Space and The wonders/mysteries of The Universe
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Nagual
chris63
Forest Shepherd
Eldorion
azriel
David H
Bluebottle
TranshumanAngel
bungobaggins
Mrs Figg
Pettytyrant101
halfwise
Ringdrotten
malickfan
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Re: Space and The wonders/mysteries of The Universe
Sure, but my instincts tell me that hunting for all that invisible mass is going to be an exercise in chasing wild geese in the end.
If I had to bet, I'd bet that after decades of chasing invisible matter, eventually there will be a "Eureka!" moment when it becomes obvious that general relativity is actually just a special case of a greater gravitational theory, and once that happens "Dark Matter" books will get filed on the same shelf as books on "Luminiferous Ether".
I railed against dark matter for the longest time, thinking it could turn out to be a stupid observational error. But the effects seem to be real, even if the explanation feels contrived. I don't like it either.
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halfwise- Quintessence of Burrahobbitry
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Re: Space and The wonders/mysteries of The Universe
For some reason this all reminds me of a discussion I had a while back with a very bright 6 year old. We were looking at satellite photos of Earth and she asked, "Why can't we see the sky when we look at it from the other side? It has to be real because we can see it, right?"
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David H- Horsemaster, Fighting Bears in the Pacific Northwest
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Re: Space and The wonders/mysteries of The Universe
That's a very deep 6 year old!
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halfwise- Quintessence of Burrahobbitry
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Re: Space and The wonders/mysteries of The Universe
6 year olds have wonderfully open minds. When pondering the mysteries of the universe, I think that's not a bad way to approach things. Deep down, we're all 6 year olds.
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David H- Horsemaster, Fighting Bears in the Pacific Northwest
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Re: Space and The wonders/mysteries of The Universe
I thought this was pretty neat. You always see the "not to scale" disclaimers but that doesn't quite do it justice.
http://www.theatlantic.com/video/index/417309/our-place-in-the-universe/
See also: the progressively zooming out universe (in spoiler tags due to the size of the image).
http://www.theatlantic.com/video/index/417309/our-place-in-the-universe/
See also: the progressively zooming out universe (in spoiler tags due to the size of the image).
- Spoiler:
Re: Space and The wonders/mysteries of The Universe
My.....God
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azriel- Grumpy cat, rub my tummy, hear me purr
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Re: Space and The wonders/mysteries of The Universe
What are the bright spots on dwarf planet Ceres? New studies give us a better idea. In one study, scientists identify this bright material as a kind of salt. The second study suggests the detection of ammonia-rich clays. Learn more: http://go.nasa.gov/1jOoDNM #NASABeyond
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Re: Space and The wonders/mysteries of The Universe
chris63 wrote:What are the bright spots on dwarf planet Ceres? New studies give us a better idea. In one study, scientists identify this bright material as a kind of salt. The second study suggests the detection of ammonia-rich clays. Learn more: http://go.nasa.gov/1jOoDNM #NASABeyond
its quite obviously the Soup Dragons soup
Mrs Figg- Eel Wrangler from Bree
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Re: Space and The wonders/mysteries of The Universe
Obviously !
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"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. It's the job that's never started as takes longest to finish.”
"There are far, far, better things ahead than any we can leave behind"
If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you always got
azriel- Grumpy cat, rub my tummy, hear me purr
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Mrs Figg- Eel Wrangler from Bree
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Re: Space and The wonders/mysteries of The Universe
Eldorion wrote:
See also: the progressively zooming out universe (in spoiler tags due to the size of the image).
- Spoiler:
A tried and true classic!
bungobaggins- Eternal Mayor in The Halls of Mandos
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Re: Space and The wonders/mysteries of The Universe
Pack your bags, kids!
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-10/nasa-releases-detailed-image-of-titan/7015678
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-10/nasa-releases-detailed-image-of-titan/7015678
bungobaggins- Eternal Mayor in The Halls of Mandos
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Re: Space and The wonders/mysteries of The Universe
The odds are in all those planets somewhere dragons and wizards do exist. that's my only concern.
Mrs Figg- Eel Wrangler from Bree
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Re: Space and The wonders/mysteries of The Universe
bungobaggins wrote:Pack your bags, kids!
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-10/nasa-releases-detailed-image-of-titan/7015678
not sure about the methane rain though.
Mrs Figg- Eel Wrangler from Bree
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Re: Space and The wonders/mysteries of The Universe
Don't forget your umbrella!
bungobaggins- Eternal Mayor in The Halls of Mandos
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chris63- Adventurer
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Re: Space and The wonders/mysteries of The Universe
Just watched How the universe works on Discovery science. As always when I watch these shows, I was fascinated, amazed and terrified Apparently, all the stars will eventually fade and die, and the sky will turn all black in the end as the last star burns out. This week the weather has been clear and I've been out every night just looking up at the stars, and then I learn this horrible truth this morning. I don't read much on the subject, so I'm sort of blissfully ignorant of much that many take for granted. But the thought of them all burning out and that everything will eventually be consumed by darkness is so incredibly sad. I always thought the stars, at least, were eternal. I know they die, eventually, but I always thought there would be new ones to take their place. I'll go outdoors again tonight and look at them again, knowing it is not so
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Ringdrotten- Mrs Bear Grylls
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Re: Space and The wonders/mysteries of The Universe
Just finding out now, huh? The only alternative was the big crunch, where the expansion slows down and reverses, with everything slamming back together then starting up again. Not sure that's any better.
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halfwise- Quintessence of Burrahobbitry
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Re: Space and The wonders/mysteries of The Universe
Like I said, blissfully ignorant
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Ringdrotten- Mrs Bear Grylls
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Re: Space and The wonders/mysteries of The Universe
Ringdrotten wrote:Just watched How the universe works on Discovery science. As always when I watch these shows, I was fascinated, amazed and terrified Apparently, all the stars will eventually fade and die, and the sky will turn all black in the end as the last star burns out.
I remember reading an Isaac Asimov short story about this once, and it was really depressing as it chronicled the inevitable decay of civilization and ultimately the entire universe. Then it ended with
- Spoiler:
- a computer apparently becoming the God of the Old Testament
and that was just a little too weird for me. I think I liked Nightfall better for somewhat similar thematic ground.
I don't really know where I was going with this now
Re: Space and The wonders/mysteries of The Universe
If I remember right that's called "the Last Question" and it's a classic on par with Arthur C Clarke's "the Nine Billion Names of God".
All of them are like Nightfall: the best science fiction short stories all end with a punchline.
All of them are like Nightfall: the best science fiction short stories all end with a punchline.
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Re: Space and The wonders/mysteries of The Universe
Both were good but very few things have given me a sense of dread and (for lack of a better word) philosophical hopelessness in quite the way Nightfall did.
Re: Space and The wonders/mysteries of The Universe
Really? Asimov speculated that the reason people liked it so much was the sense of smugness it gave them: "at least WE'RE not afraid of the dark!"
He was a little bitter because he had written a short story about classism which he thought was deeper and better, but it was generally ignored. He felt it was because people recognized themselves in it, and didn't like the feeling.
He was a little bitter because he had written a short story about classism which he thought was deeper and better, but it was generally ignored. He felt it was because people recognized themselves in it, and didn't like the feeling.
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Then it gets complicated...
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Re: Space and The wonders/mysteries of The Universe
I can't speak for anyone else, but to me "Nightfall" seemed to be more about the inevitability of certain things and how human nature overwhelms attempts to change history (sorta the opposite of Foundation now that I think about it). It would be silly to think myself immune to that, I'd think.
Re: Space and The wonders/mysteries of The Universe
The final episode of the 4th Doctor, Logopolis is all about entropy, its about as hard sci-fi as Who gets.
The basic premise being
The basic premise being
- Spoiler:
- the universe has already reached the final stages of entropy but there is a bunch of people whose job it is to hold it together basically, with the threat being if they go the actual natural state of the universes entropy reasserts itself and end of universe effectively.
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