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  • #2209859

    size of the Universe

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    by john.a.wills ·

    Claudius Ptolemy, whose Almagest was the standard astronomy text from his days till the end of the Middle Ages, when Copernicus, Galileo and Newton brought in a lot of upsetting stuff, stated that in comparison with the distance to the stars the Earth must be considered a point. The stars, in other words, are inaccesibly far away. But nowadays we have exponential notation. The Earth is 1.35 x 10^7 m in diameter, not a point, the Sun is 1.5 x 10^11 m away, and the nearest “fixed” star is 6 x 10^16 m away. So our notation makes the Universe more accessible than it was.
    Furthermore, in the Middle Ages it was thought that things beneath the Moon were made of 4 or 5 elements whereas the heavenly bodies were made of something quite different. But nowadays we think that the heavenly bodies are made of the same 100-odd elements we know on Earth, with the possible exception of dark matter. So the Universe is not only smaller, it is homelier.

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    • #2894223

      Hmmm…

      by boxfiddler ·

      In reply to size of the Universe

      ‘homelier’. What does that say for our eyes?

      • #2894218

        Maybe, "homey-er". (U.S. Eng.)

        by seanferd ·

        In reply to Hmmm…

        Comfortable, home-like, describing a domicile which would make a good home in the speaker’s opinion. As opposed to applying it to a person, which I have always found odd. (Perhaps meaning one who is so “plain” that he or she would never leave their parent’s home, or one who could be trusted to stay home by default, and not “run around”.

        Weird is language.

    • #2894216

      Interesting.

      by seanferd ·

      In reply to size of the Universe

      The stars not being plastered into a crystal sphere, all an equal distance* away, made conceptualizing the universe more difficult or less comfortable? I suppose it depends on one’s mindset.

      *Theorized to be at a much smaller distance than the closest real stars.

      What blows my mind is that one cannot observe or guess at the size of the universe. The greatest distance to which we can see is the same distance EM radiation has been able to travel since recombination. We may be able to “see” 13.5-14 billion light years out, but that in no way is the “edge” of the universe.

      Sci-Fi may give people the impression that the stars themselves are more accessible now, but they really are not. As to grasping the distances involved, I suppose people are more or less inclined to believe they can do this just because measurements have been taken, and represented by usable numbers.

      I wonder how many people exposed only to ancient cosmologies would find the universe to seem either smaller or larger once introduced to modern cosmology. It would probably interests psychologists, sociologists, and anthropologists.

      • #2894214

        Not to mention

        by santeewelding ·

        In reply to Interesting.

        Being tripped up by “uni-“.

        Yes. I speak twice.

        • #2894160

          This, indeed, is a consideration.

          by seanferd ·

          In reply to Not to mention

          Both statements are worthy of consideration, in my thinking.

      • #2894212

        Less accessible, definitely…

        by ansugisalas ·

        In reply to Interesting.

        See, before it was taken for granted that God might move a person to the stars.
        This is not now a universally held idea.

      • #2894211

        See

        by santeewelding ·

        In reply to Interesting.

        Who comes out of the woodwork when you talk of these things…

        • #2894198

          Of course…

          by ansugisalas ·

          In reply to See

          how else would those wormholes get into the wouldwork to begin with?

      • #2884780

        crystal spheres?

        by john.a.wills ·

        In reply to Interesting.

        Ptolemy did not teach the doctrine of the crystal spheres; that was Aristotle (or someone earlier). Ptolemy thought the planets moved in cycles and epicycles.

    • #2894187

      I would hate to see…

      by jck ·

      In reply to size of the Universe

      the worm that makes a hole in space-time. :-0

    • #2894133
      Avatar photo

      So John what is it you are trying to say here?

      by hal 9000 ·

      In reply to size of the Universe

      I’m not really sure maybe it’s just that our concept of God is so wrong and who we incorrectly perceive as our God is just some Pimply faced Juvenile Delinquent doing a low Level Science Experiment under their bed at home.

      Naturally enough this spoty faced kid is no more aware of what it is he has done than we are of understanding why he did it. 😉

      Col

      • #2894119

        You’ve been watching Star Trek: The Original Series again, haven’t you?

        by boxfiddler ·

        In reply to So John what is it you are trying to say here?

        :^0

        • #2894100
          Avatar photo

          Who ME?

          by hal 9000 ·

          In reply to You’ve been watching Star Trek: The Original Series again, haven’t you?

          0:-)

          Actually I was starting to think we could restart

          [b]The Evolution Lie[/b] but then the nightmare of it sunk in and I ran away screaming for mercy.

          But then again after the Site Dedesign it may be worthwhile as you couldn’t possibly follow it. 😉

          Col

        • #2893697

          With the current format

          by charliespencer ·

          In reply to Who ME?

          it could never again achieve its legendary size or level of vitriol. The reduced level depth and ‘Take Offlines’ would gut it.

      • #2894099

        He’s simply stating the obvious…

        by ansugisalas ·

        In reply to So John what is it you are trying to say here?

        the universe is expanding into the big freeze because the pimply faced kid doesn’t want gays serving in the military… :p 😉

        • #2894070

          But…

          by jck ·

          In reply to He’s simply stating the obvious…

          what about cheese toast? tomato soup? The Stig? :-0

        • #2894042
          Avatar photo

          The Stig?

          by hal 9000 ·

          In reply to But…

          Which One?

          Black or White Stig?

          :p

          Col

        • #2894017

          Well of course…

          by jck ·

          In reply to The Stig?

          White Stig? Original White, Sacked White, or New White Stig? :p

          (yes, I watch UK Top Gear obsessively… 😉 )

          Edit: I forgot…there’s also American, Big (lorry driving), African and German Stigs too :^0

          I wonder if they’ll let new Stig take the Koenigsegg Agera R around Ehra-Lessien 😀

        • #2884803

          Chinese Stig

          by slayer_ ·

          In reply to Well of course…

          Definitely the funniest.

        • #2893696

          Whassa ‘Stig’?

          by charliespencer ·

          In reply to But…

          And what about platypus?

        • #2893684
          Avatar photo

          A Stig is a wild unknown beast

          by hal 9000 ·

          In reply to Whassa ‘Stig’?

          That drives cars fast and sometimes bends them in a big way so that the UK Media can complain bitterly about the idiots at Top Gear and their ways of doing things in a Most Unprofessional Media Type way.

          A Platypus is a strange animal native to Australia that most people refused to believe was real till they had a living one in their hot little hands and even then they refused to believe what their eyes showed them.

          Some to this day still believe that a platypus is the results of some Mad Genetic Engineering gone horribly wrong that was hidden from the public by the Government who is somehow involved in the Genetic Engineering to the determent of their people.

          Confused yet?

          Col :^0

        • #2891919

          I thought it was a Rutle.

          by seanferd ·

          In reply to A Stig is a wild unknown beast

          You know; Stig, Dirk, Nasty, and Barry Wom.

        • #2884801

          That same description works for the Stig

          by slayer_ ·

          In reply to A Stig is a wild unknown beast

          The Stig is a strange animal native to Europe that most people refused to believe was real till they had a living one in their hot little hands and even then they refused to believe what their eyes showed them.

          Some to this day still believe that the Stig is the result of some Mad Genetic Engineering gone horribly wrong that was hidden from the public by the Government who is somehow involved in the Genetic Engineering to the determent of their people.

        • #2884611

          The platypus

          by nicknielsen ·

          In reply to A Stig is a wild unknown beast

          constitutes absolute proof that [God / The Creator / The All-Father / Mother Nature / The Earth Mother / Your deity of choice] has a sense of humor…

    • #2893868

      Size of the universe is approximately an arm’s length, around me

      by delbertpgh ·

      In reply to size of the Universe

      Beyond that, everything gets vague and unessential.

    • #2893808
      Avatar photo

      OH I see

      by hal 9000 ·

      In reply to size of the Universe

      The base code of the universe is

      [i][b][u]26 06 2010[/i][/b][/u]

      And it’s big incredibly big so big that it’s incomprehensible and ridiculous.

      OH and the answer to the Ultimate Question of Life the Universe and Everything is

      [b][i][u]42.[/b][/i][/u]

      You can Thank Douglas Adams and the follow up Script writers of Doctor Who for your answer. See Dr Who is the answer to every possible question that could ever be asked.

      Understand now? 😉

      Col

    • #2884816

      Sticking with the Inflation theory. . .

      by jim’s brain ·

      In reply to size of the Universe

      If inflation is the force that created our universe from the Big Bang would it not stand to reason that we are still travelling in an outward motion and not at a constant coordinate in space? With this being said the universe is enlarging every second of every day, therefore there is no end to it. Ever expanding like the ripples in a pond when a stone is cast into it.

    • #2884778

      11 months’ hiatus, then

      by john.a.wills ·

      In reply to size of the Universe

      a new set of comments. I wonder what caused that. I also wonder why the actual water cooler is empty. Maybe there is a connection.

      • #2885322

        Maybe it’s related to

        by nicknielsen ·

        In reply to 11 months’ hiatus, then

        the mass exodus of TR peers after the rollout of the last site changes. (I refuse to call it an “upgrade”.)

        • #2885183

          I used to check this place every day, get trapped in a discussion weekly

          by delbertpgh ·

          In reply to Maybe it’s related to

          No more. It’s grown dull, and the people who care enough to write something interesting don’t come by any more. And it’s not just because, like Santee, they’re dead; this discussion forum has become a bore to use.

          Actually, the primary reason I would visit this site was for the off-topic discussions. I think TR may have gotten in its head to discourage them. If so, their strategy was a success.

        • #2885148

          Word.

          by seanferd ·

          In reply to I used to check this place every day, get trapped in a discussion weekly

           

        • #2885108

          The latest site redesign

          by nicknielsen ·

          In reply to I used to check this place every day, get trapped in a discussion weekly

          made it almost impossible to track subscribed discussions or to know who had made the most recent post in a discussion from the Discussions page.

          In less than a month, the regulars were pretty much gone and the WC essentially empty

    • #2884774

      It is what you make of it.

      by mjd420nova ·

      In reply to size of the Universe

      Whereever you go, there you are. I’ve got average size arms but others seem to have a larger universe, because of their arm length. Being that the time space boundary is impassable, we are stuck with what we can see. Understanding the universe and its rules are just as complex as understanding the atom and the rules that govern them. Stuck between a rock and an empty space.

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