00:41:58,733
the difference is huge.

746
00:42:00,233 --> 00:42:03,733
However,
the Vatican Observatory

747
00:42:03,733 --> 00:42:07,233
considers that the search
of life in the universe

748
00:42:07,233 --> 00:42:09,400
is an important thing.

749
00:42:11,600 --> 00:42:14,700
In 2005,
the Observatory organized--

750
00:42:14,700 --> 00:42:17,400
Father Coyne at the time
was the Director--

751
00:42:17,400 --> 00:42:22,133
organized a Summer School
on astrobiology.

752
00:42:22,133 --> 00:42:27,033
In 2007,
we organized a meeting on...

753
00:42:27,033 --> 00:42:30,900
a school, again,
on interstellar planets--

754
00:42:30,900 --> 00:42:33,233
round dwarves.

755
00:42:33,233 --> 00:42:39,233
In 2009,
we organized this workshop--

756
00:42:39,233 --> 00:42:40,733
Study Week they call it--

757
00:42:40,733 --> 00:42:44,366
at the Pontifical Academy
of Sciences,

758
00:42:44,366 --> 00:42:49,233
and the next school,
as I said,

759
00:42:49,233 --> 00:42:53,600
will be on water
in the solar system and beyond.

760
00:42:53,600 --> 00:42:55,066
So this is to say that,

761
00:42:55,066 --> 00:42:59,066
though we are not
strictly involved

762
00:42:59,066 --> 00:43:01,466
in the search of life
in the universe--

763
00:43:01,466 --> 00:43:05,900
We don't have a lab for that
or the resources.

764
00:43:05,900 --> 00:43:09,233
We collaborate,
and we bring together

765
00:43:09,233 --> 00:43:14,866
scientist students
that are experts in the field

766
00:43:14,866 --> 00:43:18,900
and that they can help us
to understand better

767
00:43:18,900 --> 00:43:21,566
the search of life
in the universe.

768
00:43:24,100 --> 00:43:26,566
I have to say that my training,

769
00:43:26,566 --> 00:43:28,233
scientific training
was in galaxies,

770
00:43:28,233 --> 00:43:29,566
nearby galaxies,

771
00:43:29,566 --> 00:43:32,700
but becoming
Director of the Observatory,

772
00:43:32,700 --> 00:43:36,000
you realize that
there is something else

773
00:43:36,000 --> 00:43:38,400
out there rather than galaxies,

774
00:43:38,400 --> 00:43:42,733
and you pay attention
to other important topics.

775
00:43:42,733 --> 00:43:45,400
This is, I think,
one important topic,

776
00:43:45,400 --> 00:43:47,066
not only for science,

777
00:43:47,066 --> 00:43:52,900
but also, from a philosophical
and religious approach,

778
00:43:52,900 --> 00:43:57,333
we can learn a lot,
even from the search itself,

779
00:43:57,333 --> 00:44:01,233
even we don't arrive
to positive results.

780
00:44:04,133 --> 00:44:06,900
Thank you so much
for the talk.

781
00:44:06,900 --> 00:44:08,900
One of the things
I wondered about was,

782
00:44:08,900 --> 00:44:11,133
you have probably
a time-allocation committee

783
00:44:11,133 --> 00:44:13,666
for the time
on your telescopes,

784
00:44:13,666 --> 00:44:16,233
and you'll have some priority

785
00:44:16,233 --> 00:44:18,933
for what observations are made
with that telescope.

786
00:44:18,933 --> 00:44:22,533
Could you tell us
what programs you emphasize

787
00:44:22,533 --> 00:44:24,400
with your observations

788
00:44:24,400 --> 00:44:28,300
and how that addresses some
of the questions you brought up?

789
00:44:31,266 --> 00:44:33,566
We have our telescope.

790
00:44:33,566 --> 00:44:36,066
75% is Vatican telescope,

791
00:44:36,066 --> 00:44:38,233
and 25%...

792
00:44:41,200 --> 00:44:43,800
Belongs
to the University of Arizona.

793
00:44:43,800 --> 00:44:45,233
The programs--

794
00:44:45,233 --> 00:44:48,400
we have, I will say,
quite a strong group

795
00:44:48,400 --> 00:44:51,233
on the solar system.

796
00:44:51,233 --> 00:44:54,200
I consider them...

797
00:44:54,200 --> 00:44:57,733
Brother Bob Macke
and Brother Guy Consolmagno--

798
00:44:57,733 --> 00:45:00,900
you may know him--

799
00:45:00,900 --> 00:45:04,733
do research with meteorites.

800
00:45:04,733 --> 00:45:09,400
And also, we have
Father Kikwaya from Congo,

801
00:45:09,400 --> 00:45:11,233
who is using our telescope

802
00:45:11,233 --> 00:45:13,900
and other telescopes
and other cameras

803
00:45:13,900 --> 00:45:18,233
for the search
of near-Earth objects.

804
00:45:20,433 --> 00:45:23,566
We also studied...

805
00:45:26,233 --> 00:45:29,600
Nearby stars
that are similar to our Sun,

806
00:45:29,600 --> 00:45:32,233
and this is related
to the search,

807
00:45:32,233 --> 00:45:35,966
somehow or other, the search
of life in the universe.

808
00:45:35,966 --> 00:45:39,733
Father Corbally
does this kind of research.

809
00:45:41,700 --> 00:45:44,733
Also, I've been using
the telescope

810
00:45:44,733 --> 00:45:49,066
for star formation
in nearby galaxies.

811
00:45:51,233 --> 00:45:55,166
This is for the use
of the telescope.

812
00:45:55,166 --> 00:45:57,233
Of course, you need
the other telescope

813
00:45:57,233 --> 00:46:00,233
to address those questions,

814
00:46:00,233 --> 00:46:02,233
but from
the theoretical point of view,

815
00:46:02,233 --> 00:46:07,400
also, we have Father Gionti,
an Italian,

816
00:46:07,400 --> 00:46:11,300
who is doing research
on string theory

817
00:46:11,300 --> 00:46:12,866
and quantum gravity,

818
00:46:12,866 --> 00:46:17,233
just to show you that there is
the other side of our research.

819
00:46:17,233 --> 00:46:23,100
Again, we do not cover
all the fields.

820
00:46:23,100 --> 00:46:27,733
We try to be as much
as we can

821
00:46:27,733 --> 00:46:31,733
involved in the research
with our colleagues,

822
00:46:31,733 --> 00:46:34,300
and we have
several collaborations.

823
00:46:34,300 --> 00:46:37,733
And the scientific meetings

824
00:46:37,733 --> 00:46:40,733
that we have organized
and the schools

825
00:46:40,733 --> 00:46:43,900
is always a way

826
00:46:43,900 --> 00:46:47,066
to learn from our colleagues.

827
00:46:47,066 --> 00:46:49,766
We learned a lot
from organizing these things

828
00:46:49,766 --> 00:46:54,733
and sharing
their research interests.

829
00:46:58,566 --> 00:47:02,166
I see that your talk shows
that the Vatican Observatory

830
00:47:02,166 --> 00:47:05,500
has potentially
a very long planning horizon

831
00:47:05,500 --> 00:47:07,366
in terms of thinking
about the future,

832
00:47:07,366 --> 00:47:10,900
and I wonder
if the Vatican Observatory

833
00:47:10,900 --> 00:47:14,066
has considered a time
in the future

834
00:47:14,066 --> 00:47:16,566
when you would move
into space telescopes

835
00:47:16,566 --> 00:47:18,566
for observation

836
00:47:18,566 --> 00:47:21,233
and if you have given
any thought possibility

837
00:47:21,233 --> 00:47:25,866
to promoting or sponsoring

838
00:47:25,866 --> 00:47:29,000
some form of space telescope.

839
00:47:29,000 --> 00:47:31,366
Thank you.

840
00:47:31,366 --> 00:47:33,400
Before I forget,

841
00:47:33,400 --> 00:47:35,700
we have a Website
that is in progress.

842
00:47:35,700 --> 00:47:38,333
We have renewed the Website,

843
00:47:38,333 --> 00:47:43,233
but if you go to the homepage,
you can download,

844
00:47:43,233 --> 00:47:46,400
if you have some probl--
I don't think solve it--

845
00:47:46,400 --> 00:47:51,066
if you need some kind
of sleeping aid to download.

846
00:47:51,066 --> 00:47:54,566
- I'm kidding.
[light laughter]

847
00:47:54,566 --> 00:47:58,000
It's very interesting,
I should say.

848
00:47:58,000 --> 00:48:00,900
You have the annual report
of the Vatican Observatory.

849
00:48:00,900 --> 00:48:04,900
It's very simple--
vaticanobservatory.va,

850
00:48:04,900 --> 00:48:08,333
or you Google
"Vatican Observatory."

851
00:48:08,333 --> 00:48:13,733
And there we have a document
with the scientific priorities

852
00:48:13,733 --> 00:48:17,733
for the next ten years
of the Observatory.

853
00:48:17,733 --> 00:48:21,766
Of course, we are small.

854
00:48:21,766 --> 00:48:24,600
We're not trying
to compete with NASA,

855
00:48:24,600 --> 00:48:27,066
with the European Agency.

856
00:48:27,066 --> 00:48:31,533
But we try
within our possibilities

857
00:48:31,533 --> 00:48:34,133
to be involved in science.

858
00:48:34,133 --> 00:48:37,600
Regarding the question
about how to move

859
00:48:37,600 --> 00:48:40,900
to the next step of telescopes,

860
00:48:40,900 --> 00:48:45,400
I have addressed
these questions with our staff

861
00:48:45,400 --> 00:48:48,566
when we prepare also
that document,

862
00:48:48,566 --> 00:48:52,900
and at the moment, it looks like
it's very difficult

863
00:48:52,900 --> 00:48:57,433
to have, for us,
a 20-meter telescope,

864
00:48:57,433 --> 00:48:59,300
a 30-meter telescope,

865
00:48:59,300 --> 00:49:01,633
though, through the univers--

866
00:49:01,633 --> 00:49:04,733
with a good collaboration
with the University of Arizona,

867
00:49:04,733 --> 00:49:07,066
we may have access
to those telescopes

868
00:49:07,066 --> 00:49:09,566
if we need them
for the research.

869
00:49:09,566 --> 00:49:13,633
What we are doing now,
and this is in progress.

870
00:49:13,633 --> 00:49:17,833
There is a plan for a network
of small telescopes,

871
00:49:17,833 --> 00:49:20,400
2-meter telescopes
in southern Arizona

872
00:49:20,400 --> 00:49:23,533
and this network
is going to be robotized,

873
00:49:23,533 --> 00:49:25,133
and we are doing this--

874
00:49:25,133 --> 00:49:28,900
Our telescope
is being robotized.

875
00:49:28,900 --> 00:49:32,266
Hopefully, in about a year,
we'll be done,

876
00:49:32,266 --> 00:49:34,066
and we are doing this
in collaboration

877
00:49:34,066 --> 00:49:35,866
with the University of Arizona.

878
00:49:35,866 --> 00:49:38,666
So this is, according
to all possibilities,

879
00:49:38,666 --> 00:49:41,766
the way to keep
the telescope updated

880
00:49:41,766 --> 00:49:45,866
and to address questions
that may require

881
00:49:45,866 --> 00:49:49,700
space telescopes
and other big telescopes,

882
00:49:49,700 --> 00:49:53,200
by being collaborating
with a team leaded

883
00:49:53,200 --> 00:49:57,733
by Rob Kennicutt,
and we use Hubble,

884
00:49:57,733 --> 00:49:59,900
Galax, and Spitzer,

885
00:49:59,900 --> 00:50:02,533
so we have access somehow

886
00:50:02,533 --> 00:50:06,566
to the data
that this telescope provides.

887
00:50:09,033 --> 00:50:11,300
Hi. Thank you so much
for making the trip

888
00:50:11,300 --> 00:50:13,866
and making the time
for the presentation.

889
00:50:13,866 --> 00:50:15,366
I was wondering--

890
00:50:15,366 --> 00:50:17,700
and I don't know if this is
beyond the scope of the talk--

891
00:50:17,700 --> 00:50:21,900
I was wondering what you think
the theological implications

892
00:50:21,900 --> 00:50:25,733
of discovering life would be?

893
00:50:27,133 --> 00:50:28,933
I don't know how else
to phrase the question.

894
00:50:28,933 --> 00:50:31,566
Does it broaden it?
Does it make it more magical?

895
00:50:31,566 --> 00:50:33,400
If you could spend
just a couple of minutes

896
00:50:33,400 --> 00:50:35,833
talking about your personal
view, that would be great.

897
00:50:35,833 --> 00:50:36,833
Thanks.

898
00:50:40,233 --> 00:50:45,900
Sometimes I give interviews
to journalists,

899
00:50:45,900 --> 00:50:50,233
and once,
one journalist asked me

900
00:50:50,233 --> 00:50:51,900
the following question...

901
00:50:53,766 --> 00:50:57,066
"Who would be the first person

902
00:50:57,066 --> 00:51:01,966
that you communicate
if you find that there is life

903
00:51:01,966 --> 00:51:04,166
in the universe?

904
00:51:04,166 --> 00:51:06,866
To the Pope?" he said.

905
00:51:06,866 --> 00:51:08,600
And I said, "To my mom."

906
00:51:08,600 --> 00:51:11,600
[laughter]

907
00:51:13,400 --> 00:51:15,400
Being serious now...

908
00:51:18,733 --> 00:51:21,766
First, we need to make sure

909
00:51:21,766 --> 00:51:25,733
that we have discovered life

910
00:51:25,733 --> 00:51:28,566
and that this life, I think--

911
00:51:28,566 --> 00:51:29,900
I'm talking--

912
00:51:29,900 --> 00:51:32,233
I am someone that is not working
in the field,

913
00:51:32,233 --> 00:51:35,400
but I think
we need to be very careful

914
00:51:35,400 --> 00:51:39,133
that if we find life,

915
00:51:39,133 --> 00:51:41,400
that this life

916
00:51:41,400 --> 00:51:44,900
has not been imported
by us before.

917
00:51:46,466 --> 00:51:50,400
That would be, in any case,
a great discovery to find life,

918
00:51:50,400 --> 00:51:53,866
even a very primitive form
of life.

919
00:51:53,866 --> 00:51:58,133
Second,
if there is intelligent life,

920
00:51:58,133 --> 00:52:02,733
I would like to say
that it is already difficult

921
00:52:02,733 --> 00:52:05,733
to find intelligent life
on Earth.

922
00:52:05,733 --> 00:52:08,066
[laughter]

923
00:52:08,066 --> 00:52:09,866
We can imagine to find
intelligent life

924
00:52:09,866 --> 00:52:11,200
in the universe.

925
00:52:11,200 --> 00:52:14,566
Just a joke.

926
00:52:14,566 --> 00:52:18,200
Don't take me too serious.

927
00:52:18,200 --> 00:52:20,766
But it is
a very interesting question,

928
00:52:20,766 --> 00:52:23,233
and I think we--

929
00:52:23,233 --> 00:52:26,233
I'm working on that.
I have some thoughts.

930
00:52:26,233 --> 00:52:30,900
We need to approach
the possibility

931
00:52:30,900 --> 00:52:33,400
of discovering life

932
00:52:33,400 --> 00:52:36,500
from different points of view.

933
00:52:36,500 --> 00:52:39,266
The science point of view,
of course, is important,

934
00:52:39,266 --> 00:52:43,833
but also from a philosophical
or theological point of view.

935
00:52:43,833 --> 00:52:48,466
In my slides,
I said something like...

936
00:52:48,466 --> 00:52:49,733
"We don't know"--

937
00:52:49,733 --> 00:52:52,233
I think.
You can correct me.

938
00:52:52,233 --> 00:52:55,833
"We don't agree on what is life,
how to define life.

939
00:52:55,833 --> 00:53:01,266
If we find life,
what are we searching for?"

940
00:53:01,266 --> 00:53:03,566
And the other point is...

941
00:53:03,566 --> 00:53:04,900
what--

942
00:53:04,900 --> 00:53:06,733
This would the debate for--

943
00:53:06,733 --> 00:53:09,233
I don't want to enter
in this debate now,

944
00:53:09,233 --> 00:53:12,566
but what is civilization?

945
00:53:12,566 --> 00:53:16,100
What do we call
a civilization?

946
00:53:16,100 --> 00:53:22,300
What criteria we use to say
this is a civilized world?

947
00:53:22,300 --> 00:53:26,566
I don't think that we can agree
even on that today.

948
00:53:28,000 --> 00:53:32,733
And in the search
of life itself,

949
00:53:32,733 --> 00:53:38,566
we can learn many things
about ourselves and our origins.

950
00:53:40,433 --> 00:53:44,166
I think there is life
maybe in the universe,

951
00:53:44,166 --> 00:53:46,066
even intelligent life,

952
00:53:46,066 --> 00:53:48,233
but for me, in my opinion,

953
00:53:48,233 --> 00:53:54,200
I think it would be
very difficult to find life.

954
00:53:54,200 --> 00:53:55,900
Maybe intelligent--

955
00:53:55,900 --> 00:53:57,566
Maybe we are right
to find life,

956
00:53:57,566 --> 00:53:59,233
but to find intelligent life

957
00:53:59,233 --> 00:54:02,400
or some kind
of intelligent beings,

958
00:54:02,400 --> 00:54:07,533
E.T.s, would contact us,

959
00:54:07,533 --> 00:54:10,733
but that's my opinion.

960
00:54:15,400 --> 00:54:19,633
Hi. Thanks for coming
and talking to us.

961
00:54:19,633 --> 00:54:21,700
So, kind of similar
to the last--

962
00:54:21,700 --> 00:54:23,766
or touching on it, at least,

963
00:54:23,766 --> 00:54:27,366
I'm interested to hear...

964
00:54:27,366 --> 00:54:31,633
The way that religion is unique
in how it makes truth claims

965
00:54:31,633 --> 00:54:34,433
both about the nature
of the universe itself

966
00:54:34,433 --> 00:54:37,266
as well as how we ought
to live--

967
00:54:37,266 --> 00:54:38,833
the relationship
of those two things

968
00:54:38,833 --> 00:54:41,900
and how, for example,

969
00:54:41,900 --> 00:54:45,966
Galileo, you know,
his discoveries affected...

970
00:54:45,966 --> 00:54:48,000
You know, they were truth claims
about the universe

971
00:54:48,000 --> 00:54:50,900
that affected also
what religion had to say

972
00:54:50,900 --> 00:54:52,733
about how we ought to live.

973
00:54:52,733 --> 00:54:55,700
So, aside from, you know,
whether or not there exists life

974
00:54:55,700 --> 00:54:57,600
on other planets,

975
00:54:57,600 --> 00:54:59,800
the different things
that you're studying,

976
00:54:59,800 --> 00:55:02,133
the questions
that you're pursuing,

977
00:55:02,133 --> 00:55:05,233
what are some areas
that you see

978
00:55:05,233 --> 00:55:07,733
that these unanswered questions
could possibly have

979
00:55:07,733 --> 00:55:11,066
the greatest change
in what the Catholic Church

980
00:55:11,066 --> 00:55:13,166
says about how we ought
to live.

981
00:55:13,166 --> 00:55:14,933
Thank you.

982
00:55:18,366 --> 00:55:20,933
Well, one second intention
of my talk

983
00:55:20,933 --> 00:55:24,300
was just to address
these kind of concerns

984
00:55:24,300 --> 00:55:27,733
or questions or thoughts.

985
00:55:27,733 --> 00:55:31,900
How could
science and religion--

986
00:55:31,900 --> 00:55:33,733
Could they interact?

987
00:55:36,566 --> 00:55:39,866
I'm learning.

988
00:55:39,866 --> 00:55:41,600
I think it's--

989
00:55:41,600 --> 00:55:44,433
Galileo was
a very important event

990
00:55:44,433 --> 00:55:49,566
for the history of
the Catholic Church, of course,

991
00:55:49,566 --> 00:55:54,766
but for the Western culture,

992
00:55:54,766 --> 00:55:58,666
the way we understand
the relationship

993
00:55:58,666 --> 00:56:02,400
between science and religion.

994
00:56:04,233 --> 00:56:08,133
I don't think that...

995
00:56:08,133 --> 00:56:11,200
Again, this is
my personal opinion...

996
00:56:11,200 --> 00:56:13,633
that the discovery of life,
of intelligent life

997
00:56:13,633 --> 00:56:18,433
would have a great impact
in the Catholic faith

998
00:56:18,433 --> 00:56:20,566
or Christian faith.

999
00:56:23,733 --> 00:56:26,833
I think we have...

1000
00:56:26,833 --> 00:56:29,700
Sorry to do some kind
of advertising,

1001
00:56:29,700 --> 00:56:33,300
but I'm still reading it,

1002
00:56:33,300 --> 00:56:37,266
because it was published
last week and I was traveling.

1003
00:56:37,266 --> 00:56:42,900
I started to read the encyclical
by Pope Francis on...

1004
00:56:44,433 --> 00:56:45,600
I'm reading it in Spanish.

1005
00:56:45,600 --> 00:56:48,566
So, on the concern,
I will say

1006
00:56:48,566 --> 00:56:50,933
of the "common house"
or "common home"--

1007
00:56:50,933 --> 00:56:54,933
he used those terms--

1008
00:56:54,933 --> 00:56:57,433
I think it's new
in the approach he has

1009
00:56:57,433 --> 00:57:00,966
to this problem
because he's not...

1010
00:57:00,966 --> 00:57:05,366
He considered the results
coming from science,

1011
00:57:05,366 --> 00:57:08,900
but also he consider
other perspectives--

1012
00:57:08,900 --> 00:57:11,333
from the economic point
of view,

1013
00:57:11,333 --> 00:57:14,700
from ethical point of view,

1014
00:57:14,700 --> 00:57:18,200
from a religious point of view,
but it's quite universal.

1015
00:57:18,200 --> 00:57:20,733
He is trying to reach
not only Catholic,

1016
00:57:20,733 --> 00:57:23,800
but everyone on this Earth.

1017
00:57:23,800 --> 00:57:27,666
I think there
we have a good example,

1018
00:57:27,666 --> 00:57:33,233
a good model
in the way that science...

1019
00:57:35,866 --> 00:57:40,566
Philosophers, or even
people working in culture,

1020
00:57:40,566 --> 00:57:43,066
anthropologists,
for example...

1021
00:57:45,033 --> 00:57:48,233
Religions
from different confessions--

1022
00:57:48,233 --> 00:57:51,733
Christians, Jewish, Muslims.

1023
00:57:51,733 --> 00:57:53,966
I think we need
to move in that way.

1024
00:57:53,966 --> 00:57:57,666
For me, one kind of thing
that I am learning

1025
00:57:57,666 --> 00:58:02,066
in this last year
is that it's important,

1026
00:58:02,066 --> 00:58:04,733
the dialogue
between science and religion,

1027
00:58:04,733 --> 00:58:09,233
but not only in the context
of the Catholic Church,

1028
00:58:09,233 --> 00:58:12,733
in the context of Galileo,

1029
00:58:12,733 --> 00:58:15,233
but also in the context...

1030
00:58:17,933 --> 00:58:20,233
In the dialogue
with other religions.

1031
00:58:21,600 --> 00:58:24,066
I don't know, but in Europe,
this is my impression,

1032
00:58:24,066 --> 00:58:26,366
I don't know much here
in the U.S.,

1033
00:58:26,366 --> 00:58:31,900
but the interreligious dialogue
is urgent.

1034
00:58:31,900 --> 00:58:33,700
It's urgent.

1035
00:58:33,700 --> 00:58:40,600
And maybe science
could be a helpful language

1036
00:58:40,600 --> 00:58:43,733
to help to understand people
from different religions.

1037
00:58:43,733 --> 00:58:45,566
So that's my hope.

1038
00:58:49,733 --> 00:58:52,233
[man clears throat]
I guess I'm the final question.

1039
00:58:52,233 --> 00:58:53,566
It's obvious from your talk,

1040
00:58:53,566 --> 00:58:57,233
you have a great command
of astronomical data,

1041
00:58:57,233 --> 00:59:00,400
and I know from your background,
you believe the Bible

1042
00:59:00,400 --> 00:59:02,333
and the stories
that are painted there,

1043
00:59:02,333 --> 00:59:04,733
and I guess what I wanted
to know was,

1044
00:59:04,733 --> 00:59:08,033
in the book of Revelation,

1045
00:59:08,033 --> 00:59:10,533
the end of the Earth
is predicted

1046
00:59:10,533 --> 00:59:12,600
and also
the creation of a new Earth,

1047
00:59:12,600 --> 00:59:14,266
and I was hoping,
coming into this talk,

1048
00:59:14,266 --> 00:59:15,900
that you would speak

1049
00:59:15,900 --> 00:59:19,000
to that being well-footed
in both of those.

1050
00:59:19,000 --> 00:59:23,366
Do you have any comments on that
that you could share briefly?

1051
00:59:23,366 --> 00:59:25,333
Okay, yes.

1052
00:59:25,333 --> 00:59:30,333
I have to confess
that I had one extra slide.

1053
00:59:30,333 --> 00:59:32,233
I listened to your question,

1054
00:59:32,233 --> 00:59:37,900
but because I didn't want
to make a direct reference

1055
00:59:37,900 --> 00:59:41,033
to the Bible regarding this...

1056
00:59:41,033 --> 00:59:44,033
This is a question
that requires a long answer.

1057
00:59:44,033 --> 00:59:46,833
I'm going to try to be short.

1058
00:59:46,833 --> 00:59:49,933
- I am short.
[laughter]

1059
00:59:54,100 --> 00:59:56,566
The Bible...

1060
00:59:56,566 --> 00:59:58,900
This is for Catholics, so...

1061
00:59:58,900 --> 01:00:02,233
Mainstream Catholics.

1062
01:00:02,233 --> 01:00:05,533
I will say for the Church,
for the authority of the Church,

1063
01:00:05,533 --> 01:00:10,100
the Bible is not
a book of science.

1064
01:00:10,100 --> 01:00:11,400
I repeat--

1065
01:00:11,400 --> 01:00:15,066
the Bible is not
a book of science.

1066
01:00:16,966 --> 01:00:21,233
If we have
scientific questions,

1067
01:00:21,233 --> 01:00:25,566
we shouldn't search the answers
in the Bible.

1068
01:00:27,133 --> 01:00:28,866
What is the Bible?

1069
01:00:28,866 --> 01:00:32,300
The Bible is the book
that we believe.

1070
01:00:32,300 --> 01:00:33,566
I believe in God, yeah?

1071
01:00:33,566 --> 01:00:36,233
I am a scientist,
but I believe in God.

1072
01:00:38,233 --> 01:00:44,766
The Bible is a book
inspired by God,

1073
01:00:44,766 --> 01:00:48,733
written by men and women--

1074
01:00:48,733 --> 01:00:51,500
I don't know--

1075
01:00:51,500 --> 01:00:56,600
that was written
with a language

1076
01:00:56,600 --> 01:01:01,900
that was used
some time 3,000 years ago.

1077
01:01:03,733 --> 01:01:06,400
The sacred authors--

1078
01:01:06,400 --> 01:01:11,233
they didn't know anything
about theory of relativity,

1079
01:01:11,233 --> 01:01:13,900
of quantum physics.

1080
01:01:13,900 --> 01:01:15,233
They didn't--

1081
01:01:15,233 --> 01:01:18,300
They wanted to answer
the big questions that we have.

1082
01:01:18,300 --> 01:01:21,733
Those questions
that I put in the past.

1083
01:01:25,433 --> 01:01:29,200
I will say this--
I will use this image.

1084
01:01:29,200 --> 01:01:33,966
Now people don't write
any more love letters.

1085
01:01:33,966 --> 01:01:36,300
They send emails maybe.

1086
01:01:36,300 --> 01:01:38,233
Old people maybe still...

1087
01:01:38,233 --> 01:01:42,800
or SMS or a message
or iMessage or WhatsApp.

1088
01:01:42,800 --> 01:01:44,766
[light laughter]

1089
01:01:44,766 --> 01:01:48,033
Maybe today you got to go speak
using WhatsApp or Twitter.

1090
01:01:48,033 --> 01:01:49,066
I don't know.

1091
01:01:49,066 --> 01:01:53,333
But I will say, um...

1092
01:01:53,333 --> 01:01:57,700
The Bible
is the letter of love

1093
01:01:57,700 --> 01:02:00,566
that he or she

1094
01:02:00,566 --> 01:02:03,400
has sent to his people,

1095
01:02:03,400 --> 01:02:06,566
to us with a language
that is a language

1096
01:02:06,566 --> 01:02:09,566
of 3,000, 2,000 years ago.

1097
01:02:09,566 --> 01:02:11,033
How do you send that?

1098
01:02:11,033 --> 01:02:15,400
The book of Revelation,
the meaning--

1099
01:02:15,400 --> 01:02:16,900
This is my understanding.

1100
01:02:16,900 --> 01:02:20,866
It's not about the end,
how the universe will end

1101
01:02:20,866 --> 01:02:25,100
in the sense
of what would happen

1102
01:02:25,100 --> 01:02:27,566
to galaxies, to stars,

1103
01:02:27,566 --> 01:02:30,100
but this...

1104
01:02:30,100 --> 01:02:34,200
It give us the sense,
the meaning of human history.

1105
01:02:34,200 --> 01:02:36,600
Where are we going?

1106
01:02:36,600 --> 01:02:39,233
It was written in a time,

1107
01:02:39,233 --> 01:02:42,233
maybe similar to our time,

1108
01:02:42,233 --> 01:02:46,200
in which Christians
were persecuted.

1109
01:02:46,200 --> 01:02:48,733
So St. John...

1110
01:02:50,266 --> 01:02:54,733
He's trying to give hope,
a message of hope,

1111
01:02:54,733 --> 01:02:56,966
to this community
that is suffering

1112
01:02:56,966 --> 01:02:58,933
from persecution,

1113
01:02:58,933 --> 01:03:02,533
and what he's saying is that
God is conducting

1114
01:03:02,533 --> 01:03:05,733
this human history
with all the difficulties

1115
01:03:05,733 --> 01:03:08,733
and with all problems we see

1116
01:03:08,733 --> 01:03:16,233
and that the profound fundaments
of this history, human history,

1117
01:03:16,233 --> 01:03:20,066
and right now
the history of the universe,

1118
01:03:20,066 --> 01:03:23,066
are in the hands of God.

1119
01:03:23,066 --> 01:03:25,300
This is very difficult
to explain

1120
01:03:25,300 --> 01:03:28,766
and to say
using scientific language,

1121
01:03:28,766 --> 01:03:30,466
because it's a different...

1122
01:03:30,466 --> 01:03:34,066
We need to read the Bible

1123
01:03:34,066 --> 01:03:36,566
with a different language.

1124
01:03:38,733 --> 01:03:42,600
So I will say that
for the book of Revelation.

1125
01:03:42,600 --> 01:03:45,066
Of course,
it's a very complicated book

1126
01:03:45,066 --> 01:03:46,566
with many symbols,

1127
01:03:46,566 --> 01:03:50,400
but in a shorter answer,

1128
01:03:50,400 --> 01:03:53,233
that would be my reply to you.

1129
01:03:55,933 --> 01:04:01,000
So please join me in thanking
Father Dr. José Funes.

1130
01:04:01,000 --> 01:04:04,000
[applause]