In the history of science, physicists have appeared to know everything & nothing — having all the answers or few, if any (like politicians, eh). Some have ventured into philosophy and religion; others have “retreated” into math as the only explanation (making it inaccessible to a general audience). Some physicists you might want to have a… Continue reading Pieces on the gameboard
Lately in reading about modern physics and watching video interviews on contemporary cosmology, the number 10^100 (ten to the power of 100) kept coming up. Well, I found out probably why. Googol (not Google) is a large number: “In decimal notation, it is written as the digit 1 followed by one hundred 0s.” A googol has… Continue reading Googol, googolplex
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
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
