re: I believe the best Man can do is become aware of a bit of the neighborhood.
Well actually I wanted to rail against the odd notion that man is somehow not of the universe. It's a strange conceit, kind of like the belief that some people have that man is not an animal.
If the universe is to do any thinking at all, then it will be done by men and those like men (including the other smart animals on earth with a awareness of self and with problem-solving abilities).