Cosmic Stones
cos-mic
Pronunciation: 'käz-mik
Variant(s): also cos·mi·cal
Function: adjective
Etymology: Greek kosmikos, from kosmos order, universe
- : of or relating to the cosmos , the extraterrestrial vastness, or the universe in contrast to the earth alone
- : characterized by greatness especially in extent, intensity, or comprehensiveness
stone
Pronunciation: 'stOn
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English stAn; akin to Old High German stein stone, Old Church Slavonic stena wall, and perhaps to Sanskrit styAyate it hardens
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Concreted earthy or mineral matter; rock.
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Such concreted matter of a particular type. Often used in combination: sandstone; soapstone.
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A small piece of rock.
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Rock or a piece of rock shaped or finished for a particular purpose, especially:
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A piece of rock that is used in construction: a coping stone; a paving stone.
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A gravestone or tombstone.
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A grindstone, millstone, or whetstone.
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A milestone or boundary.
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A gem or precious stone.
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A Cosmic Stone - a stone from the Earth sent into the cosmos.
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Cosmic Stones are stones from Earth that have been selected and transformed into art objects designed for the space environment.
The Cosmic Stones space art intervention has been initiated to address the issue of human destiny at a most critical moment in its history. In short, it simply inserts the question: "Will humanity's future be a 'Space Age' or a 'Stone Age'?" into the current discourse about sustainability and survival. It is my conviction that the act of launching Cosmic Stones into space will help to open the space frontier to all forms of human activity because, if I am successful, this project will be an example of how it is possible for an individual to actively participate in humanity's space endeavors. As such, this project may help to enable a new and viable Space Age with unlimited potential for our species and for all other forms of life sharing our planet. By choosing a "Space Age" our species can avoid irrevocably retreating into a "Stone Age" which would surely mean the end of current civilization for the foreseeable future.
Our species has reached a pivotal point in its evolutionary history and it appears that the moment has now arrived for it to make a critical choice about its future - both on Earth and, consequently, in the cosmos. This decision could be called our "Cosmic Choice" - a choice which conceivably must be made by all potential spacefaring civilizations at the appropriate moment in their particular history. Maybe it is a test? If we pass the test, we may survive and prosper. If we fail the test, then we may perish.
In the words of Robert Heinlein:
"It may take endless wars and unbearable population pressure to force-feed a technology to the point where it can cope with space. In the universe, space travel may be the normal birth pangs of an otherwise dying race.
A test. Some races pass, some fail."
(Robert Heinlein, I Will Fear No Evil, 1970)
The Cosmic Stones space art intervention embodies this challenge in a physical and conceptual art work that literally and artistically combines the microcosmos with the macrocosmos, one that utilizes the terrestrial and extra-terrestrial forces of nature in its both concept and realization and one that connects our species' history on Earth with its future destiny in space. The project is designed to proceed in various stages of development including realizations in micro-gravity environments, on space habitats and, ultimately, on the surfaces of other celestial bodies. Many share the belief that expansion into space is critical to the future well-being and survival of our species.
