The Voyager is a weekly newsletter where I, Karn Nahata, share with you the discoveries I made on my voyage through the Internet. Sit back, grab something to eat, and enjoy the ride :)
Recipe for Escape
To travel is to escape. Escape from the constant pull of the world to “do”. To create, work, produce. It is to get lost. In a good way.
“Half the fun of the travel is the esthetic of lostness.”
-Ray Bradbury
I started traveling back in 2015, during the first year of my college. Since then, I have lived in three cities, traveled to many more. It becomes addictive, the constant change. Settling down feels scary. Paralyzing.
In 2018, I was living in Ahmedabad for work. An introvert in a new city. Life was juggling between office and studies. It was exam year for me, so finding time for exploration was tough. Books and movies had become my only companions. It is then when I came across Jack Kerouac, poster boy of the Beat and Counterculture generations. I picked up his book - On the Road - which is a 1957 novel based on his own travels across the United States. The book filled me with a sense of adventure. Kerouac became an idol for me. I wanted to be like him. I still do.
In the routine of life, I bookmark my years through the places I travel and the adventures I make. But in the last year, with the pandemic and the lockdown, I became stationary. Not many bookmarks. But hopefully, this phase will soon come to an end. Apart from not having to deal with the constant macabre state of affairs, hitting the road and rolling is something I am eagerly waiting for. Frankly, it is what is helping me keep sane. But, although the end is certain, the when is not. Till then, we have the internet :)
Scrolling through travel forums and subreddits, deep into the trenches of the world wide web, I stumbled upon the concept of virtual vacations. And, it is magical. Just by clicking a link, the biscuit-sized computer in your hand can now become a doorway for teleportation.
I spent hours driving through different parts of the world, listening to local radio through this amazing virtual vacation site here. Havana and St. Petersburg were my favorites! But, if you are someone who prefers long walks over drives, I recommend you check this site here. Virtually strolling through the streets of Reykjavik and Paris was funnily, quite therapeutic for me.
Parallel Worlds
Okay. Let’s crank it up a notch.
The universe is big. 440000000000000000000000 km big. And that is just the observable universe. The universe from which the electromagnetic radiation of some matter has had the time to reach our solar system and be captured by our telescopes. Beyond the observable, is something we cannot even comprehend. The Earth is just a speck on a very large canvas. An atom in an ocean.
At this scale, anything is possible. Or let’s say, probable. To believe Earth is the only planet that could support life would be mathematically unintuitive. The ingredients of life are too common across the universe for us to hold that opinion.
So, how many earths could exist out there?
A decade ago, a bunch of scientists set out to answer that question. They launched the Keplar Spacecraft in a quest to find these Earth-like planets. Or Exoplanets, as they called it. On 23rd July 2015, they found something. The first near-Earth-sized planet in the habitable zone around a sun very similar to ours. The Keplar 186f.
Only 11% larger than earth. 130-day years. Not too far and not too close to its sun. In the Goldilocks zone, having the right temperatures to support liquid water. But, we are still unsure of one key element. Its atmosphere. The hope is for the future, more powerful space crafts to answer that question.
Even if it does turn out to be habitable, it is still too far. 500 light-years far. We don’t have the technology to travel distances of that magnitude. Yet.
But we can still experience what it might be like on that 186f. Thanks to NASA, we can now step into a simulated world, created to mirror our rendition of what life might look like there. Experience the out-of-this-world feeling here. It will turn your phone into a virtual reality set. Move it around to see the landscape. Look up and marvel at the stars. Explore :)
Flying To McDonald’s
This video is exactly what the title suggests. And it is mind-boggling.
A man is craving some burger. He steps out. Finds some space. Sets up his “Paramotor” or machine-wings, as I would describe it. Flies off. Lands in a nearby McDonald’s. Buys a McDouble. Takes off again. Enjoys his burger in the sky. Finally, lands back home. Just like any other day.
After watching this clip, I could not help but research the Paramotor. And I am in deep. This man gave me new goals to chase. Learning how to fly like that is definitely on my bucket list now.
Until next Sunday.
Hey there. Thanks for reading. Would love to know how these pieces made you feel. Also, any discoveries you made on the Internet that meant something to you. Drop an email and let me know :)
Amazed at how beautifully this post captures the essence of travel and exploration. Loved it! :)
Oh boy, I walked on the NY streets today :D
Just reminded me of our trip to Cardiff