darksabre Posted December 1, 2014 Report Share Posted December 1, 2014 Science thread! Woo! Let's get it started with how everything got started: Bits I always thought were interesting: Light as we know it didn't appear until about 300,000 years after the big bang, when electrons and protons finally cool down enough to combine into atoms. The first planets didn't really form until 1-15 billion years after the big bang, once the first stars started to die. You know what always melts my brain? We think of so many things in terms of "what are they contained by". And then I think about how the universe might not be contained by anything. That one could conceivably go on forever never reaching a terminus. How does something exist that isn't bounded by....anything? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted December 1, 2014 Report Share Posted December 1, 2014 Lets keep it about science and leave the religion commentary out of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samson's Flow Posted December 1, 2014 Report Share Posted December 1, 2014 You know what always melts my brain? We think of so many things in terms of "what are they contained by". And then I think about how the universe might not be contained by anything. That one could conceivably go on forever never reaching a terminus. How does something exist that isn't bounded by....anything? My brain always struggles/is amazed by the sheer tinyness of atomic objects. Electrons are exponentially smaller than the smallest visible objects, and quarks are exponentially smaller than electrons. there's all these super small objects interacting behind the scenes of our daily lives to which we are mostly oblivious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darksabre Posted December 1, 2014 Report Share Posted December 1, 2014 My brain always struggles/is amazed by the sheer tinyness of atomic objects. Electrons are exponentially smaller than the smallest visible objects, and quarks are exponentially smaller than electrons. there's all these super small objects interacting behind the scenes of our daily lives to which we are mostly oblivious. I can rationalize that though. Infinitely small seems...reasonable. Infinitely large...but in a real life sense as opposed to a mathematical sense...just... All I can think of is the little keychain universe in Men In Black. Are we a part of something much much larger and have no idea? If we are, what is it that contains us? What contains what contains us? Where does it end? Does it end? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samson's Flow Posted December 1, 2014 Report Share Posted December 1, 2014 I can rationalize that though. Infinitely small seems...reasonable. Infinitely large...but in a real life sense as opposed to a mathematical sense...just... All I can think of is the little keychain universe in Men In Black. Are we a part of something much much larger and have no idea? If we are, what is it that contains us? What contains what contains us? Where does it end? Does it end? Well yeah the opposite as well. The really large mathematics of how far galactic objects are from each other amaze me as well. I think that is why humanity struggles with the whole infinitely expanding universe thing. People like having a defined area within which to understand. Since we can only see as far as light has traveled, there could be way more out there that we are oblivious to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted December 1, 2014 Report Share Posted December 1, 2014 Man, I miss working in R&D. Applied awesome stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildCard Posted December 1, 2014 Report Share Posted December 1, 2014 Be grateful you don't. Power Series will make your head explode. In all seriousness, Diff Eq is pretty easy if you have to take it. If you took Physics at UB, it is a complete waste of time. Nothing but deriving equations, and absurd problems (i.e. the magical "frictionless surface"). Hopefully they breathed life into that curriculum since I went there, because teaching just theory without practical context is a sure fire way to turn off people's brains. I did a little series work in Discrete and Calc 2 with Maclaurin and Power series (loved power series actually, easiest one to identify and solve imo). Still, I'd rather stay away from working with series if I could. I'll have to agree an insane amount of circumstances need to occur for life to happen. That said, our universe, and others, are so insanely, mind boggling large that I definitely believe there is intelligent life out there. Anything can happen, but I wouldn't wager we'll ever come in contact with them. This is what absolutely confounds me: There has to be intelligent life elsewhere right? I'ts mathematically impossible for there not to. Yet at the same time, it's also impossible/extremely improbable that none of that life exists within our galaxy, and isn't far enough ahead of us to have discovered ways of communication. Couple things I've read on the subject include humans may be the most advanced ( :death: ), another species may have conquered all of the others in our galaxy and we're next, or there is some sort of threshold/test every planet must pass until we are contacted with and we either failed or are not there yet. If the last one's the case I'd have to imagine we haven't met it yet because we really haven't done too much in space. Lets keep it about science and leave the religion commentary out of it. Thank you. No religion, no politics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DHawerchuk10 Posted December 1, 2014 Report Share Posted December 1, 2014 You know what always melts my brain? We think of so many things in terms of "what are they contained by". And then I think about how the universe might not be contained by anything. That one could conceivably go on forever never reaching a terminus. How does something exist that isn't bounded by....anything? Yeah, I am blown away by that notion as well. To consider we are potentially part of a multi-verse, and my brain starts oozing out of my ears. I did a little series work in Discrete and Calc 2 with Maclaurin and Power series (loved power series actually, easiest one to identify and solve imo). Still, I'd rather stay away from working with series if I could. This is what absolutely confounds me: There has to be intelligent life elsewhere right? I'ts mathematically impossible for there not to. Yet at the same time, it's also impossible/extremely improbable that none of that life exists within our galaxy, and isn't far enough ahead of us to have discovered ways of communication. Couple things I've read on the subject include humans may be the most advanced ( :death: ), another species may have conquered all of the others in our galaxy and we're next, or there is some sort of threshold/test every planet must pass until we are contacted with and we either failed or are not there yet. If the last one's the case I'd have to imagine we haven't met it yet because we really haven't done too much in space. Thank you. No religion, no politics. If you are ever fortunate (or unfortunate) to take a class in signal analysis, that is when the real fun starts. Younger folks seem a little more adept at this sort of thing than when I attended school, but this was definitely a weed out class at UB way back when. The average grade was around a 23, and the professor only applied a minor curve (i.e. everything below a 50 was an F). The final exam looked like it was something found on the ship from Roswell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LastPommerFan Posted December 1, 2014 Report Share Posted December 1, 2014 I can rationalize that though. Infinitely small seems...reasonable. Infinitely large...but in a real life sense as opposed to a mathematical sense...just... All I can think of is the little keychain universe in Men In Black. Are we a part of something much much larger and have no idea? If we are, what is it that contains us? What contains what contains us? Where does it end? Does it end? The universe isn't boundless, it is bounded by itself. The problem is you are imagining size without considering the dimension of time. Imagine a line with two dots traveling back and forth, occasionally bumping into each other: ---------------*----------*----------------------- no imagine a snapshot of each instance of the line stacked on top of each other, creating a 2-D surface: ---------------*----------*----------------------- -------------------*----*------------------------- --------------------*--*-------------------------- ---------------------**--------------------------- -------------------*----*------------------------- You exist in more dimensions, so you can see the entire universe throughout all of time that these dots exist in, and you can see it all at once. The dots, on the other hand, can only perceive the line they currently are experiencing. How far they are from the other dot. We lack the ability to perceive space-time all at once. So it's hard to understand that the "edges" of the universe are not expanding into a void, they are expanding into existence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darksabre Posted December 1, 2014 Report Share Posted December 1, 2014 The universe isn't boundless, it is bounded by itself. The problem is you are imagining size without considering the dimension of time. Imagine a line with two dots traveling back and forth, occasionally bumping into each other: ---------------*----------*----------------------- no imagine a snapshot of each instance of the line stacked on top of each other, creating a 2-D surface: ---------------*----------*----------------------- -------------------*----*------------------------- --------------------*--*-------------------------- ---------------------**--------------------------- -------------------*----*------------------------- You exist in more dimensions, so you can see the entire universe throughout all of time that these dots exist in, and you can see it all at once. The dots, on the other hand, can only perceive the line they currently are experiencing. How far they are from the other dot. We lack the ability to perceive space-time all at once. So it's hard to understand that the "edges" of the universe are not expanding into a void, they are expanding into existence. Right. I get it. It's just crazy to me. Theoretically you could move past that line of existence no? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LastPommerFan Posted December 1, 2014 Report Share Posted December 1, 2014 Right. I get it. It's just crazy to me. Theoretically you could move past that line of existence no? no, you cannot. no matter how fast you get there, it will always have expanded further away from you. imagine a ripple in a pond. You start inside the circle. The fastest you can possibly move through space is the speed of the ripple. No matter which direction you head, you'll never catch the ripple. You can never get any closer than you are right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdexchange Posted December 1, 2014 Report Share Posted December 1, 2014 This is what absolutely confounds me: There has to be intelligent life elsewhere right? I'ts mathematically impossible for there not to. Yet at the same time, it's also impossible/extremely improbable that none of that life exists within our galaxy, and isn't far enough ahead of us to have discovered ways of communication. Couple things I've read on the subject include humans may be the most advanced ( :death: ), another species may have conquered all of the others in our galaxy and we're next, or there is some sort of threshold/test every planet must pass until we are contacted with and we either failed or are not there yet. If the last one's the case I'd have to imagine we haven't met it yet because we really haven't done too much in space. Yep, it's the Fermi Paradox and I highly recommend this book about it: http://smile.amazon.com/Universe-Teeming-Aliens-WHERE-EVERYBODY/dp/0387955011/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417463476&sr=8-1&keywords=fermi+paradox Summary: In response to Enrico Fermi's famous 1950 question concerning the existence of advanced civilizations elsewhere, physicist Webb critically examines 50 resolutions to explain the total absence of empirical evidence for probes, starships, and communications from extraterrestrials. He focuses on our Milky Way Galaxy, which to date has yielded no objects or signals that indicate the existence of alien beings with intelligence and technology. His comprehensive analysis covers topics ranging from the Drake equation and Dyson spheres to the panspermia hypothesis and anthropic arguments. Of special interest are the discussions on the DNA molecule, the origin of life on Earth, and the threats to organic evolution on this planet (including mass extinctions). Webb himself concludes that the "great silence" in nature probably results from humankind's being the only civilization now in this galaxy, if not in the entire universe. This richly informative and very engaging book is recommended for most academic and public library science collections. Best thread ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-9 Posted December 1, 2014 Report Share Posted December 1, 2014 The danger is there will be a backlash from the "Jesus rode a dinosaur" people who would take us back to the Dark Ages. I'm dying to visit The Creation Museum in KY. Just to see how long I could keep a straight face. Great idea for a thread, op. All I can say is what the ancient Chinese proverb says: may you live in interesting times. When I think of the scientific advances just in my lifetime, it amazes me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
... Posted December 2, 2014 Report Share Posted December 2, 2014 (edited) I'm dying to visit The Creation Museum in KY. Just to see how long I could keep a straight face. Great idea for a thread, op. All I can say is what the ancient Chinese proverb says: may you live in interesting times. When I think of the scientific advances just in my lifetime, it amazes me. WTF is with you people. NO RELIGION. NO POLITICS. It doesn't mean "except when you believe you can look down your nose at people"...it means leave the RELIGION and POLITICAL commentary out, for good or ill. And, FWIW, you have the Chinese "proverb" in the wrong context, it's actually a curse. Edited December 2, 2014 by sizzlemeister Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-9 Posted December 2, 2014 Report Share Posted December 2, 2014 (edited) WTF is with you people. NO RELIGION. NO POLITICS. It doesn't mean "except when you believe you can look down your nose at people"...it means leave the RELIGION and POLITICAL commentary out, for good or ill. And, FWIW, you have the Chinese "proverb" in the wrong context, it's actually a curse. It isn't worth much if for no other reason that in the modern vernacular, it is not considered a curse at all. Not in the least. And you know that. But you just couldn't help yourself. Glad we could indulge your desire to defend the faith from us infidels, though. I'll try not to laugh too hard at the diorama depicting the little cave children playing by the stream as the triceratops graze nearby. Edited December 2, 2014 by K-9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildCard Posted December 2, 2014 Report Share Posted December 2, 2014 Yep, it's the Fermi Paradox and I highly recommend this book about it: http://smile.amazon....s=fermi paradox Summary: In response to Enrico Fermi's famous 1950 question concerning the existence of advanced civilizations elsewhere, physicist Webb critically examines 50 resolutions to explain the total absence of empirical evidence for probes, starships, and communications from extraterrestrials. He focuses on our Milky Way Galaxy, which to date has yielded no objects or signals that indicate the existence of alien beings with intelligence and technology. His comprehensive analysis covers topics ranging from the Drake equation and Dyson spheres to the panspermia hypothesis and anthropic arguments. Of special interest are the discussions on the DNA molecule, the origin of life on Earth, and the threats to organic evolution on this planet (including mass extinctions). Webb himself concludes that the "great silence" in nature probably results from humankind's being the only civilization now in this galaxy, if not in the entire universe. This richly informative and very engaging book is recommended for most academic and public library science collections. Best thread ever. Nice, way to ruin the ending. :D Great synopsis though, I had heard it somewhere earlier this week but I couldn't remember the name of it. Gonna head to my uni's library tomorrow to check if they have it. If not, it's a good christmas gift. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I am Defecting Posted December 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2014 Whoah. Some of the stuff posted above got me looking into sub-atomic particles. Are you telling me that the accepted theory in Physics says that most of the Universe consists of dark matter and dark energy that isn't even observable and is merely inferred? We've got a long way to go towards explaining the Universe. Only two days till the Orion Spacecraft makes its first test flight. They're not failing to mention Mars, at every opportunity during this countdown. http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-112514a-orion-eft1-muppets-countdown.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wjag Posted December 2, 2014 Report Share Posted December 2, 2014 (edited) Whoah. Some of the stuff posted above got me looking into sub-atomic particles. Are you telling me that the accepted theory in Physics says that most of the Universe consists of dark matter and dark energy that isn't even observable and is merely inferred? We've got a long way to go towards explaining the Universe. Only two days till the Orion Spacecraft makes its first test flight. They're not failing to mention Mars, at every opportunity during this countdown. http://www.collectsp...-countdown.html New Horizions is about to wake from a 9-year hibernation on Dec 6 (as it approaches Pluto). I for one can't wait. Time to get my planet back. I am tired of arguing with my kids 8 verses 9. Edited December 2, 2014 by wjag Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattPie Posted December 2, 2014 Report Share Posted December 2, 2014 If you are ever fortunate (or unfortunate) to take a class in signal analysis, that is when the real fun starts. Younger folks seem a little more adept at this sort of thing than when I attended school, but this was definitely a weed out class at UB way back when. The average grade was around a 23, and the professor only applied a minor curve (i.e. everything below a 50 was an F). The final exam looked like it was something found on the ship from Roswell. I took that class from that professor, I can't think of his name though (something with an 'S'). The rough part for me was due to my slightly odd path through EE, I was taking it in my last semester of school and the job I had waiting for me kinda required I have a degree. I was really worried about passing it (got a C). I think this fits here: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Crotch Posted December 4, 2014 Report Share Posted December 4, 2014 The science of... vaginas! http://www.iflscienc...w-about-vaginas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pi2000 Posted December 4, 2014 Report Share Posted December 4, 2014 why is there something, rather than... nothing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PASabreFan Posted December 4, 2014 Report Share Posted December 4, 2014 (edited) The science of... vaginas! http://www.iflscienc...w-about-vaginas Sword-holder, eh? That list brings up one of my pet peeves about science, or maybe just science reporting. But you can't really say the record for most orgasms for a man in an hour is 16. You kind of have to say the most recorded orgasms is 16. No one knows what the record really is. I bet it's more than 16. I read on BuzzFeed that some men can ###### without ejaculating. So it becomes quite subjective. Maybe I've orgasmed seven times while writing this post. (So ###### singular gets the hash tags but not orgasms.) Edited December 4, 2014 by PASabreFan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Crotch Posted December 4, 2014 Report Share Posted December 4, 2014 Sword-holder, eh? That list brings up one of my pet peeves about science, or maybe just science reporting. But you can't really say the record for most orgasms for a man in an hour is 16. You kind of have to say the most recorded orgasms is 16. No one knows what the record really is. I bet it's more than 16. I read on BuzzFeed that some men can ###### without ejaculating. So it becomes quite subjective. Maybe I've orgasmed seven times while writing this post. (So ###### singular gets the hash tags but not orgasms.) Could be a SabreSpace challenge... the drive for 17! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrueBlueGED Posted December 4, 2014 Report Share Posted December 4, 2014 Could be a SabreSpace challenge... the drive for 17! So, an inverse "contest"? I'm in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PASabreFan Posted December 4, 2014 Report Share Posted December 4, 2014 So, an inverse "contest"? I'm in! You? Your tank is already empty, my friend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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