December 2020 Special Issue: SPACE by SPA Publications

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THE RUBICON student news Volume 47. Issue 4. December 14, 2020 www.rubiconline.com

SPACE SPECIAL ISSUE: 2 - Welcome / News 3-4 - Feature 5 - Health 6-7 - In Depth 8 - A&E 9-10 - Opinion 11 - Good Question

@TheRubiconSPA

WHAT IS ASTROLOGY

SPACE IN FILM

How can we devine our lives from the stars? Where does astrology come from?

Ger recommendations for space movie classics from your peers (and our staff).

IN DEPTH pgs.6-7

A&E pg.8

WELCOME / NEWS THE RUBICON - DECEMBER 2020

WELCOME TO THE DECEMBER ISSUE

The Rubicon staff enjoys bringing you coverage of this community and the world we’re in, even its unflattering sides. But pandemic coverage has inundated our minds and at times it is hard to break free. It can leave us feeling tired and hopeless. So, we turn to the stars and the cosmos, centuries old sources of intrigue and hope for a little renewal. In the December print issue, we want to give you some space. What comes to mind when you think of space? Maybe it’s the gaping holes between where we are now and our sense of normalcy. Maybe it’s miles between us and our loved ones. Maybe it’s orbiting around big societal questions and measuring space in 6-feet increments. Maybe it’s our galaxy, the exploration of the cosmos. Maybe it’s personal space; or the spacebar on your favorite sci-fi movies. The idea of space shows up in more ways than we can count. This Rubicon edition dives into the possibilities for how space can be explored. What really is out there in the stars and planets? Is there extraterrestrial life (Good Question 11)? What is dark matter (Feature 4)? Do students want to explore space or watch from a distance (Feature 3)? What about astrology? Where did zodiac signs come from and what do they really mean about us (In Depth 6 7)? What is the importance of creating our own personal space away from others (Opinions 10)? How do we know when to increase or decrease the space we take up (Health 5)? Like the universe in its infinite nature, there are endless ways to explore space. So, feel free to launch into The Rubicon special edition to read more about the wonders and mysteries of S P A C E.

LUCY BENSON Editor-in-Chief

Heilig saves star parties, brings some normalcy LIV LARSEN

RUBICONLINE

Star parties are a tradition for Space Science classes at St. Paul Academy. Each week, US Science teacher Steve Heilig and students will gather on the upper field with various binoculars and telescopes to look at constellations, planets, stars, satellites, and whatever else they can find. With COVID-19 pushing school to distance learning, the fate of star parties was looking bleak. Heilig worked to make sure they could continue. “[Star parties] are fun for me. They’re fun for the students. One of the best things about star parties to me is that we look at things and talk, and people ask questions that they would never have thought of otherwise. It’s the getting together and talking that really gets people curious about things. There wasn’t going to be a good replacement for that. It’s tough enough to have a discussion even when everybody’s read the same stuff, and you’re directing it. The cool creativity and

“

I’M GLAD WE’VE BEEN ABLE TO HAVE [STAR PARTIES].

”

Margot Bergner the insights people have, there’s no other way to have them except star parties,” Heilig said. The outdoor setting of star parties makes them one of few activities that can continue amidst COVID-19. Masks and social distancing were natural precautions to take, but Heilig began to wonder about the possibility of transmission through telescopes and binoculars. “Well, you know the thing people worry about in terms of COVID is mucus membranes. It’s like someone coughs and stuff comes out. You inhale it, and it hits your mucus membranes. The stuff that lines your eye, that’s a mucus membrane too. So, the first thing I thought about was, oh my goodness, if everybody’s putting

ARCHIVE PHOTO: Kathryn Campbell STAR PARTY. US science teacher Steve Heilig and a student observe Mercury’s transit across the sun last year. Star parties have been able to happen this year with the addition of safety measures like masks, goggles, and social distancing. their eye up to the same eyepiece, potentially the eyepiece of the telescope could be a transfer point,” Heilig said. “That’s when it dawned on me that if we all have goggles that fit over glasses like the ones that we’ve got, then I don’t have to keep wiping the thing down. We can just go one person, the next one, the next one, the next one, and it makes it much more efficient.” With masks, social distancing, and goggles, star parties have been able to happen since early Oct. After SPA’s complete transition to distance learning, there was an added requirement of

filling out the Magnus Health App before coming. For Heilig and Space Science students, star parties have added some normalcy back into the semester. “The last star party, we came in at the end of it, put all of the stuff away in the room, and then everybody just wanted to sit and chat for a while. Sometimes we talk about Space Science stuff, but it was just that piece of humanity that we finally got to be in the presence of somebody else in a safe way, and we could talk. We could just kind of be ourselves again… It just feels good to put myself back out there and talk to

people and just have that kind of personal interaction where you don’t know where the discussion is going to go,” Heilig said. “Even though they’re technically for school, they’re a really nice place to see people and talk to them outside of the classroom in a safe way. I’m glad we’ve been able to have them,” senior Margot Bergner said. Space Science will have its last batch of star parties in the next week before the first semester ends. Heilig encourages everyone to observe the upcoming conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn on Dec. 21.

Students spacing out during distance learning

ILLUSTRATION: Noa Gross With distanced learning, screen time, home distractions, and low attention spans, students find it hard to stay focused the entirety of class time. SALAH ABDULKARIM THE RUBICON

With numerous distractions at home, distance learning can make it challenging to stay focused for the full duration of a class period. According to a book written by Dr. David Cornish and Dr. Dianne Dukette, The Essential 20: Twenty Components of an Excellent Health Care Team, the attention span of most high school students is around 10-20 minutes, much shorter than the 80 minute class periods. This year has cre-

ated a lot of roadblocks for education, with a short attention span and nothing to keep students in check, they can easily be distracted by their surroundings or just get tired of sitting behind a screen all day. Peter Daniels, an upper school Spanish teacher, has observed a number of issues with students in distance learning. “I don’t think students are focusing in [distance learning]... I see the flashing of screens, I see the zoning out, I see all of it. I do feel like some students

have been really working on [staying focused], we know there’s some basic things that our human body needs: we need to move a bit, get calories that are healthy for us, get some sleep, we need to stay hydrated, that’s our basic needs...There’s not a lot of time. One of my students was cooking breakfast in class and I have a student who cooks lunch most of the time in my class right after lunch,” Daniels said. However, students have found things that ensure that they are fully focused on their class during the allotted time. Junior Jack Bogdan said, “Phones can be tempting, that’s why I set mine on do not disturb and leave it far away from me during the school day. It’s an effective strategy that has helped me focus on lesson plans and understand what the teacher is saying, with less distractions, I’m able to stay focused for longer,” Sophomore Joey Stolpestad also tries two other methods to keep

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I SEE THE FLASHING OF SCREENS, I SEE THE ZONING OUT, I SEE ALL OF IT.

”

Peter Daniels him focused throughout the school day from home. “I pay attention best when I’m not hungry, I’ll usually grab something to eat between classes and it’s a pretty effective way to make sure I’m energized and keep my focus. I also get tired of sitting behind my computer all day so I’ll also get up and move around, stretch a little bit, it helps keep me focused on my classes,” Stolpestad said. Administration has taken many steps to ensure that students are taught the course material they need to know by making classes as time-efficient as possible.

“The demands are too high, so a few things administration has done is they’ve signaled to the faculty that they shouldn’t expect their students to end with the same amount of content knowledge as a normal year, and to have them say that drops the pressure of trying to do everything. They’ve also given some breaks in the schedule, Principal Delgado has gone through various iterations of adjusting the schedule, as he said was going to happen,” Daniels said. It’s clear that students aren’t always attentive to distance learning classes, so faculty members have made various changes to try to help. Distance learning makes it difficult for students to focus given the various possible distractions. To keep focus, students can try multiple things including, but not limited to, turning their phones off,taking breaks between classes to stretch, and maintaining proper nutrition.

FEATURE THE RUBICON - DECEMBER 2020

Do students dream of going to space? Some wish to take off, others are glad to be grounded AM HAPPY “ ILIVING ON JULIA BARON THE RUBICON

As space has historically been at the forefront of scientific thought and been a signifier of a country’s development (think the race to space during the Cold War), it has sparked intense curiosity and imaginative interest in students about the unknown beyond earth. Some kids grow up watching Apollo 11, A Space Odyssey, and Interstellar, and dream of being astronauts, while some are fascinated by Hidden Figures and are content studying it from a distance. Either way, the study of space holds a rare fascination in kids from a young age, with a Harris Poll that surveyed 8-12 year olds in the United States, Great Britain and China, revealing 86% of kids have an interest in space exploration. This interest continues through teenage years as a Gallup Poll reveals that

59% of 14-17 year olds would like to go to the moon someday. At SPA, there seem to be mixed feelings about students themselves being astronauts. Although ninth grader Rishi Bhargava has never considered becoming an astronaut himself, he is still interested in the implications of space travel. “Space is interesting for its ramifications for life on earth. Space travel has given us GPS, accurate weather predictions, and important medical research” Bhargava said. Sophomore Lily Malloy is in a similar boat; she is interested in learning about different planets and stars, but wouldn’t be interested in living in the uncomfortable conditions that astronauts must endure. “When I first learned about astronauts I thought it would be very cool to become one, but when I learned the side

EARTH. I LIKE HAVING RESOURCES. Lily Malloy

”

effects of going to space and what happens I didn’t want to anymore… I am happy living on Earth. I like having resources and I feel like I’m not independent enough to live in space” Malloy said. Seniors Levi Mellin and Evan Reynolds disagree, explaining why they would consider becoming an astronaut and visiting space. “I would consider being an astronaut because I have always wanted to experience zero gravity… I think it would be cool to live on Mars but I think it would be cooler to live on Venus,” Mellin said.

“I would consider being an astronaut because of how unique of an experience it would be, you actually get to experience life outside of Earth which would be really awesome,” Reynolds said. As for living on Mars specifically, he’s not so sure. “I don’t have any interest in living on Mars, there are really harsh conditions and I would find it hard to leave Earth behind because of the memories and experiences I’ve had,” Reynolds said. Bhargava also wouldn’t want to travel to Mars, and specifically cites Elon’s Musk’s recent announcement of his plans to send humans there by 2026, with plans to set up a whole community there. “If I had the option to join Elon Musk’s trip to Mars, I would probably decline. I don’t think the solution to environmental issues lies in finding a new home, but working

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: Eloise Duncan and Evelyn Lillemoe Students say that they don’t want to live on a different planet, but that they might become an astronaut. towards improving the one we have. Once we can prove that sustainable life on earth is possible, then humanity can try to colonize other planets,” Bhargava said. Even if students are

unsure of their desires to be an actual astronaut, especially on Mars, what remains consistent is the widespread interest and curiosity in space and life beyond earth.

In the vast universe, how small are we really? “

I TRY TO FOCUS ON THE THINGS AROUND US... THAT I CAN AFFECT DIRECTLY. Ahmed Umer

ILLUSTRATION: Lucy Benson The largeness of the universe can be daunting sometimes. “I do feel insignificant because we all are... All we have is our perception and I am important in that sense,” junior Insley Graupman said. JOHN BECKER bly even an entire multi- As humans are tiny entiTHE RUBICON verse. ties on planet Earth, and If you already feel Earth is a relatively small Through the lens of a single human being, small in comparison to planet in our solar systhe world is quite a large the planet, zooming out tem, looking subjectively thing to exist on. As the further will ultimately at the magnitude of the average human being is make you feel even tinier. human race, we’re actu5 feet, 9 inches, it would As an entire human spe- ally quite insignificant. take approximately 7.8 cies who sits upon a plan- “I do feel insignificant million people from head et with a radius of 3,958 because we all are, but to toe to wrap around the miles, Earth in compar- it doesn’t really matter Earth, and those 7.8 mil- ison to other planets is because all we have is lion people would only actually somewhat small. our perception and I am account for .1 percent of It’s radius is smaller than important in that sense,” the population. Now take four of the gas planets, junior Insley Graupman that feeling of insignifi- while only being larger said. That being said, the cance on the surface of than three rocky planets. the Earth and expand it Comparing the Earth to observable universe, in to our solar system, then the sun, it is even small- simpler terms, resembles our galaxy, then perhaps er than some of the solar itself as a circular bluethe universe, and possi- flares that the sun emits. print from which hu-

”

mans can examine from Earth with the proper equipment, such as the Hubble Telescope. However, the observable universe with Earth at the center, has a radius of 46.508 billion light years, which when comparing, Earth is absolutely minuscule as there are about 400 billion other planets inside the Milky Way, and 700 quintillion in the universe. This is known through the fact that “the speed of light in a vacuum is 186,282 miles per second”, within such 93 billion light years, there is a star per planet providing insight into the small portion of space the Earth takes up. The Earth’s home galaxy is the Milky Way. Earth is 25,000 light years away from the center of the Milky Way. However, on a clear night, even though it is so far away,

it can be captured by the naked eye, a perk that depicts so much beauty within a human’s relatively insignificant existence. Yet, even if one believed that the Milky Way was one of a kind, they would be mistaken, as the Milky Way is one galaxy out of 200 hundred billion other galaxies, that expand across the dark abyss. However, Madelyn St. Marie doesn’t feel the need to feel significant in the broader scheme of things as long as she finds meaning in her own life. “I feel that I am significant to the people that are involved in my life,” she said. Senior Ahmed Umer also doesn’t let these startling statistics phase him. “I tend not to think about the largeness of the universe and try to focus on the things around us in our everyday lives that I can affect directly, so it does not really make me feel insignificant,” Umer said. The relative beauty and thought that comes from our reality can provide a feeling of significance within our measly existence, since the size of space is so vast, rather than dawning on the insignificance of life, one finds significance from relationships in daily life.

HOW BIG IS THE UNIVERSE?

There are 400 billion planets in the Milky Way, and 700 quintillion in the universe

The speed of light is 186,282 miles per second

There are an estimated two trillion galaxies in the universe

FEATURE THE RUBICON - DECEMBER 2020

Astrophobia cause for extraterrestrial unease

ILLUSTRATION: Catherine Hooley Astrophobia is the fear of the unknowns of space. “The feeling of uncertainty when I look into the sky is super unsettling,” Greta Magnuson said. CATHERINE HOOLEY THE RUBICON

Every person has something that scares them, and everybody’s fears vary. For some it’s insects, for some, it’s the end of the world, and for some, it’s the unknown. Astrophobia or space-phobia is the fear of space; more specifical-

ly, the fear of the stars or anything encompassed within space, including aliens or extraterrestrial beings. This phobia is rare in extreme cases, but more people suffer from it in small capacities. Since there are so many components that go into the fear of space, it is important to separate them.

First, the fear of aliens. For some, aliens represent just another form of life, but they represent an end of the world scenario for others. Many movies feature aliens in a way that makes them seem powerful and deadly. For some viewers, these depictions cause severe anxiety for the fear that aliens could end society. The extreme violence and mystery of extraterrestrial beings is so terrifying for some that it makes them afraid of space as a whole. “When I was little, I watched some movies about space and they really scared me. I’m not really afraid of space now, but for a few years, aliens and just space in general were terrifying to me,” said ninth grader John Christakos. There is also the fear of the contents of space. This includes stars, comets, black holes, darkness,

“

”

John Christakos and more. One major cause of anxiety is asteroids. The theory that an asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs is widely known, and the thought that an asteroid could do the same to us is just enough to make some terrified of what danger the night sky holds. Nobody fully understands what is going on in space, which makes someone who is suffering from this phobia even more scared. Even though many things happening in outer space are regular everyday occurrences, things

Why does dark matter matter? MADDY FISHER THE RUBICON

What is dark matter? The majority of our universe is made up of these ghostly, shadow-like particles, yet our knowledge of dark matter is almost nonexistent. “My understanding of dark matter is that it is basically mass that doesn’t emit any light... Scientists know it exists because dark matter has similar properties to other objects in space like being able to bend light,” senior Mina Mandić said. According to a cosmological model called the Lambda Cold Dark Matter Model , ordinary atoms and their properties, or what we consider to be normal matter and normal energy, only make up approximately 5% of the universe. The entire other 95% of our universe is believed to be composed of two things: dark matter and dark energy. Approximately 85% of all matter and approximately 27% of the overall makeup of our universe is a form of matter called dark matter. What scientists know about this phantom matter is limited; we know far more about what it isn’t than what it is. Dark matter doesn’t interact with the electromagnetic spectrum, which is the range of all types of electromagnetic radiation. In essence, it is almost im-

possible to observe. This property means dark matter is only observable in its impact upon the workings of the universe—more specifically, its gravitational effects on large structures in the universe.

CAN’T “YOU SEE [BLACK

MATTER] AT ALL.

”

Lucie Bond On its own, the center of a galaxy does not have the necessary gravitational pull to account for the orbital movement of the surrounding stars. Logically, the stars closest to the center should be moving faster than the stars in the outside of the galaxy. In reality, all of the stars orbit the center at the same speed. Consequently, scientists were able to deduce that every galaxy is embedded in a spherical cloud of dark matter which provides the mass and gravitational pull needed to change the orbital rate of the stars. Without the presence of an unseen mass, most galaxies would fly apart. Describing the relationship of galaxies to dark matter in a 2008 TEDTalk, particle physicist Patricia Burchat said, “We see the galaxy and fixate on that, but it’s

FOR A FEW YEARS. ALIENS AND SPACE WERE TERRIFYING TO ME.

in space can look fiery, harmful, and destructive. It is never known when danger is around the corner, and for people who have astrophobia, it can feel like danger is everywhere. “I feel like we know so little about space and every day, new things are being discovered like black holes and stuff. Just the feeling of uncertainty when I look into the sky is super unsettling,” sophomore Greta Magnuson said. The treatment of astrophobia is similar to the treatment of any other phobia. There is exposure therapy where those who struggle will slowly be exposed to their fear. In this case, they would slowly be exposed to things that relate to outer space. This includes the night sky, movies, or anything else that negatively impacts them. The negative connotations that people

FAST FACTS

with this phobia associate with space would have to be resolved. They would relearn what they think and unlearn what they believe to be true. The fact that humans lack so much knowledge of space is so concerning that it can be hard not to fear some of what goes on in the universe. The mystery of space has caused many theories and myths to form around the subject, most of which are not uplifting or relieving for those who suffer. Full moons, UFO’s, and movies depicting dangerous environments in space are all important parts of culture that are burned into people’s brains. It makes sense that one of the most mysterious places we know of is one of the most feared. After all, humans fear what we do not know.

actually a cloud of dark matter that’s dominatDark matter ing the structure and creates a the dynamics of this gravitational force Dark matter and dark energy galaxy.” Dark matter inthat binds galaxies make up 95% of the universe teracts with nortogether mal matter only through gravity. Far away galaxies often look Consequently, dark distorted and stretched because of matter is thought the presence of dark matter to be made of some Information from Science and undiscovered subTechnology Facilities Council atomic particle. “We have mathematically consistent theoINFOGRAPHIC: Maren Ostrem ries that were actually introduced to explain a There are still many mysteries surrounding dark matter. Much of what is known completely different phe- comes from not from observing the matter itself but what it affects. nomenon [...] that each predict the existence of a matter. However, some of on the other hand, pro- tributed evenly throughvery weakly interacting, them have discussed it in duces a repulsive force. out the universe, not After the Big Bang, the only in space but also in new particle,” Burchat various science classes. “In eighth-grade sciuniverse expanded at a time—in other words, its said. ence class I remember rapid rate. Space itself is effect is not diluted as the The primary canditalking about [dark matstill expanding, but grav- universe expands.” date for these proposed ter] a little,” sophomore itationally attracting matThe search for anparticles are known as Tuco Dixon said. “I think ter should be slowing this swers has become an weakly interacting masit’s the matter that makes expansion down. international effort. Assive particles (WIMPs). up space; you can’t have However, when astronomers have designed Experimental efforts to nothing there, there’s got tronomers measured the extremely sensitive techdirectly study these parto be something.” rate of expansion, they nology to detect dark ticles have thus far been Junior Lucie Bond first found that the universe matter and hopefully unsuccessful. Though dark matter learned about dark mat- is actually expanding fast- identify the nature of is a huge part of our uni- ter in Dr. Heilig’s Space er than it did just a few this strange particle. If billion years ago, a result any theories are proven verse, most people—such Science class last year. “I don’t think I heard that was the complete true, it could help scienas sophomore Maxwell much about [dark matopposite of what was ex- tists better understand Shaffer—know very little ter] before I took space pected. This acceleration the composition of our about it. science,” Bond said. “One is unexplainable without universe. Although they “I’ve heard about dark thing I found interesting the introduction of a new comprise 95% of the unimatter before in passing; was that you can’t see it at form of energy. Thus, verse, dark matter and in conversations with all. The reason we know this discrepancy is gen- dark energy continue other people,” Shaffer it’s there is because it erally attributed to dark to be relatively unexsaid. “And I read an artimoves things and affects energy, a form of energy plained. Perhaps in time, cle about it a while ago. other objects but you far different from any- scientists will know more But other than that, I can’t actually see it doing thing we’ve seen before. about such a large part of don’t really know anythat.” According to the official our universe—for now, thing.” While dark matter website of The European however, dark matter Similar to Shaffer, SPA produces an attractive Organization for Nuclear and dark energy remain students generally don’t force which causes galaxResearch, shrouded in mystery. know much about dark ies to cluster, dark energy, “[Dark energy] is dis-

HEALTH THE RUBICON - DECEMBER 2020 GOOD FOR YOU BLOG

Coping and healing from trauma

ILLUSTRATION: Eve Sampsell-Jones ILLUSTRATION: Evelyn Lillemoe FEELING SMALL. Some find it difficult to take up more space in classroom discussions or every day life.

Taking up space

What it means to be one’s authentic self EVELYN LILLEMOE

“Taking up space” is an increasingly popular phrase used to discuss how one pres-

CHIEF VISUAL EDITOR ents oneself. But what does it mean? Taking up space is a concept that is used to

describe the act of being one’s authentic and full self. Taking up space can look like speaking up in conversations, being open and honest about feelings and emotions, advocating for oneself and more. This phrase is used to address the act of minimizing oneself. This means hiding parts of oneself, not being honest, and not speaking up, because of societal pressures. Junior Sevy Hayes explained why people minimize themselves. “I think people struggle because they don’t wanna be judged and they don’t want to appear strange or different. I think we want to fit into society’s view of normal so we change the way we act to fit in or fit it,” Hayes said. Because society is based on hierarchies of identities, this often means that those with marginalized identities feel they are forced to minimize themselves. Senior Rashmi Raveendran finds this to be true. “People struggle to express themselves in environments where a part of their identity doesn’t stand by the majority,” Raveendran said. Senior Sam Konstan expands on this idea. “There are two main reasons for this struggle, both revolving around the same central idea,” Konstan said, “First, many aspects of a person’s identity can be criticized and thought of as “against the norm,” making someone with that identity anxious that they may be persecuted, in whatever capacity, for expressing that part of themself. Second, the struggle could revolve around the person in question’s internal debate and their own insecurities and PEOPLE STRUGGLE TO doubts around the issue. However, if you dig deeper into this, these insecurities and doubts all stem from that part of their EXPRESS THEMSELVES IN identity not being socially accepted, so this is really the first ENVIRONMENTS WHERE A cause again in disguise.” Identity plays a big part in the amount of space one takes up. PART OF THEIR IDENTITY In so many spaces, only certain voices are valued and respected. Chelsea Kwakye and Ore Ogunbiyi wrote a book on this subDOESN’T STAND BY THE ject, specifically about Black girls and women called Taking Up MAJORITY. Space: The Black Girl’s Manifesto for Change. This book discusses the way Black women and girls are forced to minimize Rashmi Raveendran themselves specifically in academic and work environments in order to be accepted. It is important to note that sometimes minimizing oneself is an act of survival. From keeping a job to literally just surviving the day, some have to minimize themselves to live. But this should not be the case. Though SPA and its famed Harkness discussions cite open discussions as one of it’s core values, SPA can be one of the places people feel the need to take up less space. “I really struggle in class because I am afraid that I will look stupid or say something dumb,” Hayes said, “I don’t want to appear that way because society tells us it’s bad to say something that’s incorrect. This fear also plays into my life in general because no matter who I am around I don’t want to say something dumb,” Sevy Hayes said. Sophomore Milkii Tigro has had a similar experience. “I have struggled to voice and opinions in certain places like school because of the fear of standing out, however in spaces where people have the same opinion and there’s people left out of it, the conversation feels closed and one dimensional, if that makes sense, and I think in order to have a more progressive community, we should create a safe space for people to share their own thoughts,” Tigro said. For a world where people can take up space, the overhaul of systems of oppression will be necessary, but there are some ways to make change on a smaller level. Create spaces where people are respected and try to make those around you feel safe and valued. Make sure young people grow up hearing that they deserve to take up space by teaching them that they are valued and valid in every setting. Work to be more honest to yourself and others and refuse to hide parts of yourself to fit other people’s expectations. “Every person owes it to both themself and their community to take up space,” Konstan said, “Themselves because they deserve to feel comfortable in their own skin and confident about their identity, their community because each individual person has so many unique ways in which they can contribute to society, and not taking up space is depriving the community that raised them of the awesome person they’ve become and of all their potentially revolutionary ideas.”

“

EVELYN LILLEMOE

CHIEF VISUAL EDITOR

(CONTENT WARNING: general discussion of trauma and mental illness) Hello, thank you for joining us on Good for You this week. This post will be covering coping with, and healing from, trauma. The best way to start this post, I think, is to say that everyone’s healing process will be different. The illustration for this article shows the Good for You character with a bandage on their head, which, based on the shock on their face, seems to have magically appeared. This is not how healing works. I will do my best to cover the basics of healing from trauma, but there is no way I will cover it all. Brains describes healing from trauma in four stages. Stage 1 involves regaining safety and stability and learning to cope with events like flashbacks- in this stage, you’re trying to avoid reliving the trauma. Stage 2 involves facing the memories and not avoiding them when they arise, so you can start to come to terms with the trauma. Stage 3 involves accepting your emotions, but learning to recognize a future away from the trauma and having it not play a major role in your life. Stage 4 involves growth, having powerful realizations and becoming stronger after a long journey of healing. The most valuable tool in healing from trauma is reaching out for help. Whether this is to someone you know personally who you can trust, or to a counselor at school, or to a therapist, to begin

healing it’s incredibly important to reach out. It’s tempting to isolate, but isolation will not be beneficial in the long run. HelpGuide describes healing from trauma as learning to cope with whatever you lost, and a professional or even just someone to talk to can be greatly beneficial. It’s important to keep yourself healthy. Exercise if you can, and eat food in a way that feels okay to you. Get enough sleep, and try to avoid negative coping mechanisms. Try learning about mindfulness and grounding. The last thing I want to say is that this post makes healing sound a lot easier than it actually is. Healing from any trauma or any mental illness can be frightening- but it’s important to remember that it’s going to be much less harmful than the issue itself. Plus, everyone’s journey is going to be very, very different. It’s disputed whether or not one can even completely heal from trauma. Healing is a process, but it’s not one to be taken for granted. That’s all for this week. Next week will hopefully wrap up this series, and then I’m not sure what Good for You will cover. If you have suggestions, contact me at rubicon. spa@gmail.com. Until then, stay safe, and thank you so much for reading. This article is the final installment of a three part series on trauma. Find the first two parts at tisgoodforyou.wordpress. com.

6 CELESTIAL STUDIES:

IN DE

THE RUBICON - D

ASTROLOGY

Star signs: history and popularity EVE SAMPSELL-JONES THE RUBICON

Astrology isn’t new— it’s been around in some form or another for millennia. “I just think it’s kind of fun,” 9th grader Annika Lillegard said. “[Astrology is] very vague… it’s able to be applicable to a large range of people by not really specifying anything. It’s nothing too profound.”

ORIGINS Astrology in its earliest form dates back to Babylon, though it was widely conflated with astronomy in that era. The two were mixed to make charts to predict seasons and astronomical events, though in the modern era astrology and astronomy are regarded as very different. Greece discovered astrology in the 4th century BCE, and it quickly spread through major civilizations as another way for humans to understand the world around them.

CULTURE Different cultures have their own form of astrology, but there are three main ones that are globally prevalent. Western astrology is by far the most popular in Europe and North America, but Vedic and Chinese astrology each have a devoted following as well.

“There is no relation between science and astrology... though this does not take away from the fact that astrology impacts some people’s lives and how they behave,” 9th grader Henry Hilton said. The Atlantic suggests that the rise of meme culture and relatability has prompted younger generations to associate themselves with astrology on a surface level. “I just don’t see how a floating celestial object is going to tell you why you are going to act some way on Earth... I don’t disrespect anybody who believes in it,” sophomore Maya Coates-Cush said. “I mostly just know what [sign] I am and what some other people are,” Lillegard said. “I find

SIGNS [astrology] a little interesting—I know some of the history out of curiosity.” To understand basic astrology, it’s best to start by understanding the twelve zodiac signs and the planets. On the most basic level, someone’s astrological profile consists of which sign each planet was in at the time of their birth. There are twelve recognized zodiac signs, or constellations, each with different traits associated with them. Each sign is assigned to an area of the visible sky and

the planets visible from Earth that move through those areas. Planets rule different areas of life. In astrological circles someone’s “big three” are often referenced. These are the three signs that are said to play the biggest role in someone’s life—the sun sign, the moon sign, and the rising/ascendant sign. The sun sign has to do with where the sun was at the time of someone’s birth. This sign is generally the one that’s thrown around the most and rules someone’s basic identity and character traits. Moon and rising signs, however, take a little more work to find. The moon sign is where the moon was at the time of birth and it rules someone’s emotional expression. The moon moves between signs around every two and a half days. The ascendant is the sign that was rising out of the sky at someone’s time of birth. It requires an exact birth time and it rules the self that someone presents to the world, or their “mask.” “I’m an Aries. I relate to my sign because I’m very confident, enthusiastic, and optimistic about everything I do,” CoatesCush said.

QUIZ What zodiac element are you most compatible with? ELOISE DUNCAN THE RUBICON

Each of the 12 zodiac signs is assigned to one of four elements: fire, air, earth, and water. Each of these different elements align with different traits, also held by the zodiac signs within. The fire signs are Sagittarius, Leo, and Aries. The air signs are Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius. The earth signs are Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn. And the water signs are Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces. Each elemental sign can tell a lot about a person, both on the positive and negative side. In addition, the traits and tendencies can inform one about how that person’s role in a relationship, as well as one’s compatibility with signs in that element. Take this quiz to find out which element you might be most compatible with.

WHICH NATURAL ELEMENT ARE YOU? A. Water B. Air C. Earth D. Fire

WHICH TRAIT DO YOU VALUE MOST? A. Grounded B. High-spirited C. Empathetic D. Idealistic

WITH WHICH WEAKNESS DO YOU EMPATHIZE? A. Judgmental B. Reckless C. Moody D. Detached

WHICH COMPLIMENT DO YOU APPRECIATE? A. Patient B. Honest C. Sentimental D. Intellectual

EPTH

DECEMBER 2020

How accurate is astrology? LIZZIE KRISTAL THE RUBICON

While searching for the daily horoscope, Google shows a long list of astrology sites and online newspapers. It says something about the meaning of life, a relationship, or personal values. Are these reliable? Can horoscopes accurately represent the day and can zodiac signs truly depict character? There are a wide range of answers to these questions.

CREDIBILITY

ILLUSTRATIONS: Noa Gross

Before astronomy became separate from astrology, studies of the sky all fell under the same umbrella. It wasn’t until scientists like Newton turned the sky into a calculator that the two were separated. The study of astronomy is the result of the scientific method, generally accepted as fact-based by the majority of the world. Astrology is typically viewed as its dumber, inaccurate cousin. Studies from the Statistic Brain Research Institute say that 33% of Americans believe in astrology. This is due to a variety of reasons, mostly because a lot of the astrology seen can be false. “I think zodiac signs are relatively accurate when you do a full chart, but just looking at someone’s sun sign doesn’t really mean anything. I don’t read horoscopes very often because I do not think that the stars

can determine someone’s future; however, I do think that zodiac signs do correlate with people’s personality traits,” sophomore Clea Gaïtas Sur said.

ACCURACY & USE Astrology isn’t a scientific study, so it’s often shut down within a society that values rationality so much. “I do personally believe in [astrology] because I feel like there is more to everything than science and data. My grandma lives in a town next to a Indian reservation so I grew up around their beliefs and spirituality, so that has helped to believe that there is more than just what can be proven by science… people don’t believe in [astrology] because science can’t prove that it’s real and people are scared of that,” junior Sevy Hayes said. Society has placed an unmeasurable value on logic and the scientific method. Astrology challenges this, and at times, is the exact opposite. For many, astrology can’t be real because it cannot be computed by numbers. Astrology isn’t necessarily “science,” but many still find value in it. However, astrology’s credibility has been diminishing, largely because anyone can write a horoscope. As long as the language and meaning sounds legitimate, they’re easy to duplicate.

Many newspapers write horoscopes by having a reporter sit down and write them in this way. This massively takes away from astrology’s credibility. Astrology is seen as irrational because it doesn’t predict the future, nor does it determine one’s personality. Zodiac signs can simply reveal a deeper truth people are already subconsciously aware of. Signs don’t determine your personality, but they could increase self-awareness of an already existing quality. “Knowing that I fit the traits of an Aries super well does sometimes make me rethink decisions so I am a little less impulsive and think things through,” Hayes said. Another popular astrology myth is how zodiac signs are used to predict compatibility in all types of relationships. While they can provide broad suggestions as to how relationship dynamics between certain signs can look like, they don’t strictly determine affinity. The truth is, any two people can have strong compatibility despite zodiac signs. Astrology can only suggest helpful tips to increase compatibility by examining already-existing personality traits. Despite the many misconceptions and controversies, many people still find meaning in astrology.

If you answered mostly A’s:

If you answered mostly B’s:

If you answered mostly C’s:

If you answered mostly D’s:

EARTH

FIRE

WATER

AIR

Earth signs (Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn) are grounded in reality and tend to be very practical and receptive to the world around them. They are patient with others and a strong and stable force in one’s life. However, they can hold themselves and others to high standards and they can be overly structured and find themselves unable to break from a routine or go with the flow. Earth signs tend to be most compatible with water signs.

Fire signs (Sagittarius, Leo, and Aries) are upbeat, confident, and express themselves freely. They are active, bold, and direct. However, this directness is not always a positive; they can occasionally be uncaring, insensitive, and too honest with others. In addition, they can be irritable and very self-centered and are known for blowing situations and emotions out of proportion, leading to reckless behavior. Fire signs tend to be most compatible with air signs.

Water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces) are the most in touch with their emotional side. They are compassionate, intuitive, and understanding of feelings, both their own and those of others. However, they can sometimes be too driven by and protective over their emotions, leading to mood swings and instability, and they also can be fearful, clingy, and easily manipulated by others. Water signs tend to be most compatible with earth signs.

Air signs (Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius) are social and confident. They are intellectual and naturally curious, making them full of ideas. They are driven by their head rather than their heart. However, they can be restless when restrained and cannot be fully contained. In addition, they lack a sense of compassion and sensitivity, making it hard for them to create an emotional bond with others. Air signs tend to be most compatible with fire signs.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT THE RUBICON - DECEMBER 2020

To the moon and back

Love for space themed movies stands the test of time MAREN OSTREM

THE RUBICON RECOMMENDS

Our staff can’t overlook sci-fi’s temptation either. Here are some of our favorites: 2001 A Space Odyssey The Cosmos Ender’s Game Firefly Gravity Guardians of the Galaxy Hidden Figures Thor Ragnarok Wall-E Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century

Humza Murad: The Martian

“

MANAGING EDITOR

I’ve always been into robotics and tech stuff. So I thought it was really cool how they show technology being used. Like, obviously the technology doesn’t exist yet, but I think it’s cool how even though it’s fiction, in a way, it’s a realistic feeling because one day, that could actually happen.

rom epic space battles to missions to Mars based in real technology, space themed science fiction films have captured the imaginations of audiences young and old for over a hundred years. Le Voyage Dans La Lune, or “A Trip to the Moon” was released in 1902 and is widely recognized to be the very first science fiction movie and one of the first portrayals of space on the big screen. The silent short film depicted a space capsule landing in the eye of an anthropomorphous moon, and a group of astronauts exploring the moon’s surface and running into an alien race. After that, space movies just kept coming. Flash Gordon in 1936, The War of the Worlds in 1953, 2001: A Space Odyssey in 1968, Close Encounters of the Third Kind in 1977, and the list goes on and on. Here’s what space themed movies students recommend.

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY: Humza Murad

”

Find The Martian: Amazon Prime (for rent) FAIR USE: 20thcenturystudios.com

Evan Thissen: Interstellar

Emily Gisser: Star Wars

“

It’s very comforting to me to have a kind of standard plot line like the underdog, good guys, the bad guys. That’s comforting and I like having characters that are cliche but reliable. But then also if you go deeper into it you can come away with so much more… One of the beautiful things about Star Wars, is that you can pick up whenever, and even though kids like it, that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily geared towards kids.

It is complicated enough where you can watch it multiple times and still notice new things every time you watch it. It also has great acting and cinematography... I would recommend it because it makes you think about concepts that you probably hadn’t thought about before. It is also based on real research so it is not fully sci-fi. I’d recommend it to anyone who wants to learn about space’s relationship to time or just someone who wants to see cool cinematography.

”

SUBMITTED PHOTO: Emily Gisser

SUBMITTED PHOTO: Evan Thissen

Find Star Wars: Disney+, Amazon Prime (for rent), Hulu

Find Interstellar: Hulu, Amazon Prime (rent) FAIR USE: starwars.com

FAIR USE: warnerbros.co.uk

Embodying her zodiac sign: Trierweiler is a free horse

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY: Anja Trierweiler ADRIENNE GAYLORD THE RUBICON

Seeing her mane flowing against the wind as her hooves trot strong against the ground, senior Anja Trierweiler is a horse. Over the years she’s grown less connected to her Chinese Zodiac, but she’ll still admit she’s hard to tame.

In the Chinese Zodiac the year of the horse repeats every 12 years, with the most recent being 2014. Back in 2002 most of Saint Paul Academy’s horses first came into the world, yet Trierweiler precedes them, being born in 2003. “First of all, I’m at a weird place where I’m in January,” Trierweiler said, “Most people born in 2003 aren’t horses and they are the next Zodiac [sheep], but I’m a horse.” The Chinese year typically begins about a month later than it does on the Julian calendar, creating this period at the beginning of each Julian year where the Zodiac hasn’t switched over yet.

Even though she may be on the cusp, Trierweiler is sure she’s not a sheep like the rest of her 2003 classmates. “Normally horses are known for being really like... I’m going to say ‘run with the wind’, and really ‘free will’, and kind of crazy, and really hard to tame...I’m so hard to tame,” she said. Horses from her year are water elemental, which means they are even more likely to be emotional and impatient. “We’re strong. Headstrong. We are very determined people,” Trierweiler said. As the years have gone on Trierweiler has become less connected with

“

WE’RE STRONG. HEADSTRONG. WE ARE VERY DETERMINED PEOPLE.

”

Anja Trierweiler her Chinese Zodiac. Not only has she simply paid it less mind, but she’s noticed some of her wild horse characteristics simmering down. “I got less crazy as I grew up. Cause when I was younger I was like, ‘yeah, I’m such a freaking horse,” she said. When she was little Trierweiler was far more

impulsive and energetic, but she wouldn’t say she’s lost those traits entirely. “Well now I’m[…] calmer, but also not calm. I’m very unpredictable, which I don’t really know is a horse thing or not,” Trierweiler said. It can be difficult at times to determine if it’s a horse thing or an Anja thing, and it’s impossible to be a horse all the time. “I identify with it and I also don’t. There’s times when I do and times when I don’t,” she said. She’s found that at different moments she feels more or less connected to her Zodiac. “When I’m feeling more active and extroverted I tend to feel more

horse-y. And when I’m feeling more introverted and less active, and kind of more passive, I feel it, but like on a different level than I did before,” she said. Even though she doesn’t think about it as much as she used to, she still finds joy in her knowledge of her Chinese Zodiac. To her it’s almost her own little secret. “I know I am and no one else knows,” Trierweiler said. So shhh. Don’t tell anyone. Anja Trierweiler is a horse. Read about Val Wick as a Sagittarius at

RUBICON online

OPINION THE RUBICON - DECEMBER 2020

Organizations accepting donations in the Twin Cities:

THINKING OUT LOUD

Take space to rest today JENNY RIES

Toys for Tots Visits their website for scheduling drop offs or volunteering Joseph’s Coat Donations, of clothes, books, hygiene products and more, by appointment on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Visit their website to schedule a drop off. Ready for Success Minnesota Accepts clothing donations and volunteers. Visit their website for more information. Neighborhood Facebook or Nextdoor Find food shelves and donations sites in your neighborhood

THE RUBICON

EDITORIAL CARTOON: Noa Gross MAKE SPACE. Mindful donation of clothing, toys, and other products that still have use in them benefits the environment, declutters our space, and can support others in building their own spaces.

Mindfully declutter

Donate to make space and give items a new life Googling “minimalism EDITORIAL THE RUBICON STAFF about things we own” generates a list of websites, the first result ironically boasting, “things a minimalist must own.” Human nature exacerbated by capitalist culture fuels the constant collection and accumulation of more: more money, more trinkets, more clothes, simply more. Finding oneself in the privileged position of excess begs for the reevaluation of the space we (and our items) occupy. Life is cluttered. Though we can’t always choose what weighs down the calendar, it’s possible to make the conscious choice to declutter the spaces we inhabit. From clothing to toys, our spaces are filled with long forgotten items others can use. Mindful purchasing is one way to prevent a never-ending cycle of accumulation. From creating shopping lists or practicing gratitude for the items we already own, there are a number of ways to stop the problem from expanding. But how do you deal with the problem that already exists? Forgotten toys and long-outgrown clothes are shoved in a dusty corner, long-forgotten box, or in a trash bag on the way to clog up a landfill. With winter cold setting in, and the holidays around the corner, does our usable excess have to go to waste? The simple answer: no. Minimalist websites swear by the 80/20 rule, meaning that typically 80% of the time only 20% of our items are used. If people go

through their items and pick out 10-20% they no longer use, those items could get an extended life in the hands or homes of people who can use them. The process of donating is beneficial in so many ways. It helps people in need at no extra cost or expense, declutters space, reduces greenhouse gas emissions by reducing production and stopping growth of landfills. There’s no question: donating is a win-winwin scenario. Options for donation are endless. Within the SPA community, the Junior Class Leadership Council and Community Action and Service hosted an early December food drive. Toys for Tots is always available for donations with drop off sites across the state. Goodwill is an accessible option for those looking to donate a broader range of items throughout the year. The list is in no way limited to these options, thousands of charities and organizations work to connect those in need with items we no longer need. When donating, remember to be mindful of what could most benefit the community and the people the organization serves. Donate the items which will have the greatest impact in supporting community members in creating safe, healthy spaces for themselves and their families. As we move into Winter Break, reevaluate the space ourselves and our items hold. Ask: how can I make space for others by eliminating my own excess? Then, don’t stop by only boxing and bagging items for storage or trash; let someone else add them to their space.

THE RUBICON

These past few months of school have been a sprint, and I think it’s safe to say that many of us are a little winded right now. We’ve spent the past few weeks scrambling to get all of the one-lastthings done to end the semester on a high, or at least non-disastrous, note. It’s likely that we haven’t taken a lot of time to simply exist. For me, it can sometimes feel like my value is equivalent to my productivity, that the more I do, the more I am. But right now, I want to take space, get out of the productivity mindset, and allow myself to rest. There’s so much to accomplish, so much growing and changing that we are all trying to do, and that’s vital. But the only way to stay engaged in our lives and invested in growth is to pace ourselves. Stepping back, taking space and time away from the pursuit of our goals, hopes, and dreams allows us to assess and reevaluate where we are and what our next steps will be. Sometimes stepping off the path is the best way to see how far you’ve traveled, and decide where to go next. With this pause, this space, comes perspective. When you haven’t done it in while, it can be hard to know how to even begin to find perspective. You can start by looking up at the sky. There’s a lot of space up there. Think about the fact that we wouldn’t be able to see any stars if there wasn’t space around them.

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Megan Erickson

OPINION THE RUBICON - DECEMBER 2020

Space to grow is crucial to mental health TAKING TIME ALONE IS A HEALTHY STRATEGY FOR MAINTAINING MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH.

ILLUSTRATION: Noa Gross Taking space from others gives one a chance to foster a relationship with oneself and grow as an individual. HAZEL WALTENBAUGH can lead to unhealthy THE RUBICON habits, it is important Social isolation is typi- to set aside alone time cally viewed in a negative to connect with oneself. way. Humans, especial- With school, sports, and ly teenagers, seek social other people constantly connection in order to filling up the weeks, it can receive the dopamine be hard to find a break and serotonin that their and allow thoughts and brains crave. Although emotions to catch up. Creating space from complete social isolation

others is pretty easy right now, and although it’s hard to stay away from friends and family for long periods of time, it may be beneficial to use this time to reflect and focus on personal needs. This could mean thinking about the past, maybe coming up with

a plan for the future, reflecting on relationships, or maybe just becoming your own best friend for a while. While the pandemic may be contributing to too much space and isolation, normally it would be best to find a balance between social time and alone time. It’s definitely easier for some to socially isolate than others. For example, introverts typically enjoy spending some time by themselves to recharge and quietly process their thoughts. Extroverts thrive in groups of peo-

ple and sometimes find it harder to entertain themselves. Extroverts typically prefer to process their thoughts verbally, whereas introverts may rather think to themselves. So what does spending time with oneself really mean, and why is it beneficial? Those answers will be different for everyone. For some people, it may mean bettering themselves, or figuring out what parts of their life need a change: starting a new workout routine, finding a different job, changing habits, mending or changing relationships, thinking about college, maybe deleting social media, all of which can happen after spending alone time with their thoughts. Busy days and endless work can sometimes allow dreams to get pushed aside. You may find yourself stuck in a recurring pattern of day to day tasks with little time to think about the future.

Reflection can motivate and guide you to reach for the stars, and refocus attention on what may be important. Space from others can also help one become less dependent on those around them. Periods of solitude can help build feelings of confidence and independence, and even build better interpersonal relationships, according to psychologists Shoba Sreenivasan, Ph.D., and Linda E. Weinberger, Ph.D. Becoming your own best friend will make life transitions smoother, considering outside relationships will always be temporary. Finding the right balance between social and independent time can be beneficial, especially if that time is being used productively. Taking space from others now and then should be normalized, as it is a healthy strategy to maintain mental and physical health.

Space exploration is exciting, more pressing issues on Earth LUCY BENSON

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Space travel is expensive. The energy needed to launch something out of earth’s atmosphere, not to mention the cost of employees and materials, adds up. While SpaceX and other space companies are, in part, privately funded, they also get significant funding from the federal government. While important, some of these funds should be diverted to fighting pressing issues on earth, namely climate change. Hospital beds are filling up in the midst of a pandemic, millions of people are in poverty, (38.1 million of them in the United States alone, according to the census), and people are losing

their homes to climate change. The list of problems goes on, and it is clear that funds will be necessary in their solutions. With issues like these that at once seem so prevalent and tangible it can be hard to understand why spending on space is necessary. But the advantages of space exploration cannot be overlooked. Insulin pumps, LASIK, and CAT scans are among many medical advancements that have roots in space exploration. Smaller impact things, like running shoes and wireless headphones came from minds at NASA. There are numerous links between regular people’s day to day lives and space science.

Space is also a source of hope in discouraging times, and understanding it is a key aspect to maintaining that hope. However, some funds must be used to address one of the most pressing issues on our planet today. For context, President-elect Joe Biden plans to refocus NASA’s efforts to climate research, and while a necessary step in the right direction, he must also put more funds into some of the necessary short term solutions and address the climate change problems many Americans are already facing. While he has not released official plans, he likely will give more funding to the Earth Sciences division. The pursuit of space

should not be entirely abandoned by any means, but at the moment, when the planet seems to be hurtling towards its own extinction, more of these funds must be funneled to fight climate change. There will be time to explore space in the future, but the time to save this planet is racing by quickly. In 2017 there were an estimated 22.5-24 million climate refugees, and the World Bank expects there will be more than 143 million of them by 2050. Climate change brings its own host of new problems and increases the severity of those already present. It affects access to food and clean water. Rising temperatures become a challenge for those living in

ILLUSTRATION: Lucy Benson While spending money and time on space is important, if climate change is not addressed the consequences will be inescapable. hot areas, and rising sea levels put entire countries at risk. While the draws of space travel are many, there must be higher priority placed on issues here on earth. It is not right to say outer space is of greater value than human life. NASA will still

be able to operate on a reduced budget and those funds could go much further if they were put towards climate research and action. If more funds aren’t diverted to the climate crisis, there will be no one left to explore space.

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GOOD QUESTION THE RUBICON - DECEMBER 2020

EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE. The question of other life forms in the universe is one that has been debated for centuries.

ILLUSTRATION: Evelyn Lillemoe

Are we alone in the universe?

COLIN WILL

THE RUBICON

Before the early 20th century, the question of whether humanity is alone in the universe was a matter of philosophical inquiry, not hard science. Many figured that there might be life as close as Mars, and that in the grand expanse of the galaxy there could be untold numbers of alien civilizations just waiting to be contacted. Once radio waves were discovered, radio innovators raced to detect signals from other planets — yet after more than a century of searching, we have found nothing. How could this be? THE FERMI PARADOX This quandary, known as the Fermi Paradox, was most famously expressed by physicist Enrico Fermi as “Where is everybody?” In other words, according to Fermi’s calculations, the number of extraterrestrial civilizations in the galaxy would be so

great that Earth should have encountered, or at least detected, many of them already. There are four popular explanations for the Fermi Paradox, each relying on the fact that the likelihood of an alien civilization arising on any given planet is entirely unknown. The first explanation is that intelligent life is much rarer than Fermi initially thought. For billions of years, life on Earth was made up of entirely single-celled prokaryotic organisms, dissimilar to the more advanced eukaryotic organisms that make up all intelligent life today. Evidence suggests that only one prokaryotic life form evolved to become eukaryotic in the 4.5 billion years that life has existed on Earth, leading some to speculate that life on other planets, if it exists, hasn’t yet made that jump. “There may be some microbial life outside of Earth, but an extra-

terrestrial civilization is perhaps too complex to develop outside of Earth,” 9th-grader David Hsu said. “I would be more hopeful for finding bacteria on moons.” When it comes to finding extraterrestrial intelligence, however, senior Space Science student Evan Reynolds is not hopeful. “We still need to make a lot of advances in our technology,” Reynolds said. “I think that the best chance we have is for them to come into contact with us.” ADVANCING TECHNOLOGY Another possibility is that humans will find extraterrestrial life, it just hasn’t happened yet. Humanity has been looking for signs of it for over a century, but for only a fraction of that time have we had the technology we have today. It’s very possible that we will find life on other planets in the near future.

“I think we may well find evidence of extraterrestrial life, maybe in the next 10 years or twenty years, within our solar system,” upper school Space Science teacher Steve Heilig said.

“

WE’VE BARELY EXPLORED OUR OWN SOLAR SYSTEM. Claire Kim

”

9th-grader Claire Kim points out how limited our knowledge of outer space is. “We’ve barely explored our own solar system and we just haven’t had enough time to develop what we have in order to explore more,” Kim said. New technologies, like scanning atmospheres for signs of life using spectroscopy, are making space exploration and the search for life faster and more thor-

ough than ever. It’s easy to say that we haven’t found any signs of life outside of Earth, but all the information we have about what “life” is comes from a single planet. “There might be something that could be defined as life if we were to [...] consider things that aren’t carbon-based, for example, or don’t rely on water,” upper school biology teacher Rachel Yost-Dubrow said. NASA is searching for habitable planets out in the galaxy, but in their definition a “habitable planet” must have liquid water, something that extraterrestrial microbes might not need to survive. ARE ALIENS A THING OF THE PAST? Finally, and most ominously, the reason aliens haven’t been found may be because they aren’t around any more. According to one University of Nottingham study that

SPA THINKS: WHAT WOULD YOU ASK AN ALIEN?

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IF I MET AN ALIEN... I WOULDN’T ASK THEM ANYTHING, I’D RUN AWAY FROM THEM. David Hsu

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IF I MET AN ALIEN... I’D ASK THEM IF I COULD TAKE A SELFIE WITH THEM. Katherine Bragg

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IF I MET AN ALIEN... I’D ASK WHAT THEIR NAME IS AND WHAT LANGUAGE THEY SPEAK. Aaron Lindeman

estimated the number of extraterrestrial civilizations in the galaxy at 36, if said civilizations were distributed evenly throughout the galaxy, the nearest one would have to broadcast radio waves for over 3,000 years if we were to make contact. So far, humanity has only been broadcasting radio waves for about a century, and nuclear weapons, climate change, and other human-caused phenomena already threaten to eradicate the species. “There might have been or there might be in the future life, but the odds that we overlap with them are vanishingly small,” Yost-Dubrow said. Heilig is more optimistic about prospects of life on Earth. “We have come to crisis points before, and managed to figure out how to get past them. I firmly believe that even if there were some global crisis that collapsed civilization...eventually, we’ll find our way out of that.”

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