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Posted on 10/30/2014 7:58:13 AM PDT by C19fan
The largest physics experiment ever built is now testing the nature of reality. String theory, supersymmetry and other theories beyond the Standard Model are under scrutiny. More than 10,000 people have been involved. Total cost is nearing $10 billion. This, of course, is the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), which helped discover the Higgs Boson.
Simultaneously, the ACME experiment, run by a team of less than 50, built for a few million dollars (and much, much smaller), has created a more precise test of these advanced theoeries. This experiment hinges on an extremely painstaking and precise method to picture the shape and size of electrons.
(Excerpt) Read more at realclearscience.com ...
#10 it is what comes out of a can.
Here are some astro physicists learning about string theory
http://lukaskeapproth.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/grad-6.jpg
He’s noting that as the possible size of the electron shrinks, string theory is circling the drain, bringing government-funded mega projects with it.
” This is where a creator comes in,
one would think.”
And who created the Creator?
I have always wondered how we know for sure how big the Universe is. I actually wonder if we are able to see all the light that is produced in the Universe. For portions of the Universe that have traveled away from us on the farthest edge as we travel (expand) in the opposite direction away from the opposite edge, is there a limit or space and time in which light will never reach us?
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Your question is relevant and spot on in your reasoning. The fact is we don’t know how large or how old the universe is but, we have some ideas. The size is based on measurements and observations and taking red shift into account.
Because of the big bang theory there are certain assumptions that are made about the speed of the expansion of the universe. Because we can only see out to about 13-1/2 billion light years we suppose that is the size. The relatively recent very long exposures of the Hubble Space telescope of areas that were thought to be blank have been an eyeopening experience for Astronomers. Literally tens of thousands of galaxies that were not known to exist were seen and they were farther away than could have been explained a decade or so ago.
If a longer exposure didn’t show any more galaxies than we have already seen it would not prove there are none, it would be possible as you stated in your comment that light has simply not had enough time to reach us because it is so far away.
It is entirely possible that the universe is substantially larger but not substantially younger. It makes sense that the further away objects are from the center of the universe the faster they must be traveling. Since the number of photons decrease at the square of the distance and since leaving the shutter open for 14 days only illuminated to 13-1/2 Billion years I would wonder what we would see from a 200 day open shutter. If we see twice as many galaxies they would have to be further away, again expanding the known size of our universe.
I never took any stock in the String Theory stuff anyway.
I believe in God. I believe that God created the Heavens and The Earth. I don’t suppose to know how but believe He did. I believe He has created worlds without end, so to me the size of the universe is infinite.
I also don’t quite think I am ready to totally accept black holes either. I’m not saying they don’t exist but I’m certainly not ready to say they do, I don’t think the book is closed on that research yet. It seems like infinity goes both ways, maybe we can always divide matter into smaller parts and get smaller and smaller.
Being alive in a time when the observations that we have seen in the last several decades has been fun.
That’s why I stated that the size of the universe remains speculation.
My mind can’t comprehend an infinity, but those dark corners may be infinite.
Oh, you stayed at a Holiday Inn last night?
What should we do about Obola, oh wise one...
Your space-time centrism is showing.
From Amazon (emphasis added):
"In this illuminating book, the renowned theoretical physicist Lee Smolin argues that fundamental physics -- the search for the laws of nature -- losing its way. Ambitious ideas about extra dimensions, exotic particles, multiple universes, and strings have captured the public’s imagination -- and the imagination of experts. But these ideas have not been tested experimentally, and some, like string theory, seem to offer no possibility of being tested. Yet these speculations dominate the field, attracting the best talent and much of the funding and creating a climate in which emerging physicists are often penalized for pursuing other avenues. As Smolin points out, the situation threatens to impede the very progress of science. With clarity, passion, and authority, Smolin offers an unblinking assessment of the troubles that face modern physics -- and an encouraging view of where the search for the next big idea may lead."
From Amazon (emphasis added):
"In this illuminating book, the renowned theoretical physicist Lee Smolin argues that fundamental physics -- the search for the laws of nature -- losing its way. Ambitious ideas about extra dimensions, exotic particles, multiple universes, and strings have captured the public’s imagination -- and the imagination of experts. But these ideas have not been tested experimentally, and some, like string theory, seem to offer no possibility of being tested. Yet these speculations dominate the field, attracting the best talent and much of the funding and creating a climate in which emerging physicists are often penalized for pursuing other avenues. As Smolin points out, the situation threatens to impede the very progress of science. With clarity, passion, and authority, Smolin offers an unblinking assessment of the troubles that face modern physics -- and an encouraging view of where the search for the next big idea may lead."
Sorry for the double post...
I did. Strings were always better for the love scenes. Once I saw a movie where they used a tuba, but it just didn't have the same romantic feel to it.
Sheldon Cooper : )
That's funny. lol
That is a secret.
What should we do about Obola, oh wise one...
I don't know what an Oboloa is. It sounds like something we should flush. Apparently staying at a Holiday Inn isn't all that is advertised.
“Everything we think we understand is only an approximation.”
We don’t understand anything. We just have a lot of mathematical models.
“Science is the belief in the ignorance of experts” - Richard Feynman
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That quote shouldn’t be taken out of context. Here’s the context:
http://www.fotuva.org/feynman/what_is_science.html
He gave up on String Theory and is now working on Dark Matter.
Apparently he chose wisely.
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I thought Sheldon was forced to switch studies by his university against his wishes.
I find it interesting that the author didn’t seem to feel a need to comment on how many physicists support String Theory.
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The problem with String Theory is it’s purely based on mathematics and theory. Compare that to relativity and quantum mechanics which were solidly based on experimental results. In fact, relativity theory was mostly done by others before Einstein made the final and correct tweaks.
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