Curiosity has always been a driving force behind scientific experiments. Where did we come from? When did space begin? Where does it end? These questions pushed Saul Perlmutter to a ground breaking discovery. Adam Riess and Brian Schmidt’s ambition led them to meet Perlmutter at the same conclusion. The universe’s rate of expansion is accelerating. It is being pushed apart by a mysterious dark energy. Zeeya Merali’s article “Confronting the Dark” follows Perlmutter, Schmidt, and Riess on their journey to discover dark energy. Throughout the article, we can apply of many of the basic ideas we have discussed in class.
Zeeya Merali has a master’s degree in natural science from the University of Cambridge and a PhD in cosmology from Brown University. Zeeya Merali works as a freelance journalist. She has worked with National Geographic and The History Channel. Most of her work focuses on the fate of the Universe. Her article “Confronting the Dark” discusses the history, discovery, and implications of dark energy.
To fully understand the magnitude of the discovery of dark energy and how astronomers came to such a conclusion, one must also
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It is applicable for a wide range of readers. It lends itself to someone interested in the highly complex areas of astronomy but also makes it easy to understand for a beginner. Zeeya Merali used short and simple sentences to make it easy for the reader to follow. The article was accompanied by diagrams to fortify the readers’ comprehension. I especially appreciated the diagrams explaining the three possible endings for the universe. As a reader, I was left slightly confused on the role the cosmological constant plays and if it still is taken into account or if it was thrown out the window with the theory of relativity. Zeeya Merali could have clarified this idea a little more. Zeeya Merali’s writing style provides fundamental understanding to a largely clueless
Observations (page 26) are only clues to a mystery. The schema created by the observer can affect the results. "Therefore, observations like those discussed in the preceding sections could be collected and put in systematic form by men whose beliefs about the structure of the universe resembled those of the ancient Egyptians" (page 26).
Sire, James W. The universe next door: a basic worldview catalog. 3rd ed. Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press, 1997.
Not too long ago, we were looking forward to the New Millennium. To many of us, this was an important event of our lives. On a larger scale, however, the New Millennium looks insignificant. "If we adopt an astronomical perspective, however, a much larger and more distant celebration remains on the schedule-the Galactic Millennium," write Greg Laughlin and Fred Adam in their article Celebrating the Galactic Millennium. Laughlin and Adam speculate about the proposed changes to the Universe in the future and the coming of the Galactic Millennium.
Sjöö, M. & Mor, B. (1987). The Great Cosmic Mother. San Fransisco: Harper & Row.
It is clear that we would need further evidence and advances in physics before it will be remotely possible to know the fate of our universe. Scientists now think, and mostly agree with each other that the fate of the universe depends on three main things: the overall shape or geometry of the universe, how much dark energy it contains, and on the “equation of state”; which determines how the density of dark energy responds to the expansion of the universe.
Over a 1950 summer lunch at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, the great physicist Enrico Fermi asked his colleagues an unexpected question – “Don’t you ever wonder where everybody is?” Laughter went around the table as everyone immediately knew that he was talking about extraterrestrial intelligence [1]. If life arises fairly commonly, as Fermi believed, it follows that there should be advanced civilizations with the desire to visit and colonize Earth close enough to do so. However, there is no incontrovertible evidence of aliens on Earth, either now or in the past. This is called the Fermi Paradox. The lack of observational evidence for extraterrestrial intelligence is known as the ‘Great Silence.’[13]
An underlying theme present throughout the series is the possibility that our existence is not the only one. According to current theories in physics, it is entirely possible that our universe is just one of many universes f...
William T. Harris Speech #1 Outline January 29, 2018 Outline General Purpose Statement: To Inform Specific Purpose Statement: I will inform you of two marvels in the cosmos. Central Idea Statement: Two elusive phenomena: dark matter and dark energy, are thought to make up more than 80% of the known universe. I. INTRODUCTION A. Every year we are hit an estimated 100,000 times by dark matter particles.
Every time a new ‘‘messenger” (different photon wavelengths or a different particle) has added to the list of observables accessible to astrophysicists, the Universe has appeared under a new light: it has revealed surprising features and triggered new questions, ultimately changing our understanding of fundamental physics and cosmology.Examples include the new elementary particles discovered in cosmic rays in the ‘30s and ‘40s, flavor oscillations from the solar and atmospheric neutrinos, or the revolutions brought by radio or X-ray astronomy. The last decade, a new branch of astronomy was born: high energy and very high energy gamma-ray astronomy.
A hundred years ago, a young married couple sat at a kitchen table talking over the items of the day while their young boy sat listening earnestly. He had heard the debate every night, and while there were no raised voices, their discussion was intense. It was a subject about which his parents were most passionate - the electrodynamics of moving bodies in the universe. The couple were of equal intelligence and fortitude, working together on a theory that few people can comprehend even to this day. Mileva Maric Einstein was considered to be the intellectual equal of her husband Albert, but somehow went unrecognized for her contributions to the 1905 Papers, which included the Special Theory of Relativity. The stronger force of these two bodies would be propelled into the archives of scientific history, while the other would be left to die alone, virtually unknown. Mrs. Einstein was robbed. She deserved to be recognized for at least a collaborative effort, but it was not to be. The role which society had accorded her and plain, bad luck would prove to be responsible for the life of this great mathematician and scientist, gone unnoticed.
The universe, a vast, ever-expanding space full of mystery, just waiting to be discovered. With the mystery comes speculation; a multitude of researchers focus on one question, are there extraterrestrials out there? While highly controversial, scientists with the help of SETI have proved that this is possible. In order to be prepared for the possible ETs, researchers at SETI work constantly to find answers. Because of the growing research that Extraterrestrial Intelligence is possible, SETI, a credible organization, should receive funding from the government to continue their research.
Impey, Chris. How It Began: A Time-traveler's Guide to the Universe. New York: W.W. Norton, 2012. 123+. Print.
The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark is a book by astrophysicist Carl Sagan and one of the most important books in popular science. Sagan wrote it when he knew he was dying of cancer. He had an unmatched gift of conveying and explaining science to make it understandable and relevant to non-scientists. For that reason alone, it is not far-fetched to list him among the great scientific minds of the 20th century. Carl Sagan covers a lot of ground in this book.
“Sheltered as we are by Earth's atmosphere and magnetic field, which deflect lethal radiation from space, we are like coddled children who have never ventured into a tough neighborhood” (Folger 2). Humans have been fascinated with space since the beginning of our time. Just like children and rough neighborhoods, we have tackled obstacle over obstacle to make it home again. In the end, we have a better knowledge and strength than before. The future of space exploration can assist us in answering the everlasting question of how the universe came to be. The more we explore the infinite galaxies, the more we can scientifically discover and create new technologies as science advances. As we continue to discover, we can create new fields and occupations for aspiring young students like myself.