Do you ever wish that you could experience the wonder of the world around you again, through the eyes of a child? As sappy of a sentiment I think this is, I do think it’s important to get a taste of awe every now and then, to remind you why you do what you do. While every now and then you may capture a fleeting glimpse into the innocence you once experienced, through maybe a song or a film, rarely does it overcome you for more than a moment.

When I was in second grade, we had to dress up as someone from history and give a presentation on his or her life and accomplishments. From all of the space books I was constantly checking out at the library, there was no doubt in my mind that I had to dress up as Sally Ride. So in my little blue thrift store jumpsuit with the NASA and American flag patches carefully sewn on by my mother, I gave a heartfelt presentation about how Sally was the first American woman in space, and just how awesome I thought this to be.

This is what I found to be my first embodiment of science. It wasn’t much, but I wanted to emulate the accomplishments of Ms. Ride, and continue to contribute to the world of science in any way I could.

I found this video a few years ago, and it is fifteen minutes of reliving the moments in my childhood when I started up into the sky in wonderment. It beautifully articulates those jumbled thoughts that drift through ones head like gas and particles and compresses them into starlight. Though it heavily focuses on space, I think this can be applied to all technological exploration. I think the sentiment at 3:16 describes it perfectly: When you know enough science, you can just smile up at the universe and reply, “Dude, I am you”.