The Astronomy and Physics thread. And things of the like.

[PVarck31]

Re: The Astronomy and Physics thread. And things of the like.

http://now.howstuffworks.com/2016/01...ign=hswaccount

These stories seem to be the flavor of the week. I'm no planetary scientist. But it seems like the scope of our universe is something lost on these theories. I mentioned it before, but our radio waves have only traveled a diameter of 300 light years. That's less than a grain of sand in the cosmic scheme of things.

Soon we will be able to start analyzing the composition of exoplanets atmospheres. We haven't even begun to start the true search for life. When we can finally analyze atmospheric compositions of exoplanets and we don't find any signs of potential for life then maybe I will start to have doubts.

But at this point, with the sheer scope of the universe, and the staggering estimates of potential Earth-like planets out there, I still believe we will eventually find life.

[dickey1331]

Re: The Astronomy and Physics thread. And things of the like.

These stories seem to be the flavor of the week. I'm no planetary scientist. But it seems like the scope of our universe is something lost on these theories. I mentioned it before, but our radio waves have only traveled a diameter of 300 light years. That's less than a grain of sand in the cosmic scheme of things.



Soon we will be able to start analyzing the composition of exoplanets atmospheres. We haven't even begun to start the true search for life. When we can finally analyze atmospheric compositions of exoplanets and we don't find any signs of potential for life then maybe I will start to have doubts.



But at this point, with the sheer scope of the universe, and the staggering estimates of potential Earth-like planets out there, I still believe we will eventually find life.

I have no doubt we will find life. It's "intelligent" life that I have doubt on and it's probably a question we won't know in our lifetime.

[PVarck31]

Re: The Astronomy and Physics thread. And things of the like.

I think there is intelligent life in the universe. Everyone seems to think that they are millions of years ahead of us in technology but that's just an assumption. I mean there obviously could be far more advanced civilizations, but the odds are there are less of those than most people think.

I would imagine that due to fragility of life there are probably more civilizations who are closer to us in intelligence or less. This makes more sense. If this is the case then they either have no way to communicate or explore space, or their space exploration is limited like ours.

The fact of the matter is that if an intelligent alien civilization could communicate with us then they would have to be extremely more advanced than us, and also have found a way to travel through space faster than the speed of light. Which as far as we know is impossible. So if that law of physics holds up they would have to have discovered or created something like a worm hole. Which is theoretically possible, so I guess you never know. But I think there is also a chance that if these types of aliens exist they may not be interested in finding new civilizations. They may want to keep to themselves for fear of war or colonization. Or they may have a tight knit group of other civilizations that they have dealings with and may want to keep it that way.

But I think the former is a much more likely scenario. And would go a long way to explain why we haven't been communicated with.

[slickdtc]

Re: The Astronomy and Physics thread. And things of the like.

https://medium.com/vantage/mothballed-launch-sites-stand-as-monuments-to-the-us-space-program-32c2ed7666ad

Cool photographs of aging NASA equipment used in the past. History.

[Knight165]

Re: The Astronomy and Physics thread. And things of the like.

Okay a little semi-ancient N.Y.C. history.
When I was a kid...my father worked for N.Y.C. as an engineer....(not a train engineer.....)...and one of his areas was in Flushing Meadow Park in Queens.
A HUGE park with tons of activities....skating rink...pool.....9 hole golf course....playing fields and it was the site of the 1964 World's Fair.....
The N.Y. Hall of Science and the Hayden Planetarium are housed there.
My father used to get me into both when closed and I would get to check out everything up close and personal.
There are two rockets outside the N.Y. Hall of Science and Hayden Planetarium and while I couldn't go in them...I did get to go into the enclosure.
The star show...was probably the reason I fell in love with space and anything "out there"

Here are pics of the rockets...





It's actually a "rocket garden"




Here is the famous globe(the Unisphere)....with a sculpture of a Promethean Rocket Thrower in the foreground
...and the Pavilion from the World's Fair in the background.

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Very space oriented!

M.K.
Knight165

[PVarck31]

Re: The Astronomy and Physics thread. And things of the like.

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/scienc...um=socialmedia

[Knight165]

Re: The Astronomy and Physics thread. And things of the like.

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/scienc...um=socialmedia

Sneaky little galaxies.

M.K.
Knight165

[Jr.]

Re: The Astronomy and Physics thread. And things of the like.

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci-tech/gravitational-waves-discovery-would-open-up-new-world-of-science-20160210-gmqysz.html

Discovery of gravitational waves expected to be announced in a few hours. This is pretty huge and basically proves Einstein's Theory of Relativity, from what I've read.

[55]

Re: The Astronomy and Physics thread. And things of the like.

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci...10-gmqysz.html

Discovery of gravitational waves expected to be announced in a few hours. This is pretty huge and basically proves Einstein's Theory of Relativity, from what I've read.

http://www.iflscience.com/space/watch-live-major-gravitational-waves-announcement-today

Yep, just read about this a few minutes ago. This could be HUGE news.

[slickdtc]

Re: The Astronomy and Physics thread. And things of the like.

Read about what it means and my brain spun. I'll take scientists word for it that it will be a huge discovery/proof.

[Jr.]

Re: The Astronomy and Physics thread. And things of the like.

Interesting read:

http://www.rawstory.com/2016/02/the-laws-of-nature-make-life-on-other-planets-inevitable-according-to-this-groundbreaking-theory

[dickey1331]

Re: The Astronomy and Physics thread. And things of the like.

I feel like they are reaching saying that's why that is happening with that planet.

[PVarck31]

Re: The Astronomy and Physics thread. And things of the like.

I feel like they are reaching saying that's why that is happening with that planet.

I agree. It's a reach. But definitely interesting.

[PVarck31]

Re: The Astronomy and Physics thread. And things of the like.

Part of me just wants there to be aliens so Giorgio Tsoukalos can say "Told you it was aliens."

[Jr.]

Re: The Astronomy and Physics thread. And things of the like.

I feel like they are reaching saying that's why that is happening with that planet.

Yeah, there's a philosophical nature to examining the 2nd law of Thermodynamics with that explanation.