Posted on 01/05/2014 8:22:25 AM PST by GodAndCountryFirst
South Pole Telescope scientists have detected for the first time a subtle distortion in the oldest light in the universe, which may help reveal secrets about the earliest moments in the universe's formation.
The scientists observed twisting patterns in the polarization of the cosmic microwave background -- light that last interacted with matter very early in the history of the universe, less than 400,000 years after the big bang. These patterns, known as "B modes," are caused by gravitational lensing, a phenomenon that occurs when the trajectory of light is bent by massive objects, much like a lens focuses light.
(Excerpt) Read more at sciencedaily.com ...
>> It’s a threat to the ignorant,
Skepticism is a worthwhile threat to theory.
Consider this:
Our theory on the age of the Universe, the speed of light, etc. is based on a 'measurement' that is only applicable and understood by the inhabitants of Earth. Nowhere else in the Universe is a 'year' the same length.
http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/nab2/does-big-bang-fit-with-bible
“This story of origins is entirely fiction. But sadly, many people claim to believe the big-bang model. It is particularly distressing that many professing Christians have been taken in by the big bang, perhaps without realizing its atheistic underpinnings. They have chosen to reinterpret the plain teachings of Scripture in an attempt to make it mesh with secular beliefs about origins.”
Genesis is not a science book. It doesn’t explain how the world was created. It is at a much higher level. Thus there is no inconsistency. I doubt we will agree. But i do wish you well.
Loved the graphic!
The latest theory is thepossiblity that our universe is
inside another universe, much larger.
Question, do scientists see back to the same point in ALL directions? Does the universe seem to show light 13.5 billion years old in all directions?
Yes. “Old light” is visible in all directions. The “microwave background radiation” indicative of that extreme age is roughly uniform whichever way you look; insofar as there are variations, they are consistent with expansion of gas from a very small space very long ago - to wit, all “seeing back to the same point”. It’s rather mind-bending to contemplate the time & distances involved, and to consider that what is seen very far away in every direction is entirely consistent with it all being closely packed together at one time ... but, when thoroughly contemplated, it does make sense.
And this indicates the problem I (and others) have with the “young earth” crowd: they seem grossly ignorant of the simple observable facts of reality. Universal microwave background radiation exists, and is consistent with having originated from a compact high-energy source. Fossils exist, types separated by strata consistent with biological change, geologic pressures & accumulation & erosion. Self-replicating complexity arises from very simple chemical processes. It’s not a matter of faith/belief, it’s a matter of just looking at what _is_; shouting “God made it!” is inadequate retort to “this is, why?”, especially when the “young Earth” position fails to address why God would, a mere 10,000 years ago, create (among other things) light which, by all sensible observation & consideration, appear to be 13.5 billion years old and (regardless of direction) originating from the same compact source. I reject the notion that God created many things in a “young” universe to look “old” to test our faith.
There is plenty of Genesis/Big-Bang consistency.
First, there was nothing.
Then, there was light.
Then, there was a separation of light from darkness.
Then, there was a separation of matter from empty space.
Then, there was aggregation of types of matter (such as water vs. dirt).
Then, there was self-replication of some kinds of matter.
Then, there was variation & separation of types of self-replicating matter into assorted plants & animals etc.
Then, there was emergence of “our kind” of “animal”.
Then, “our kind” discovered survival is hard and painful.
Then, one of “our kind” smashed in another’s head with a rock.
Genesis lays it all out in a few pages as could be understood by a scientifically ignorant society.
Modern astrophysics is trying to work out the details thereof.
I was just addressing how God makes His Universe appear to man.
I have no issue with an old universe. I believe the science. I also believe God made it. Ever since I started thinking about “inflation” it has drawn me to believe that the universe is a much larger than we can see. That’s why I asked about “can we see the same distance in ALL directions, because I don’t know the real science about the distances. This means either of two things. Either we are in the center of the universe, which could be coincidental but highly improbable; or the Universe is much larger than we can see and the light has not reached us yet. That would support the idea that inflation took place at a time when the current laws of physics did not apply and the rate of inflation was much faster than the speed of light..
Pardon my presumptions. Not a lot to go on sometimes...
The theory of “inflation” is oft described like dots on a balloon: the balloon expands, all dots get farther from all others, there is no “center” per se (as far as the dots can tell while existing on the surface), and all directions from any dot eventually converge at a single point despite all moving “away” from each other. The balloon can expand slower than the speed of light yet fast enough (esp. early on) that light from a distant point still takes a long time to reach a given point.
Physics always applies, but outer-limits cases do seem strange, and we may not understand all the applicable physics well enough (been only a century since relativistic physics was first considered). And none of it is inconsistent with God’s doing therein.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.