Supernovas are mind-boggling. But supernovas are not all the same. For example, magnetars. Like other neutron stars, magnetars are around 20 kilometres (12 mi) in diameter and have a mass 2–3 times that of the Sun. The density of the interior of a magnetar is such that a thimble full of its substance would have a mass… Continue reading Magneto’s star
Pondering the infinitely large and small, … there’s the neutrino. Grok this: “The sun is emitting neutrinos like mad, so that about a hundred trillion of them pass through your body every second , …” — Carroll, Sean (2016-05-10). The Big Picture: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself (p. 177). Penguin… Continue reading Neutrino madness
When I was in grad school studying theology, philosophy, psychology and physics, naturalism was a term that I had to be careful using. There’s a long history of knocks on that term. I still remember the tone of the philosophy department that was my academic base for awhile. When I started talking about an essentially… Continue reading No God, no gaps
Naturalism — philosophy based on a natural philosophy or ontology — has had a problematic history. In the history of science, in the general history of thought. In the last 50 – 100 years, arguments for naturalism have been strengthened by two major developments: empirical cosmology and the concept of emergence. This has happened despite… Continue reading Emergence, not reduction
One of the major sources of confusion I’ve encountered in reading about modern physics is the discussion of gravity. No surprise, eh. Classical mechanics includes both Newtonian and relativistic mechanics. In Newtonian physics, gravity is an attractive force, which acts at a distance between all objects; and can be represented as a universal gravitational field.… Continue reading GR: Chicken or egg redux
We’re all familiar with the saying, “which came first, the chicken or the egg?” So, I have a similar problem with modern cosmology: which came first, fields or particles? After the Big Bang … Well, the answer is sort of neither. There was a long evolutionary path from earlier organisms to creatures that laid eggs… Continue reading BB: Chicken or egg redux
Remember the “Powers of 10” video from 1977? Perhaps this visualization needs to be updated, eh. A 21st century version? Among others, modern cosmology depends on the work of Max Planck. He was a seminal figure in changing our view of the world and universe. Just look at the List of things named after Max… Continue reading Planck world
When I started reading some of the latest books by well-known physicists, I realized that there were some foundational concepts and terminology that I needed to revisit and review. Thanks, Wikipedia (to which I have indeed donated money). So, I’m not talking about Einstein’s famous E = mc^2. No, something more basic: energy and entropy.… Continue reading Starting with ‘e’ it’s a mystery
So, one of the things that’s always bothered me in stories (film, TV, etc.) is magical powers. Sure, that can be entertaining. These stories are engaging because of strong characters, their conflict (the essential ingredient of any great story), and the ethical dilemmas over use of such powers. We expect magic in classical fairy tales (or in Harry Potter… Continue reading Magic Exclusion Principle
So, after viewing some documentaries on modern physics and reading some books by “rock stars” in the field (see below), I felt a need to revisit my past musings, review topics and terminology, and organize all the “wow!” and “huh?” moments in my exploration. Recent media experiences: Everything and Nothing, two linked TV documentaries on Cosmology (Everything about… Continue reading Pondering the infinitely small and large
