Sure, we at Club Galahad watch television and go to movies. We read books and magazines. We have iPods. We are not immune (or opposed) to pop culture. But sometimes we do scratch our heads and wonder what constitutes news. You know, actual news. Something important that we should all know about.
Earlier this month, astronomers discovered 32 new planets, some of which are similar in size to Earth. Their findings bring the total number of known extrasolar planets to more than 400(!)… and these planets all have something to teach us. Which got us to wondering: Sure, most people know about the eight planets (sorry, Pluto) in our own solar system. But how many people know that there are hundreds of known planets in the galaxy? And how many people know the difference between a solar system and a galaxy anyway? Or that there are billions of galaxies in the observable universe? There was a time when there could be no BIGGER news than the discovery of even one new planet, let alone dozens of new planets. And yet this is probably the first you’re hearing about it.
Here’s the thing. We’re not saying that everyone should drop what they’re doing and become amateur astronomers. And we certainly aren’t saying that we shouldn’t all enjoy a little mindless entertainment from time to time. Of course we should. The trouble is, what passes for news these days is often anything but. We may not know who our local state representative is, or where to find India on a map, or what the discovery of new planets tells us about Earth… but at least we know that Jon Gosselin recently bought a new Ed Hardy t-shirt, right?
It’s not up to us to tell you what is or isn’t important, and that’s just the point. It’s up to you to decide.
We are all fortunate to live in a time and place where we have the power to seek out and take in whatever information we want. Our parents and grandparents were not so lucky. The information superhighway didn’t exist for them. So the next time you turn on the TV or log on to your favorite internet news site, give a second thought to what you’re taking in. Is every last detail of the Balloon Boy family useful? Is it really even that interesting? Or is it just a lot of… well, a lot of hot air?