One life

Hi
I am going for a nice and cheery subject today. Death! Now please feel free to not to bother to read this, as I am sure the last thing you want is to be depressed by a guy who just likes to ask awkward questions. Hey it's compulsory for Astronomers/scientists to ask awkward questions, in fact it should be compulsory for everyone to ask awkward questions. Life would be much more interesting!
So back to the topic of the day. Death is a idea that as plagued mankind for eternity, raising such irritating questions as What happens when we die? Or even more irritatingly is there a Heaven? Of course philosophers have grappled with such conundrums for quite a while, so I doubt I will help proceedings. But anyway let's have a go.
Of course as a scientist and a person who regards himself as fiercely logical. Nothing happens when we die. Your organs stop and your mind shuts down like the windows (or mac if you prefer) computer and, your finished. Well not quite your kind of recycled by the universe and your atoms are reused, but overall the Human is finished. And the next question Is there a Heaven/life after death? Well again this one is continuously debated by theologians the world over, so my humble opinion pales into insignificance. But I personally believe that there is no life after death. I simply can't see why there would be some special reward or punishment for one insignificant species, on a insignificant plant in the depths of a typical Galaxy. Of course I might be completely wrong! And of course you are perfectly entitled to disagree with me, in addition to this don't assume I am against any religion. I have the up most respect for all religions and people in them.
Briefly I will side track to a little story about this subject. Somebody asked me “If you don't believe in life after death aren't you scared” To which I answer no. I only have a brief blip on this planet and subsequently believe that I should enjoy every second. And try to be constructive with my blip of seventy or so years. And if there is or isn't something there what's the point in worrying about it, as either way you only depress yourself.
Oddly I have just thought of something while listening to the John Lennon song Imagine. If there was proof that there was no beyond (Heaven/Hell), this could be quite good for mankind. Bear with me. If we realised that we had only one life and, that was it. Human behaviour would almost certainly change, there would probably be no more wars or senseless violence. As I hope mankind would consider it unacceptable to end another persons brief stay in this amazingly remarkable world. And as well as this people might finally be able to put aside their petty differences, entering into equality and peace. As life quite literately is too short!
Wow I have amazed myself by managing to end a miserable subject on something reasonably nice.
Thanks for reading and, more Astronomy based blogs will be coming soon.

Kyle