There is a not a single source around where I can learn of a cornucopia of topics such as cosmos, religious theory, political discourse, environmental updates...and the folly of a Cover Zero blitz.
As always Mr. Easterbrook provides a great thought provoking article.
Merry Christmas and a Happy (and prosperous) New Year!
Great article!! Your cosmological musings are always great reads. No comments on potential muzzle flashes of civilizations extinguishing themselves though... which admittedly wouldn't fit well with the festive nature of the season. Can we survive long enough to get off this rock and populate other worlds and continue our discoveries? I certainly hope so.
Science is always trying to find the beginning of things, the origin of things, the first of things. How about this: The Universe is eternal, has always existed, and will always exist. Learning about it is wonderful, but perhaps we are spending too much time trying to get complicated answers when the answer is pretty simple. It just is.
“ In the last century more has been discovered… than in all prior centuries combined.”
“This world of ours has made more material progress in the last century than in all the millenniums which went before.”
Alcoholics Anonymous, p51, published 1939.
(In the chapter “We Agnostics” where the author is showing why he believes in a higher power.)
I expect someone will be expressing the same sentiment in 2123.
Regarding dark energy and the accelerating expansion of the universe, possibly to the “Big Rip”, “ The End of Everything: (Astrophysically Speaking) “ by Katie Mack is a fun read.
Your readers knew that the release of the Webb Telescope photos would provoke another meditation on the vastness and grandness of the cosmic experiment. We are ready for the sequel volume to a Moment on the Earth. Great piece!
Outstanding compendium of cosmology; I sit here awaiting the completion of an oil change and consider that the age of creation is but a trifle compared with its expected shelf life. And yet, my recent study of The Revelation of John leads to a conclusion that this world will be replaced with a new creation even better than the one described in this impressive article. The best is truly still to come. “the thrill of hope / a weary world rejoices”
An interesting side note to Einstein and cosmology. Two years after Einstein published his theory of General Relativity he revised them and added the "cosmological constant". At this time, it was believed the universe was static and without the constant his theory predicted a dynamic universe. So, he added this "fudge factor" to the equations. He called this his "biggest blunder". Depending on the value of this constant the equations predict an expanding or shrinking universe. I think this is just amazing. Einstein has to "fudge" his equations because the accepted view of the universe doesn't fit his model. Then he is later shown that it isn't a "fudge" at all, but a fundamental property of the universe.
I think the search for understanding of dark matter and dark energy are somewhat similar to this. We don't know what they are, they don't fit our current view/model of the universe, we are probably wrong about the true nature of these things, but the search for understanding will most likely totally blow away some preconceived ideas about the universe.
From the Wiki on this:
Sequence of events 1915–1998
In 1915, Einstein publishes his equations of general relativity, without a cosmological constant Λ.
In 1917, Einstein adds the parameter Λ to his equations when he realizes that his theory implies a dynamic universe for which space is a function of time. He then gives this constant a value that makes his Universe model remain static and eternal (Einstein static universe).
In 1922, the Russian physicist Alexander Friedmann mathematically shows that Einstein's equations (whatever Λ) remain valid in a dynamic universe.
In 1927, the Belgian astrophysicist Georges Lemaître shows that the Universe is expanding by combining general relativity with astronomical observations, those of Hubble in particular.
In 1931, Einstein accepts the theory of an expanding universe and proposes, in 1932 with the Dutch physicist and astronomer Willem de Sitter, a model of a continuously expanding Universe with zero cosmological constant (Einstein–de Sitter spacetime).
In 1998, two teams of astrophysicists, one led by Saul Perlmutter, the other led by Brian Schmidt and Adam Riess, carried out measurements on distant supernovae which showed that the speed of galaxies' recession in relation to the Milky Way increases over time. The universe is in accelerated expansion, which requires having a strictly positive Λ. The universe would contain a mysterious dark energy producing a repulsive force that counterbalances the gravitational braking produced by the matter contained in the universe (see Standard cosmological model).
For this work, Perlmutter, Schmidt, and Riess jointly received the Nobel Prize in physics in 2011.
There is a not a single source around where I can learn of a cornucopia of topics such as cosmos, religious theory, political discourse, environmental updates...and the folly of a Cover Zero blitz.
As always Mr. Easterbrook provides a great thought provoking article.
Merry Christmas and a Happy (and prosperous) New Year!
thank you for such kind words
Ive been reading your columns for the better part if 25 years - this is about the best. Keep it up snd haply holidays.
thank you for the kind words
Great article!! Your cosmological musings are always great reads. No comments on potential muzzle flashes of civilizations extinguishing themselves though... which admittedly wouldn't fit well with the festive nature of the season. Can we survive long enough to get off this rock and populate other worlds and continue our discoveries? I certainly hope so.
Science is always trying to find the beginning of things, the origin of things, the first of things. How about this: The Universe is eternal, has always existed, and will always exist. Learning about it is wonderful, but perhaps we are spending too much time trying to get complicated answers when the answer is pretty simple. It just is.
yes it may eventually be understood that it is not physically possible for the universe not to exist
“ In the last century more has been discovered… than in all prior centuries combined.”
“This world of ours has made more material progress in the last century than in all the millenniums which went before.”
Alcoholics Anonymous, p51, published 1939.
(In the chapter “We Agnostics” where the author is showing why he believes in a higher power.)
I expect someone will be expressing the same sentiment in 2123.
Regarding dark energy and the accelerating expansion of the universe, possibly to the “Big Rip”, “ The End of Everything: (Astrophysically Speaking) “ by Katie Mack is a fun read.
Likely of interest: https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4847/1
Mind, blown. Great article Gregg. Come for TMQ, stay for the trillion year cosmology seminar. Happy Holidays to you and your family and readers!
Excellent read.
Opens up quite the debate, ala the Scopes Monkey Trial of 1925 ( Look it up, Thurman..) .
Your readers knew that the release of the Webb Telescope photos would provoke another meditation on the vastness and grandness of the cosmic experiment. We are ready for the sequel volume to a Moment on the Earth. Great piece!
Outstanding compendium of cosmology; I sit here awaiting the completion of an oil change and consider that the age of creation is but a trifle compared with its expected shelf life. And yet, my recent study of The Revelation of John leads to a conclusion that this world will be replaced with a new creation even better than the one described in this impressive article. The best is truly still to come. “the thrill of hope / a weary world rejoices”
The anthropology section brings to mine the old Steely Dan/Donald Fagan lyrics from "Caves of Altamira":
Before the fall,
When they wrote on the wall,
When there wasn't even any Hollywood.
They heard the call, and they wrote it on the wall,
So you and I [would] be understood.
...brings to mind...
An interesting side note to Einstein and cosmology. Two years after Einstein published his theory of General Relativity he revised them and added the "cosmological constant". At this time, it was believed the universe was static and without the constant his theory predicted a dynamic universe. So, he added this "fudge factor" to the equations. He called this his "biggest blunder". Depending on the value of this constant the equations predict an expanding or shrinking universe. I think this is just amazing. Einstein has to "fudge" his equations because the accepted view of the universe doesn't fit his model. Then he is later shown that it isn't a "fudge" at all, but a fundamental property of the universe.
I think the search for understanding of dark matter and dark energy are somewhat similar to this. We don't know what they are, they don't fit our current view/model of the universe, we are probably wrong about the true nature of these things, but the search for understanding will most likely totally blow away some preconceived ideas about the universe.
From the Wiki on this:
Sequence of events 1915–1998
In 1915, Einstein publishes his equations of general relativity, without a cosmological constant Λ.
In 1917, Einstein adds the parameter Λ to his equations when he realizes that his theory implies a dynamic universe for which space is a function of time. He then gives this constant a value that makes his Universe model remain static and eternal (Einstein static universe).
In 1922, the Russian physicist Alexander Friedmann mathematically shows that Einstein's equations (whatever Λ) remain valid in a dynamic universe.
In 1927, the Belgian astrophysicist Georges Lemaître shows that the Universe is expanding by combining general relativity with astronomical observations, those of Hubble in particular.
In 1931, Einstein accepts the theory of an expanding universe and proposes, in 1932 with the Dutch physicist and astronomer Willem de Sitter, a model of a continuously expanding Universe with zero cosmological constant (Einstein–de Sitter spacetime).
In 1998, two teams of astrophysicists, one led by Saul Perlmutter, the other led by Brian Schmidt and Adam Riess, carried out measurements on distant supernovae which showed that the speed of galaxies' recession in relation to the Milky Way increases over time. The universe is in accelerated expansion, which requires having a strictly positive Λ. The universe would contain a mysterious dark energy producing a repulsive force that counterbalances the gravitational braking produced by the matter contained in the universe (see Standard cosmological model).
For this work, Perlmutter, Schmidt, and Riess jointly received the Nobel Prize in physics in 2011.
Books you should read (or at least know about):
The Devil's Delusion by the amazing David Berlinski (finally, a funny mathematician)
America-lite by David Gelernter (super computer wonk, but full of heart)
The Return of the God Hypothesis by Stephen Meyer (or anything by him)
These works may not change your religion, but will definitely make you think.