Part II of: Understanding Faith and Belief - and - When You Ponder Why You're Who You Are, What Happens?
In my 2011 essay Understanding Faith and Belief, I drew a literary corollary between my lack of understanding of the mathematics, physics, and scientific theory (as outlined by Michio Kaku as he explained the Theory of Everything) and those who claim to believe in a creator and possesses religious faith. I did this by referring to Professor Kaku as "the priest" and the lecture I was watching as in "my church".
As soon as I posted, nine years ago, I received this anonymous comment:
To which, I replied:
Well, Mr Snide, although this would not be considered anytime soon (by anyone's standard) it is a follow-up article. Also, it can be considered a follow-up to When You Ponder Why You're Who You Are, What Happens?
Recent scientific research has identified: Dark Energy may have never needed to exist; the entire universe may not be flat; and there is a possible explanation (which fits with our known physics) as to what Dark Matter might be made of.
Dark Energy was surmised to need to exist because (in the 1970s) a group of astrophysicists measured the speed at which distant galaxies were moving away from our galaxy. They expected galaxies would be moving away at the constant speed of space expansion. Instead, they claimed to discover, reported, and received Nobel Prizes for identifying: the further away a galaxy was, the faster it was moving away. Because this could not be explained, they used the term Dark Energy as a placeholder to describe this as-yet-unknown force which they claimed was 'speeding-up' distant galaxies.
The measurements and math of these 1970s-astrophysicists was recently re-examined. Instead of just examining 130-or-so galaxies from a small segment of the sky (like was done in the 1970s) the new team of astrophysicists measured thousands of galaxies from the entire sky. As a result: they failed to identify a consistent speeding up of all distant galaxies. Which will hopefully be re-checked by more scientists (hopefully, before they're all awarded Nobel Prizes) but this means that Dark Energy is and was an un-needed placeholder and is no longer a thing.
Flat or curved: Until now, space was observed to be flat, which was a term to describe the lack of curvature (not that it was flat like a two-dimensional surface, but that it was not concave or convex).
Which, I realize, is not any kind of explanation. Sorry, I barely understand this shit myself. Best I can do is say it this way: because everything in the observable universe is moving, it is almost impossible to "see" if the entirety of space itself has a shape—it was postulated that radiation traveled in a straight line, and the "fabric of space" was, therefore, flat. But, recently, it was measured that at immensely vast distances (hundreds of thousands of light years or more) a slight curvature was possibly identified.
I think this may have been measured in radio or x-ray wavelengths, not in light-waves. And, I have no idea what they used as a reference point to "see" the curvature. This - also - needs to be re-checked. However, if these measurements are confirmed by other scientists, it seems the entire universe is convex or concave. Which means it might-could double back on itself and be a sphere (huge question mark).
Dark Matter may be a fifth state of matter. Solid, Gas, Liquid, Plasma, and now maybe a form of ultra-hot or ultra-cold type of quantum-gas where the quantum particles (which normally make up molecules at all other temperatures) flow apart from their ability to form molecules and, instead, flow into themselves and form a totally new state of matter. A gas which has mass and which, accordingly, has a gravity component. The mathematics allegedly works.
As soon as I posted, nine years ago, I received this anonymous comment:
Mr Expert,
Are you going to have a follow up post or article about this anytime soon? :)
To which, I replied:
Mr Snide,
Nope.
Well, Mr Snide, although this would not be considered anytime soon (by anyone's standard) it is a follow-up article. Also, it can be considered a follow-up to When You Ponder Why You're Who You Are, What Happens?
Recent scientific research has identified: Dark Energy may have never needed to exist; the entire universe may not be flat; and there is a possible explanation (which fits with our known physics) as to what Dark Matter might be made of.
Dark Energy was surmised to need to exist because (in the 1970s) a group of astrophysicists measured the speed at which distant galaxies were moving away from our galaxy. They expected galaxies would be moving away at the constant speed of space expansion. Instead, they claimed to discover, reported, and received Nobel Prizes for identifying: the further away a galaxy was, the faster it was moving away. Because this could not be explained, they used the term Dark Energy as a placeholder to describe this as-yet-unknown force which they claimed was 'speeding-up' distant galaxies.
The measurements and math of these 1970s-astrophysicists was recently re-examined. Instead of just examining 130-or-so galaxies from a small segment of the sky (like was done in the 1970s) the new team of astrophysicists measured thousands of galaxies from the entire sky. As a result: they failed to identify a consistent speeding up of all distant galaxies. Which will hopefully be re-checked by more scientists (hopefully, before they're all awarded Nobel Prizes) but this means that Dark Energy is and was an un-needed placeholder and is no longer a thing.
Flat or curved: Until now, space was observed to be flat, which was a term to describe the lack of curvature (not that it was flat like a two-dimensional surface, but that it was not concave or convex).
Which, I realize, is not any kind of explanation. Sorry, I barely understand this shit myself. Best I can do is say it this way: because everything in the observable universe is moving, it is almost impossible to "see" if the entirety of space itself has a shape—it was postulated that radiation traveled in a straight line, and the "fabric of space" was, therefore, flat. But, recently, it was measured that at immensely vast distances (hundreds of thousands of light years or more) a slight curvature was possibly identified.
I think this may have been measured in radio or x-ray wavelengths, not in light-waves. And, I have no idea what they used as a reference point to "see" the curvature. This - also - needs to be re-checked. However, if these measurements are confirmed by other scientists, it seems the entire universe is convex or concave. Which means it might-could double back on itself and be a sphere (huge question mark).
Dark Matter may be a fifth state of matter. Solid, Gas, Liquid, Plasma, and now maybe a form of ultra-hot or ultra-cold type of quantum-gas where the quantum particles (which normally make up molecules at all other temperatures) flow apart from their ability to form molecules and, instead, flow into themselves and form a totally new state of matter. A gas which has mass and which, accordingly, has a gravity component. The mathematics allegedly works.
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