There is something here that we do not understand. But do you hear the stars? They are telling you not to be afraid.

Behind the violence of the birthing of galaxies and stars and planets came a quiet and tender melody, a gentle love song. All the raging of creation, the continuing hydrogen explosions on the countless suns, the heaving of planetary bodies, all was enfolded in a patient, waiting love.

The idea of machines making machines is a recurring theme in both science fiction stories and serious academic studies. There are probably two reasons for this fascination: One is a practical view of scalability. Creating a machine that can create more machines leverages technology to it's maximum capacity:With no humans in the loop, production is limited only by availability of material, power, and time. The second reason for fascination with this topic may be rooted in a deeper psychological need - one that some might call hubris - our need to create. The natural distinguishes itself from the artificial in that natural creatures can make more creatures but machines cannot. At its core, self-reproduction is the ultimate hallmark of biology. If you can create a machine that can make other machines, you will have attained a new level of creation.

Life is the future, not the past. The past can teach us, through experience, how to accomplish things in the future, comfort us with cherished memories, and provide the foundation of what has already been accomplished. But only the future holds life. To live in the past is to embrace what is dead. To live life to its fullest, each day must be created anew.