[RightWingAtheist]

I found the link to this news article on the Fermilab website. Annoyingly, Yahoo has removed about half of its science categories, including particle physics, from its news section.

[B.Bumbleberry]

Bump for an interesting article.

This explosion of new discoveries brings to mind a great physics professor of mine in school, who got up the last day of class and read from a newspaper clipping. It quoted a leading scientist at a national science gathering, who said that all the major discoveries in science had now been made, and it only remainded to flesh out some of the finer details. My professor then read the date of the article--sometime in the late 1800s (I forget the exact date).

We are on the upper asymtote of a geometrical explosion of knowledge. Each succeeding decade is going to be more remarkable than the last. The wonders my children will see can't even be imagined today.

[concerned about politics]

Today, that search is going to extreme lengths, as scientists posit hidden realms, such as extra dimensions or parallel subuniverses, that could help make sense of our apparently random cosmos. They're also planning giant experiments that may turn up hints of these shadow universes.

The Bible also speaks of 3 heavens in an unseen area. Biblical theologins say there may be as many as 7 different demensions- a Holy number in the scriptures.
The Bible says in the end of time as we now it, the "veil" between these universes, i.e., between the seen and unseen demensions, will be lifted.
Quantum physicists throughout the ages have come to a conclusion that something, a word, thought, a push, had to have started everyhing somewhere. Many of the quantum physicists were very spiritual people, but somehow had to be able to mathmatically explain their theories. That's where the separation of spirituality, or what they refered to as mysticism, divided it and the world of physics as we know it today. They couldn't put the mystery of the unseen into a mathmatical, physical formula.
I've reciently been reading a book titled "Quantum Questions" by Ken Wilber. He's compiled the various theories between mystisism and quantum theories by Heisenberg, Schrodinger (who's cat is STILL dead), Einstein, De Brogle, Jeans, Planck, Pauli, and Eddington. So far, I'm just starting the 7th chapter.

[Theo]

If the universe is "unattractive" and "ugly," then why are these scientists so enamored by it, to the point of making it their life-work?

And I'd posit that the universe is not "hodge-podge" or "random," but more complex than our mortal minds can fathom.

I'd argue that the universe is full of wonder beyond our imagination, a thing worthy of our fascinated investigation. :-)

[lonevoice]

Bump for a good read.

[irv]

Experimenters see a good chance that a new, more powerful version of Fermilab's Tevatron particle accelerator or the European Large Hadron Collider, due in a few years, may slam protons, electrons, and other particles together so hard that signals of big extra dimensions will finally turn up.

Signals from aliens with giant brains (note spelling), poking into our universe and yelling, "Stop that!"

[sourcery]

Coming soon to a universe near you: Pinky and the Brane!

[Aracelis]

Ping for the science "branes"!

[djf]

Good article. It points out something I've been saying all along, that run-of-the-mill scientists refuse to see the true nature, and revert to "dark matter" as nauseum, when all it takes is a simple look at G to see we are talking topology.

But nothing that explains the expansion of the universe tells about life, a different matter entirely, it's easy to understand the pulse of life, but impossible to know it's destiny.

[ovrtaxt]

Such a negative attitude in this article. Ugly? Random? I was waiting for the subject of Einstein's search for the Grand Unification Theory to come up when I read this:

Then there is the "fine-tuning" problem. The universe appears marvelously constructed to produce stars, planets, and life. Scientists have calculated that if the force binding atomic nuclei were just 0.5 percent different, the processes that forge atoms inside stars would have failed to produce either carbon or oxygen--key ingredients for life. If gravity were only slightly stronger or weaker, stars like our sun could not have formed. Yet physicists see no reason why the constants of nature are set just so.

No reason? Denial of deliberate or intelligent design at even this level? What do these physicists want, a Book spelling it all out? (Oh, wait, never mind...)

[aruanan]

Perhaps, as many religious people say, God exists and wanted it this way--case closed. For many scientists, who try to avoid supernatural explanations, the accumulation of mysteries merely signals that the time is right for a breakthrough.

Ha ha. The false dichotomy. One breakthrough has already happened. It's just that too many have too much vested interests to protect to acknowledge Halton Arp and others' observations of quasars that serves up a dead Big Bang complete with little X's over its eyes. And this matter of vested interest is not a small consideration. In my own field, I know of someone whose very solid work is regularly slammed. Once at a conference some other scientist threw something across the room and stalked out. At another, a guy yelled at him, saying that he was messing with people's lives, with their careers. Ooh, I guess we can't have a better or more complete understanding of nicotinic acid receptors do anything like upset someone else's comfy career based on an incomplete understanding. That just wouldn't be nice.

[fso301]

I'll read this later

[Semper Paratus]

Baha'i cosomology says there are "many worlds of God" and here is just one of them.

[M Kehoe]

Good post.

Today, that search is going to extreme lengths, as scientists posit hidden realms, such as extra dimensions or parallel subuniverses, that could help make sense of our apparently random cosmos.

Mr. Bahcall continues...

This fading glow of the big bang reveals our universe at about 370,000 years (less than a 10,000th of its current age) and holds clues to its exact age and mix of matter and energy...

Makes you wonder if there is an Intelligence out there that has bridged the space/time continuum.

5.56mm

[Jmouse007]

I am not "confused" the answer is quite evident, but men is their "wisdom" refuse to believe it. The answers to the article are found here:

"The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.

Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge.

There is no speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard.

Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their utterances to the end of the world. In them He has placed a tent for the sun,

Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber; It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.

Its rising is from one end of the heavens, And its circuit to the other end of them; And there is nothing hidden from its heat." (Psalm 19:1 -1 6)

For He (The Lord Jesus Christ) rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,

in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

And He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

For BY HIM ALL THINGS were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and INVISIBLE, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.

He is before all things, and in Him all things HOLD TOGETHER." (Colossians 1:13 - 17 Emphasis mine)

The Lord Jesus Christ created it all and He is the superglue, the mysterious force that is holding it all together.

That is the answer plain and simple and God even gave it to us!

But men in their pride refues to believe, note the statement in the article:

Then there is the "fine-tuning" problem. The universe appears marvelously constructed to produce stars, planets, and life. Scientists have calculated that if the force binding atomic nuclei were just 0.5 percent different, the processes that forge atoms inside stars would have failed to produce either carbon or oxygen--key ingredients for life. If gravity were only slightly stronger or weaker, stars like our sun could not have formed. Yet physicists see no reason why the constants of nature are set just so.

To some, this is all good news. Perhaps, as many religious people say, God exists and wanted it this way--case closed. For many scientists, who try to avoid supernatural explanations, the accumulation of mysteries merely signals that the time is right for a breakthrough.

How sad, the answer is right in front of their face, but becaue they refuse to add God to their equasion, they are left looking for some unknown, mysterious "breakthrough".

The following scripture is so appropriate to this situation it is enough to bring one to tears.:

19For it is written,

“I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE,

AND THE CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I WILL SET ASIDE.”

20Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made FOOLISH the wisdom of the world? 21For since in the wisdom of God the world THROUGH IT’S WISDOM DID NOT COME TO KNOW GOD, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for WISDOM; 23but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles FOOLISHNESS, 24but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25Because the foolishness of God is WISER than men, and the weakness of God is STRONGER than men.

26For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 27but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to SHAME the wise, and God has chosen the WEAK things of the world to shame the things which are strong, 28and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, 29so that no man may boast before God. 30But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, 31so that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.” (1Corinthians 1:19 – 31 Emphasis mine)

[Kyrie]

Regarding this article and the comments on Schrodinger's Cat...

I would be much more charitable towards the quantum physicists if they would either

1. Give an operational definition of "measurement" that is consistent with experimental results and not too absurd, OR
2. Admit that the current understanding of quantum mechanics has holes that you could drive a train through.

BTW, "decoherence" didn't seem to be getting much traction for the "measurement problem" when I looked a few months back. They STILL don't have a good answer for the Schrodinger's Cat question. When does the probability wave collapse? What particular event (on the particle scale) precipitates the collapse? Why doesn't the entire universe exist in a state of quantum superposition of ever-increasing complexity?

[Capitalism2003]

anyone have a physics ping list? add me!

[aruanan]

Pink Matter Alert II

[TopQuark]

simplify fundamental particles like quarks[?]

Never. Over my dead body.

[hosepipe]

"We know less than 1/1,000,000th of a percent about anything." - Albert Einstein

[myself6]

Liberals...

The "liberal" mindset invades even physics.

They want the universe to be a specific way. They want the rules to be simple and "beautiful". They are disheartened as they discover the truth or they completely ignore it. They continue to try and shape the universe to match the image they have in their minds, instead of letting the universe shape their mental image.

They will never be able to control or even comprehend all the variables that construct and continually shift this universe on an atomic or galactic scale. Those with the "liberal" mindset who realize this truth become dejected and ramble about an "ugly universe" and such.

This same mindset is what keeps the socialists going or drives them into misery. They make the same mistakes about humans as they do with the universe. They want the rules to be simple. They want the variables to be few and easily controlled. The realities they construct are so disjointed from everything that is real that they consistently dissolve into a chaotic yet predictable mess. Those who are given no choice but to see the true nature of the universe and human nature; a glimpse at the infinite scale of variables are driven to misery, loathing and hatred.

The universe and human nature are ugly things to those who wish to control them; and that is one of the things makes them beautiful.


I just couldn’t resist writing this. I know it has very little to do with the technical aspects of the article. It was the thought process and mindset of these people that caught my attention. I find it rather comical that the more they find out about the universe the uglier it is to them. You don’t use adjectives like ugly unless you have some type of negative feeling or thought about the subject.