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Small Thoughts on Big Questions - by Winston

Small Thoughts on Big Questions

Moving!

May 15th 2007 20:34

There I was, minding my own business, when suddenly I was blessed to receive the words of the Almighty Orble Gods. "Ye," they said unto me, "wouldst thou like a domain blog?" And thus thoughtzone.net is born.

Much like this blog, I will ponder big, strange issues. I may also start focusing on smaller topics as well (pretty much whatever mood I'm in). I might bounce from religion to immigration to Bigfoot and back again. The point is to question and to think, regardless of the issue. It's pretty dull, though, if no one agrees or disagrees with me and I'm essentially talking to myself. So, feel free to read the new blog and shower me with either a) praise or b) less praise or c) abject hatred. I'm pulling for a) or b), but I'll take what I can get.

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Question #7 -- Universal questions

May 7th 2007 20:14

I really hate it when I wake up at 3:00 a.m. with some weird, deep thoughts running through my brain. First of all, it's 3:00 a.m. and, sorry brain, I really would just like to sleep. Got to get up and go to work, you know. Second, I can never remember exactly what I was thinking about in any real detail when the alarm clock goes off.

This is what happened to me very early this morning. I'm pretty sure I was having a good, deep inner dialog, but unfortunately I told the voice in my head to shut up and go back to sleep. What I managed to recall this morning, though hazy, was interesting. Essentially, the question I was asking myself was: what is the nature of the universe?

Let me make one thing perfectly clear: I have no idea about how to answer this question. With the exception of having a great interest in astronomy and cosmology, tempered by very limited skill and comprehension in these areas, I have no qualifications whatsoever to even begin to address this sort of question. My point? Take whatever I say here with a very small grain of salt.

The universe is large. So large, in fact, that it is scarcely possible for the human mind to comprehend its magnitude. Numbers like 93,000,000 miles (the distance from the Earth to the Sun -- also known as one Astronomical Unit, or AU) are vast. We can conceive of the number 93,000,000 in theory, but even this number is really too large for us to truly understand. How then to understand distance and size on the cosmic scale, where 93,000,000 miles is a pitifully small number. It is over 40 AU's just to get to Pluto, within our very own solar system. That's about 4 billion miles just to get out towards our own back yard. The next closest star is Alpha Centauri, about 4 light-years away. A light-year, of course, is the distance that light travels in one year. With light moving at a speed of 186,000/second, a light-year is about equal to 5.9 trillion miles. That makes Alpha Centauri about 24 trillion miles away. Raise your hand if you can conceive what a number that large really means.....yeah, not a lot of hands flying up. One more huge number to finish up with: our galaxy, the Milky Way, is 100,000 light-years across. That's 590,000,000,000,000,000 miles. Honestly, that number doesn't even make sense. When you consider that this number only involves the diameter of our own galaxy, and that there are a couple hundred billion more galaxies out there, it is truly incomprehensible.

What I'm driving at here is our notion of size. To a human being traveling on a tiny, rocky speck orbiting an anonymous star in the suburbs of the galaxy, these numbers are towering, staggering monstrosities that we can't hope to truly understand. But, on the universal scale, they are quite small. We assign meaning to concepts like "size" and "distance" based upon our own fragile stature. In reality, our notions of scale are completely inconsequential.

Time is another concept that fries the mind. Many people get bound up thinking about what happened "before" the Big Bang, or what will happen "after". This is completely understandable. We live linear lives. Conception, birth, life, death. This order is the same whether you're a wasp or a whale. The universe seems to have followed the same path. Obviously it started at some point, and based on our current observations it will end at some point (although the how and when of this event are still murky and so far away in time as to be a meaningless discussion for the human race). However, time itself begins when the universe begins. There can't be time in the absence of movement or matter to record it. Time is a consequence of the motion, birth, and decay of the universe. Speaking about what happened "before" the universe started ends up being a question with no answer. There is no "before" to speak of.

Imagine, as some people do, that our current universe is just the latest in a perpetual series of expansions, collapses, and rebirths. In this instance, everything is broken down and completely reformed continually. The old timeline is wiped out, and a new one begins. Under this model, it's possible that there have been many civilizations that have existed in preceding universes. However, it's not correct to speculate that these civilizations are older than ours. They may have existed much longer than ours and grown far more advanced than ours. But to say they existed before we did implies that there is some way that we could look back, like cosmic archaeologists. There is not. Under this model, instead of one linear stream of time like this,

Time------->--------------->- --------------->------------- ->

we have many separate, unrelated, incomparable timelines, like this:

TimeA------->--------->Crunch
TimeB------->--------->Crunch
TimeC------->--------->Crunch
etc.

It is commonly remarked that there is a very large set of conditions that exist in the universe that, had they formed only slightly differently, would have rendered the universe uninhabitable. If gravity were not just so, if the temperature at the Big Bang had been a fraction of a degree hotter, if matter had not won out, by one particle-per-billion, over anti-matter during the formation of the universe, I would not be typing this right now. Taken together, the odds of all these conditions occurring in just the right way to favor life are astronomically low. However, if we consider that these properties resulted by chance during an infinite succession of universes, such as in this model, then the odds are overwhelmingly increased in our favor.

One of the problems with this model, despite how neat and tidy it sounds, is that all the most current cosmological research indicates that the universe will not collapse back into itself and start over (i.e., The Big Crunch). It appears that the rate of expansion in the universe is actually increasing, driven by the still mysterious force described as dark energy. This dark energy, of unknown origin, makes up the bulk of the energy in the universe. Astronomers believe that it is responsible for accelerating the rate of universal expansion. In time, galaxies will be moving away from each other so quickly that the light escaping from them will never reach us. At that point we will not be able to observe any more changes in our universe outside of our immediate neighborhood. The universe itself will continue to expand and decay, until galaxies and stars break down into their component atoms, and the decay will continue even further until even the atoms themselves dissolve into drifting particles in the void. It sounds unpleasant, but it's really pretty cool if you think about it. Or maybe that's just me....

At any rate, this predicted end to the universe does not sound compatible with the idea above of a continuously "reincarnated" universe. Personally, I favor a different idea: that of the multiverse. This idea essentially expands upon what we see all around us. The universe is composed of galaxies, galaxies are composed of stars orbited by planets, stars and planets are composed of atoms and molecules, atoms and molecules are composed of electrons, protons, and neutrons, which are composed of quarks and neutrinos.....there seems to be a spectrum of near-infinite "largeness" balanced by nearly infinite "smallness". As I mentioned earlier, our ability to conceptualize size and scope is incredibly limited. Anything over or under a certain threshold is essentially nonsensical to our little minds. Why, then, is it not possible that our observable universe is not simply a bubble or particle in a much larger structure? Is that any harder to imagine than trying to conceive of distances such as 5.9 trillion miles x 10,000,000,000?

I know, this sounds like something I should be discussing while taking bong hits and listening to Pink Floyd. It is, at this point, entirely unfalsifiable and essentially is meta-science. It is certainly closer to theology or philosophy than hard science. Anyone who has read anything else I've written should be aware that I don't put too much stock into ideas that are entirely speculative and unfounded. About all I can say in defense of this idea is that, unlike notions of creator gods, this idea follows the model that we see every day. It follows a logical progression of ideas and observations. If we ever gain the ability to truly test the nature of the universe (and this is doubtful) it is all too likely that the multiverse theory will fall flat on its face. Most likely, every idea that we have on this topic is wrong. Perhaps it will turn out that the universe is the way it is because it couldn't exist any other way. It is only by radically expanding our understanding of cosmology and physics that we could possibly determine that. The road to that knowledge is very long and exceedingly difficult. And why shouldn't it be? Our earliest stabs at science only go back 2000 years, and our first glimmers of real scientific theory only go back a few hundred. Why should we even dare to dream that we will unlock the fundamental secrets of this 14 billion-year-old universe any time soon? The only answer I can give is to say that the quest to truly understand our origins is the deepest and most noble task which we can assign to ourselves. It may well be beyond our reach, but that is no reason not to extend our hands.

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Ambushed by time.....

April 23rd 2007 15:28

"The older you get the faster time goes by." I'll never forget my mom saying that to me when I was little. At the time it didn't make any sense, of course. How could time go faster as you get older? Time was time, right? All I knew was that summer days seemed to stretch on to infinity, and the minute hand moved tortuously slowly throughout the school day.

And now, here I am. 30 years old today. How the hell did that happen??? Somehow, between the time my mom spoke those words and right now, I went to high school and college, moved to NYC for a while, moved back to Massachusetts, got married, and have now turned 30. Yesterday I was 8, playing in the woods in my back yard, and when I woke up this morning I had a mortgage and a receding hair line.

I'm certainly not the first person to make this observation. I think we all pause now and then and think, "whoa.....where did that 20 years go?" I don't know what to do about this. The more I think about it and try to hold on and slow things down, the more the sand slips through my fingers. The older I get, time DOES seem to go by faster. It makes sense, of course. When you're a kid, your time is broken up into chunks. School is interrupted by summer vacation. For a long time everything is a series of firsts: first sleepover, first dance, first time driving, first part-time job, etc. When everything is new it demands your focus. Being in school, learning new things.....this requires focusing on the moment. That sort of focus, I think, makes it feel as though time is elongated.

Fast-forward to real life: same job each day, no summer vacation, no learning new things all the time (not in the same way as during childhood, I mean). Sameness allows time to bleed together. The edges get fuzzy. Weeks go by now with a rapidity that I find continually astonishing. I've been alive for 1560 weeks so far. If I'm lucky I'll live another 2340 or so. It sounds like a lot, but I know that it isn't.

So maybe that's the secret then. Focus on the moment, enjoy the now. Learn new things. Pay attention to each day for the unique moment that it is, not the continual drone of time that it sometimes appears to be. Huh. I guess that's not really much of a secret at all.

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Goodbye, Kurt Vonnegut

April 12th 2007 23:39

It's been some time now since I've contributed anything new to this blog. Other obligations, distractions, and endless whatnots have kept me from focusing attention here. But, when a figure as essential and irreplaceable as Kurt Vonnegut departs the world, there is no justifiable way to allow him to go unheralded. So here it is, my few, fumbling words of tribute to a man who has already been drowned in it. Consider this writing one more drop in an ocean -- it makes no real difference, but every little bit helps.

My first exposure to Mr. Vonnegut's writing was about 8 years ago, when I picked up Slaughterhouse Five on a whim. I don't know what I expected, but surely it was not the seemingly-unfocused-science-f iction-but-actually-sharply-f urious-and-sadly-humorous tome that I worked through. I say worked, because while the book was slim, and the writing simple, the emotions were so genuine that one could not simply read the words and call it a day. I had to take on their weight, feel the pain, loss, and fragile hope embedded in them. This was work. Never have I read a book so seemingly light, and yet so deceptively heavy. When I was finished, I was left with the sensation of having learned something truly profound. If pressed, though, I would have had a hard time saying exactly what

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Question #6 -- Stem Cell Ethics and Cloning Conundrums?

March 5th 2007 20:24

Here's two topics that are sometimes lumped together. In reality, they are quite different discussions. But, since they are often discussed together, and to save myself the trouble of doing two different posts, I'll address them both here. Today's question is: what are the truths and ethics of stem cell research and cloning technology?

Let's start with the current political hot potato, stem cells. For years debates have raged over the ethics, efficacy, techniques, etc. of using stem cells to treat disease. Stem cells are seen by many researchers as having the potential to change modern medicine. They can divide many, many times without suffering from damaging mutations or degeneration, unlike regular cells. They can become practically any type of tissue that is desired. It has been speculated that stem cells may be used to treat diseases* such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, spinal cord injury, stroke, burns, heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis (*as indicated on the National Health Institute's website). This sounds amazing, doesn't it? We stand on the threshold of a new medical age, where the treatment of ailments previously thought to be beyond our ability to cure may be possible. So, everyone must be thrilled about this, right? Applauding and anticipating research results? Not quite

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Question #5 - Is the End Really Near?

February 27th 2007 21:38

You know, sometimes you just want to read something about puppies, or rainbows, or little kids playing in the hazy sunlight of a green July afternoon. If you are in the mood to read something like that at present, please, do yourself a favor and go to another post. Today's question is: are we near the end of the world?

If you believe what a large number of evangelical Christians believe, then you may be convinced that we are due for the imminent appearance of Jesus in an event known as the Rapture. According to RaptureReady.com, our current "Rapture index" is 156. Apparently this is not the highest it's ever been, but it's still higher than average (I guess it's sort of like having high, but not fatally high, cholesterol levels). The index is compiled by measuring various world events against a biblical measuring stick, and determining how it all adds up against the requirements necessary for Jesus' return. The core of this belief entails all of Jesus' devoted followers being magicked up to Heaven in the blink of an eye, leaving behind all of their troubles, earthly possessions-- even their clothes! The righteous multitude is whisked away to bask in God's presence, as well as having a front row seat to view the hell and carnage that the unfortunate sinners left on earth get to experience. The popularity of the recent Left Behind book series is good evidence of just how enamored with this idea some on the Christian right have become

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Question #4 -- The Real Deal

February 26th 2007 16:07

This is a topic that has exactly ONE right answer. Unfortunately, no one really knows what that answer is, or how to define it. Of course, that doesn't mean that all ideas on the subject are equally valid. It just means that there is no complete, concise answer to the question. And that question is: what is reality?

I know right from the start here that no one is going to agree on this subject. Most of the time we can't agree on which TV shows are terrible and which are good, so how can we possibly agree on how to interpret the flood of sensory input that we call reality? I won't pretend to know the answer to this question: this is more an excuse to throw a few ideas against the wall and see what sticks, and to invite comments

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Question #3 -- I Can't Say WHAT??

February 23rd 2007 14:53

OK, the last couple of posts have picked at big, larger-than-life issues. Today I'd like to tone it down a bit and wrestle with something a bit more mundane. It's a topic that concerns us all, and threatens to repress us all. So, today's question is: what's wrong with political correctness?

We humans have certainly run quite the meandering marathon when it comes to our freedom of expression. True freedom of expression is a relatively new invention. For most of human history, the king/pharaoh/state/etc. has exercised tremendous clout over which ideas were permissible to express and which were not. Freedom of expression was not encouraged: in fact, since early civilizations tended to incorporate their various religious practices into their politics (yes, I'm aware that that's hardly an unknown factor today --another post for that one), speaking in any manner not consistent with mandates from the government was a very serious offense, tantamount to blasphemy. Even in more secular states, punishment could be meted out by the rulers at their whim. Avoiding those whims was far more pressing to the populace than was making controversial points. Hardly encouraging scenarios for free speech

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Question #2 -- Aliens?

February 22nd 2007 14:57

I admit, to me this isn't all that big of a question. It's hardly an issue that keeps me awake at night. But, it is worth some discussion, so here goes.

Since the Roswell incident in 1947, a new mythology has been shaping up in America. The premise is that we are being visited by an advanced alien civilization capable of traveling vast distances through space (actually, there are some who speculate that we are visited by numerous alien civilizations. Apparently the earth is an intergalactic tourist area. Who doesn't love Disney?). The purported reasons why this might be so are as numerous as the people claiming to have seen a UFO. While the alien craze may have peaked in the 70's-80's, this idea is still alive and strong today. So, the question is: are we being visited by aliens

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1st Question -- Life After Death?

February 21st 2007 15:00

I'm starting my questions in earnest with the biggest and baddest of them all. It's the 1000 lb. gorilla in the room -- the question of what happens to us after we die. The theories range from the wistfully hopeful (I get to see grandma again in heaven!) to the arrogant (I'll go to heaven with God while the unrighteous burn in hell!) to the arduous (I will be reborn in various forms until my karma is sufficient to be united with Brahman) to the extremely bizarre (I will be transported to the spaceship that hides in the tail of Comet Hale-Bopp and live with the aliens).

Let's all assume we agree that most people believe that some variation of the above happens after death. The question is: why? Societies throughout history have believed in an existence after death. Afterlife concepts have grown over millennia, shaped by the cultures in which they thrive. While the details vary greatly ("Reincarnation is ridiculous! Everyone knows that when you die you go to Lollipop Mountain and frolic in the Cotton Candy Fields!"), the basic premise is the same. In fact, tales of an afterlife are a component of nearly every mythology that we have studied

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May 2007

2 Posts

April 2007

2 Posts

March 2007