Are you an Astronaut or an Astronomer?
My brother recently asked on his blog: “Are you an Astronaut or an Astronomer?” The question was inspired by a scene in Jurassic Park III:
Dr. Grant: I have a theory that there are two kinds of boys. There are those that want to be astronomers, and those that want to be astronauts. The astronomer, or the paleontologist, gets to study these amazing things from a place of complete safety.
Erik: But then you never get to go into space.
Dr. Grant: Exactly. That’s the difference between imagining and seeing: to be able to touch them. And that’s… that’s all that Billy wanted.
What differentiates an astronaut from an astronomer? Is it action? Does the same apply for an entrepreneur versus an inventor? How can an astronomer find fulfillment although never getting to go to space? When the longing is never fulfilled – indeed can never be fulfilled?
How does an astronomer perceive itself? In a fan fiction story by Missfortune, I found the following statement by Dr. Grant:
“It’s not the knowledge, it’s the thrill. The excitement of discovery. The wonder of theorizing, thinking up what could have been. It’s about the joy of passing on the knowledge to people like you Billy. You are the reason.”