Arecibo: Bidding A Fond Farewell -- Via A Fine Longer Read, In Slate...

I'll simply link to it.

Okay, I lied -- I have to quote just this bit, as it is precisely what captured my imagination, back then, as well:

. . .But then, we have "Contact", which is to me the film that matches the heart of what Arecibo means to the world: a physical representation of our most human longings, our deepest desires. It’s in our nature to ask questions, to ask, especially, Are we alone in this world? To have even a chance at finding that answer holds so much power.

My entire life I’ve dreamed of going there, of standing on that ledge like Ellie, just contemplating the possibilities of what the dish could find. I wanted to be like her, to be that intelligent and brave. My own obsession with those big questions grew, and it eventually led me to writing about space and all the incredible things we learn by looking and listening to the universe. Ellie proudly and firmly states she is not studying pulsars or quasars or globular clusters -- no, she is looking for signs of life. And when she’s told that work is nonsense, she answers, “I don’t consider what could potentially be the biggest discovery of the human race; the most impactful moment. . . in the history. . . of history. . . to be nonsense. . . .”

Me either, Dr. Arroway -- me either. So we will continue on, now at the VLA and at the Allen array, and in about two years, via the James Webb Space Telescope (during slack cycles). . . we will just keep. . . looking, and listening -- and hoping that a [signal] will rise. To the beat of a four count rythm -- perhaps even at a frequency of. . . hydrogen, times Pi. . . .

Travel well; but travel light. . . my good and long-suffering friend.

नमस्ते