As the universe begins its fade to black, we should marvel on the miracle of life

We have just learned that our universe is slowly dying. Scientists have recently announced that within a few trillion years, give or take a billion or two, our universe will run out of energy and stop making stars. All that will remain is a cosmic void - an abyss of darkness.

A sobering thought indeed, given the other weighty issues our world is grappling with, such as climate change and terrorism in the Middle East, not to mention Hong Kong's struggle for democracy or the fall in the renminbi.

Astronomer Carl Sagan once referred to our planet as the "pale blue dot", a mere footnote in a vast encyclopedia. But it is at times like these, when we learn more about our universe, that our earthly challenges and problems are brought into perspective.

Years ago, in an open forum for questions in a British weekly newspaper, one reader asked simply: "What is the greatest irony?" A week later, another reader replied: "The greatest irony is that we live each day of our life as if we are never going to die."

We can now add that not only will we all die, but so will our solar system and universe. And not in a trillion years for the former, but much sooner. Scientists inform us that in a mere few billion years, the sun will expand and consume our earth.

Heady stuff indeed. But the knowledge of our transience brings pause for thought. The truth is, we allow ourselves to get wrapped up in the issues of the day and worry about our collection of material goods, along with our mostly futile attempts to keep up with the Joneses.