SWP's back
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 29 Jun 2009
- Messages
- 89,064
Whilst the above is true in terms of numbers of atoms. It's not true in terms of mass.
Our mass by elements is:
Oxygen 68%
Carbon 18.5%
Hydrogen 9.5%
Nitrogen 3.2%
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
Brief History of the Universe
- Thread starter Damocles
- Start date
Our mass by elements is:
Oxygen 68%
Carbon 18.5%
Hydrogen 9.5%
Nitrogen 3.2%
I picked up a book in the library a few weeks back (whilst my kid was looking at his own books). I've always thought I should read a good book about the universe/quantum theories as opposed to picking out the odd article in new scientist etc. I don't usually tend to err towards that type of book, preferring well written fiction - a lot of these books are a bit of a struggle to apprehend simply because of the manner they're written (the authors are perhaps a little too clever for their own Birkenstocks - socks worn under of cause).
(*You'll have to bear with me as I may misquote slightly and I'm literally new to reading up on all this*!!)
The book is In Search of the Multiverse by John Gribben (trained astro physicist). Although predominately about the existence of the Multiverse/Quantum Theories, a lot of it touches on the birth of our universe. One passage talks about the utter difficultly (leaving it to chance) of our universe having the perfect balance of elements (or correct percentage of elements) in order to for the universe to form as it has done. Other 'universes' may begin to form (particles forming out of nothing) but as the mix is wrong, a universe such as our own couldn't form.
This is all on the understanding that a multiverse is absolutely 'real' and new ones are created all the time. Of course, this the book then discusses infinite universes and infinite versions of our selves and universes where paths were altered (the dinosaurs survived and would be driving cars and presenting late night gambling quizzes on ITV).
These infinite universes might be created in a vast infinite space (as opposed to separate infinite universes kept apart), and are created all the time (some splitting when faced with a choice of quantum possibilities, as in going left rather than right, before reforming if you end up at the same point you were travelling to, for example).
Seems to suggest a multiverse has been proved as they've used quantum physics to find the existence of more atoms than exist in our universe, 10 to the power 80. Quantum computing is then discussed - the Schrodinger's cat example.
All this, I suppose, it weighed down by the idea of infinity. The book isn't at all patronising, or gospel like and importantly has sparked off an interest I'm keen to develop further.
It's also written in 2009 so I guess a fair bit might have been superseded, or written off/mathed out! Fair to say it might be classed as 'Pop science' in some respects, but it's a good start. A good deal of scientists work is mentioned/quoted in the book (Hawking, Guth, Feynman, Deustch etc)
If anyone can recommend further books along these lines, I'd be most grateful.
BTW - ace answer on page 18 Damo. My kids ask these questions all the time, and it would be great if I could give them something more than the vague answers I usually give them.
I had a new earth creationist at the door the other week (I usually turn them away, but engaged for once) - he had a fairly detailed scientific 'arsenal', but then soon fell into the dinosaur conspiracy. Still, his opening line was the one that's been discussed on almost every page of this thread ('what' created the universe) and it's a bit of a cop out to just laugh and tell them to do one.
As an aside, I ended up being more interested in what part of his life did his scientistic university studies end up with him quoting made up conspiracy theories ("Go look at the dinosaur carving in Ta Phrom in Cambodia". "Carbon in dinosaur fossils prove they died out a few thousand years ago" etc).
Anyway - great thread!!
(*You'll have to bear with me as I may misquote slightly and I'm literally new to reading up on all this*!!)
The book is In Search of the Multiverse by John Gribben (trained astro physicist). Although predominately about the existence of the Multiverse/Quantum Theories, a lot of it touches on the birth of our universe. One passage talks about the utter difficultly (leaving it to chance) of our universe having the perfect balance of elements (or correct percentage of elements) in order to for the universe to form as it has done. Other 'universes' may begin to form (particles forming out of nothing) but as the mix is wrong, a universe such as our own couldn't form.
This is all on the understanding that a multiverse is absolutely 'real' and new ones are created all the time. Of course, this the book then discusses infinite universes and infinite versions of our selves and universes where paths were altered (the dinosaurs survived and would be driving cars and presenting late night gambling quizzes on ITV).
These infinite universes might be created in a vast infinite space (as opposed to separate infinite universes kept apart), and are created all the time (some splitting when faced with a choice of quantum possibilities, as in going left rather than right, before reforming if you end up at the same point you were travelling to, for example).
Seems to suggest a multiverse has been proved as they've used quantum physics to find the existence of more atoms than exist in our universe, 10 to the power 80. Quantum computing is then discussed - the Schrodinger's cat example.
All this, I suppose, it weighed down by the idea of infinity. The book isn't at all patronising, or gospel like and importantly has sparked off an interest I'm keen to develop further.
It's also written in 2009 so I guess a fair bit might have been superseded, or written off/mathed out! Fair to say it might be classed as 'Pop science' in some respects, but it's a good start. A good deal of scientists work is mentioned/quoted in the book (Hawking, Guth, Feynman, Deustch etc)
If anyone can recommend further books along these lines, I'd be most grateful.
BTW - ace answer on page 18 Damo. My kids ask these questions all the time, and it would be great if I could give them something more than the vague answers I usually give them.
I had a new earth creationist at the door the other week (I usually turn them away, but engaged for once) - he had a fairly detailed scientific 'arsenal', but then soon fell into the dinosaur conspiracy. Still, his opening line was the one that's been discussed on almost every page of this thread ('what' created the universe) and it's a bit of a cop out to just laugh and tell them to do one.
As an aside, I ended up being more interested in what part of his life did his scientistic university studies end up with him quoting made up conspiracy theories ("Go look at the dinosaur carving in Ta Phrom in Cambodia". "Carbon in dinosaur fossils prove they died out a few thousand years ago" etc).
Anyway - great thread!!
Prestwich_Blue
Well-Known Member
Apparently each day is 55 billionths of a second longer than the previous one. I assume that's because the universe is expanding.
Apparently each day is 55 billionths of a second longer than the previous one. I assume that's because the universe is expanding.
Expansion of the Universe would cause the year to be longer, the days are getting longer as the Moon steals some of the Earth's rotational energy in the form of tidal forces. It's also why the Moon's orbit is speeding up - the conversation of angular momentum means that it's speeding up by the same rate that we're slowing
SWP's back
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 29 Jun 2009
- Messages
- 89,064
Am I right in thinking that whilst space itself expands, the gravitational forces of the sun within the solar system stops the earth from being further away each year from the sun?Expansion of the Universe would cause the year to be longer, the days are getting longer as the Moon steals some of the Earth's rotational energy in the form of tidal forces. It's also why the Moon's orbit is speeding up - the conversation of angular momentum means that it's speeding up by the same rate that we're slowing
Am I right in thinking that whilst space itself expands, the gravitational forces of the sun within the solar system stops the earth from being further away each year from the sun?
Yep. You have to remember that whilst dark energy is a positive energy causing expansion, gravity is a negative energy pulling things together. In our Solar System we have numerous extremely massive objects that will easily "out-energy" the dark energy expansion
SWP's back
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 29 Jun 2009
- Messages
- 89,064
Fuck yeah. We'll out energy the shit out of it.Yep. You have to remember that whilst dark energy is a positive energy causing expansion, gravity is a negative energy pulling things together. In our Solar System we have numerous extremely massive objects that will easily "out-energy" the dark energy expansion
JoeMercer'sWay
Well-Known Member
see Swp's Back is becoming the Dara O'Briain of Bluemoon science, Damo's follically challenged sidekick.
SWP's back
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 29 Jun 2009
- Messages
- 89,064
Full head of hair again, you twat :-)see Swp's Back is becoming the Dara O'Briain of Bluemoon science, Damo's follically challenged sidekick.
JoeMercer'sWay
Well-Known Member
Full head of hair again, you twat :-)
did you go to the same "specialist" as Rooney to sort that, or did you go for the cheaper combination of shaving the dog and superglue?