The Briefing Room
General Category => Science, Technology and Knowledge => Topic started by: Dexter on August 26, 2014, 10:23:57 pm
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http://i.imgur.com/Ae9hbU1.jpg
You could line up all of the other planets in our solar system directly next to each other and they would fit in the space between Earth and the moon.
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The reaches of the universe are far more interesting to me than the size of planets, which are mere specs of matter in the vast distances of a limitless universe.
Limitless?
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The reaches of the universe are far more interesting to me than the size of planets, which are mere specs of matter in the vast distances of a limitless universe.
Limitless?
I think this really puts into perspective just how small the planets are, which gives you a better appreciation of just how large the distance between planets and stars really is. The vastness of the universe is absolutely mind-blowing.
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Yep. Which always brings me to thinking about the nature of reality and the existence of a creator.
A single light year seems an astonishing distance. Multiply that by 13.7 billion to get a sense of the neighborhood. Wow.
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Yep. Which always brings me to thinking about the nature of reality and the existence of a creator.
A single light year seems an astonishing distance. Multiply that by 13.7 billion to get a sense of the neighborhood. Wow.
I think the idea of all of everything spontaneously exploding from absolutely nothing is one of the best arguments for the existence of God that exists.
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I think the idea of all of everything spontaneously exploding from absolutely nothing is one of the best arguments for the existence of God that exists.
Absolutely. I've long thought that. It sure sounds like the Big Bang is just scientific interpretation of creation; but, it's also just a lot of how's without any why's.
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Our entire world is just like a speck of sand on the beach in the scheme of the universe.
When I studied microbiology, I was struck by seeing a universe on a microscopic scale. Each cell is a world into itself.
It blows my mind.
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The reaches of the universe are far more interesting to me than the size of planets, which are mere specs of matter in the vast distances of a limitless universe.
Limitless?
Like everything concerning space, it depends on what you consider to be a 'limit'. There may be some dimensional limit to our version of space. That is, if you go out far enough, which may be billions of light years, there may be a theoretical dimensional boundry which you would cross.
You would not stop, or sort of run out of universe, but you would be in a different space time than where you just were. So, the question is, "does that represent a 'limit' to our universe"?
But nevermind, I am just home from work, having a beer, watching Oreilly and drifting off the deep end. lol
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I've always wondered if you started off to cross the universe, and went far enough - if you wouldn't end up right back where you started.
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I've always wondered if you started off to cross the universe, and went far enough - if you wouldn't end up right back where you started.
I almost wrote that. I really did. In my vision, you would be in same place that you started but everything would be different. (cue the Twilight Zone) lol
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I almost wrote that. I really did. In my vision, you would be in same place that you started but everything would be different. (cue the Twilight Zone) lol
I've also had a vision that my whole existence is a dream some larger entity is having (or is it a nightmare?).
:th_10444:
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I've also had a vision that my whole existence is a dream some larger entity is having (or is it a nightmare?).
:th_10444:
Take it easy Alice. Maybe you should go to bed a little early tonight. (or maybe not) lol
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Take it easy Alice. Maybe you should go to bed a little early tonight. (or maybe not) lol
:silly: :silly: :silly:
One pill makes you larger
And one pill makes you small
And the ones that mother gives you
Don't do anything at all
Go ask Alice
When she's ten feet tall...
Maybe I need to lie down...
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http://i.imgur.com/Ae9hbU1.jpg
You could line up all of the other planets in our solar system directly next to each other and they would fit in the space between Earth and the moon.
With how much room to spare? The photo seems to show a pretty close fit, which would be rather an amazing coincidence.
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With how much room to spare? The photo seems to show a pretty close fit, which would be rather an amazing coincidence.
Less than 5000 miles to spare out of an average 238,555 miles.
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I've always wondered if you started off to cross the universe, and went far enough - if you wouldn't end up right back where you started.
Which could mean that the actual universe is smaller than the observable universe.
Well... think about it... (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0w9R_foNLrg)
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Which could mean that the actual universe is smaller than the observable universe.
Well... think about it... (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0w9R_foNLrg)
It's possible and fun to consider, but I will remain skeptical until a time when we have more evidence that it might be true. What do you think of the multiverse theory?
http://www.space.com/18811-multiple-universes-5-theories.html
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Absolutely. I've long thought that. It sure sounds like the Big Bang is just scientific interpretation of creation; but, it's also just a lot of how's without any why's.
Atheists love to forget that part.
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It's possible and fun to consider, but I will remain skeptical until a time when we have more evidence that it might be true. What do you think of the multiverse theory?
You don't seem to understand. There will never be 'more evidence' for any origins theory of the universe. It is impossible to observe and is therefore entirely philosophical.
You can't even prove that the earth orbits the sun even though most people believe that it does.
“People need to be aware that there is a range of models that could explain the observations,” Ellis argues. “For instance, I can construct you a spherically symmetrical universe with Earth at its center, and you cannot disprove it based on observations.” Ellis has published a paper on this. “You can only exclude it on philosophical grounds. In my view there is absolutely nothing wrong in that. What I want to bring into the open is the fact that we are using philosophical criteria in choosing our models. A lot of cosmology tries to hide that.”
Ellis, George, in Scientific American, “Thinking Globally, Acting Universally”, October 1995
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You don't seem to understand. There will never be 'more evidence' for any origins theory of the universe. It is impossible to observe and is therefore entirely philosophical.
We could indeed uncover more evidence that the universe is a 4 dimensional sphere if that is true. He even talks about how we could do it in the video you posted. If the idea presented in that video is true we will surely have more evidence of it at some point in the future. We may not be able to pinpoint exactly how or why all of this came to be, but there is a lot we can understand through observations. Our understanding of the universe around us increases constantly through scientific observation.
You can't even prove that the earth orbits the sun even though most people believe that it does.
Yes, we can. Do you believe the Earth doesn't revolve around the Sun?
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You don't seem to understand. There will never be 'more evidence' for any origins theory of the universe. It is impossible to observe and is therefore entirely philosophical.
You can't even prove that the earth orbits the sun even though most people believe that it does.
“People need to be aware that there is a range of models that could explain the observations,” Ellis argues. “For instance, I can construct you a spherically symmetrical universe with Earth at its center, and you cannot disprove it based on observations.” Ellis has published a paper on this. “You can only exclude it on philosophical grounds. In my view there is absolutely nothing wrong in that. What I want to bring into the open is the fact that we are using philosophical criteria in choosing our models. A lot of cosmology tries to hide that.”
Ellis, George, in Scientific American, “Thinking Globally, Acting Universally”, October 1995
I certainly agree with that.
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http://i.imgur.com/Ae9hbU1.jpg
You could line up all of the other planets in our solar system directly next to each other and they would fit in the space between Earth and the moon.
This has been a fun thread to follow
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We could indeed uncover more evidence that the universe is a 4 dimensional sphere if that is true. He even talks about how we could do it in the video you posted.
How are you going to prove that there are not more than 4 dimensions?
If the idea presented in that video is true we will surely have more evidence of it at some point in the future. We may not be able to pinpoint exactly how or why all of this came to be, but there is a lot we can understand through observations. Our understand of the universe around us increases constantly through scientific observation.
As the George Ellis quote showed, philosophy overwhelms observation in 'science'.
Yes, we can. Do you believe the Earth doesn't revolve around the Sun?
No, you can't. The fact that you don't understand this shows that you don't know what you're talking about.
Here's a little more about who George Ellis is... (http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/cross-check/2014/07/22/physicist-george-ellis-knocks-physicists-for-knocking-philosophy-free-will/)
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How are you going to prove that there are not more than 4 dimensions?
At this very point in time science cannot prove or disprove that, but as he lays out in the video, if the universe is a 4 dimensional sphere then we should be able to use calculations to observe patterns that show we can actually see ourselves if you look far enough into space. If this proves impossible to do then the universe is not actually smaller than the observable universe. You're drastically underestimating what we can understand through scientific observation. You don't completely understand the implications of what you're quoting, but it is also important to note that our understanding of the universe has increased exponentially since 1995.
No, you can't. The fact that you don't understand this shows that you don't know what you're talking about.
I am absolutely stunned that I am actually having a debate about the legitimacy of a unifying theory like gravity. We can observe that the Sun is in a fixed position in our solar system and that all other things are indeed revolving around it. Large things have more gravity than smaller things and at a massive scale they create orbit. Almost everything we understand about the universe is dependent on our understanding of how gravity works. Denying this is unbelievably ridiculous. We can and have proven that the Earth revolves around the Sun.
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I am absolutely stunned that I am actually having a debate about the legitimacy of a unifying theory like gravity. We can observe that the Sun is in a fixed position in our solar system and that all other things are indeed revolving around it. Large things have more gravity than smaller things and at a massive scale they create orbit. Denying this is absolutely ridiculous. We can and have proven that the Earth revolves around the Sun.
And I am absolutely stunned that you are insisting that you can scientifically do that which an accomplished physicist has said is purely philosophical.
Would you believe Einstein himself? Sir Fred Hoyle? Max Born?
Or is your ignorance so dear to you?
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And I am absolutely stunned that you are insisting that you can scientifically do that which an accomplished physicist has said is purely philosophical.
Please show me where he or anybody else that you named has said that we cannot prove the Earth revolves around the Sun.
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Please show me where he said that we cannot prove the Earth revolves around the Sun.
Oh... ya got me...
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Less than 5000 miles to spare out of an average 238,555 miles.
Pretty cool. I wonder if that's just coincidence or if there are some subtle aspects of orbital mechanics at work here.
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Pretty cool. I wonder if that's just coincidence or if there are some subtle aspects of orbital mechanics at work here.
If it is more than coincidence, I think one factor would have to do with the sun's mass and its consequent gravitational attraction on debris that was present as our planetary system became organized around it.
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All of this made me curious about what kind of distance a monster like Jupiter could hold a moon at.
Pasiphae
Mean Distance from Jupiter - 23,500,000 km (14,602,223 miles)
Wow...