A Tremendous Mess of Waves

by Rob Rey

“It’s kind of incredible, because when I’m looking at you, someone standing at my left can see someone who is standing at my right. . . . completely undisturbed . . . So that there is this tremendous mess of waves [photons] . . . all through the same space, all these things are going on at the same time . . . there’s not only information of my vision of you, but information from Moscow radio, being broadcast at the present moment and the singing of someone from Peru. All the radio waves are just the same kind of waves only longer waves. And there’s the radar from an airplane which is looking at the ground to figure out where it is, which is coming through this room at the same time. Plus the x-rays, cosmic rays, and all the other things which are the same kind of waves, but shorter, faster [higher frequency], or longer, slower [lower frequency]. It’s exactly the same thing. So this big field, this area of irregular motions of this electric field, this vibration, contains this tremendous amount of information. And it’s all really there. . . . you’ve got to stop and think about it to really get the pleasure of the complexity, the inconceivable nature of nature.”
– Richard Feynman (https://youtu.be/eqtuNXWT0mo?t=37m40s)

Oil on Board
6 x 8 inches

$350 $350

Out of stock

More by Rob Rey

View another available product >

Rob Rey

Art to help make science a more meaningful part of our lives.

Cosmic Perspective is using the insights of modern science to see the big picture of the world and our place in it with a sense of belonging and connection. It’s understanding our scale within the universe - being humbled by a grand and awe-inspiring expanse of space and deep time. But it’s also seeing the very small with a sense of wonder for the staggering complexity of biology, chemistry, and quantum mechanics. Making an effort to comprehend the cosmos has a way of putting our lives, troubles, and pride in a helpful frame of reference, allowing us to refocus on what matters most. When we see the Earth as a lonely blue speck of oasis, it naturally sparks feelings of fellowship with all other earthlings. Through this panoramic lens, our terrestrial disputes and nationalist contentions are reduced to insignificance. Empathy and compassion become obvious ways to relate to one another.

In a time when our traditional sources of meaning are growing less resonant, Cosmic Perspective provides a new and inspiring scientific origin story of humanity, united by our shared atomic history as stardust. It provides a sense of kinship with all life on earth in our shared genetic evolution over four billion years of development. It provides a sense of belonging and responsibility as a crew member on this spaceship Earth, of which humanity now sits at the helm. It provides hope in our capacity to reason and understand the cosmos of which we are part, giving us new powers to cure disease and improve our lives. It provides us with purpose and necessitates cooperation to preserve and cherish our tiny planet, the only habitable place we know to exist.

More ways to support Rob's work:

More Originals:
https://www.robreyfineart.com/collections/114297

Print Shop:
https://robrey.storenvy.com