Cycle of the sensational

When I was growing up, I never heard of what is going to be happening tomorrow.  The phenomenon had not been discovered yet.  As a young adult, I heard of the discovery because NASA had begun watching the sun.  Just 5 years ago, I had heard of this recently discovered happening and seen a few catastrophic scenarios of the sun's hyperactivity during one of its anniversaries in an 11-year activity cycle, but it was not within my daily experience. 

But today, the phenomenon was reported with the weather as if it was a common occurrence.  The weather anchor reported a coming rain storm that would have 100% coverage of the area.  He reported on the drought.  And, yes, as if he was reporting the same routine information, he reported that the sun was at its peak in activity and had released a flare that would reach earth tomorrow.  Three pictures showed the flare, but there was no fanfare.  The anchor merely reported that people could expect interrupted cell phone service periodically, broken internet service from time to time throughout the day, but not particularly strong radioactivity.  Only in some parts of the world would people get radiated to the extent of taking an x-ray....  Next item.

Wow.  What a step forward in weather reporting.  Sun activity and its effects on Earth as a part of the daily routine.  I wouldn't want to live in any previous age.

I think there's a lesson here.  As civilization progresses, it gets smarter.  And, the sensational becomes the mundane as time progresses, making way for something else to be sensational.  That's the normal pattern.  It works just like short and long term memory.  Our educational system needs to also learn this lesson.  They seem to hang on to what was sensational behind us in time and perpetuate it as sensational.  But, the landscape is ever-changing, allowing the stupendous discoveries and events to be important for a time, then cycle through to the ordinary.

In August of 2012, a very sophisticated Mars laboratory will land on that planet.  I look forward to hearing the weather of Mars on newscasts not too long after that.  Sensational today, ordinary tomorrow.  That's the natural way.  I wish those who teach would follow the natural way, not keep youth looking backward.