I posed some of my questions to my astronomy professor and here are his responses.
1. If the universe is eternally expanding, is it possible to be completely motionless?
Motionlessness is just as relative as motion is. One object can neither be motionless nor have an absolute velocity-- motion is a relationship between at least two objects. In relativity, anyway-- who knows how that view might change. So the expansion of the universe is a statement about the increasing distances of things that are very far from us-- but something very nearby could have no motion relative to us. However, complete motionlessness is an impossible limit-- at some level there would always have to be some motion, but we might not be able to detect it with a particular instrument.
2. If I could accelerate the earth until the entire thing was moving at the speed of light would time stop on the earth? Would people on earth age or be able to procreate? Would mechanical objects such as watches stop? Would people not age but still die because they wouldn't be able to digest/cook food/ have natural body processes?
No, there is no speed, relative to something else, that would make Earth's time appear to stop-- because we would always think it was the other thing whose time had stopped. They would think our time stopped, but we wouldn't think that. However, all the other things that were moving at the speed of light, which in your situation would be the whole rest of the universe, would be so length contracted in the direction of the motion that the whole universe would seem to be right at our doorstep and it would have to be infinite for us to not run into the end of it very quickly. Basically, it is an impossible scenario to be moving at the speed of light, for anything but light.
3.If everything is accelerating away from everything else at increasing speeds could it be visually represented as dots (representing objects in space planets etc.) inside of bubbles and the bubbles continually get larger pressing every surrounding bubble away from them and being pressed away as well?
Yes, bubbles or balloons are a commonly used analogy. They work for a two-dimensional universe that closes back on itself, but ours has three spatial dimensions and probably does not close back on itself, so the analogy can't be taken too seriously, but it's not too bad.
I am on a Roll
I keep thinking of things and it feels good. I emailed one of my professors about some of my questions. BUT my latest thoughts are about the expansion of the universe.
Every galaxy in the universe is getting further away from overy other galaxy in the universe. Research suggests it is doing this at an increasing speed. Here's the way I visualize it. Imagine Dots (each representing a galaxy) around each dot is a sphere or bubble, the bubbles are increasing in size, pushing every other bubble away but also getting pushed by every bubble, meaning they are all distancing themselves from every other one. Say every bubble grows at the rate of doubling in size every hour. If it starts with a diameter of 2inches, in an hour it will have a diameter of 4 inches, and in two 8 inches. Basically each bubble would grow exponentially and that would cause acceleration. If the universe's expansion is accelerating this must mean there is a constant energy source causing this. I have Three theories.
1. There could be an outside force at some far distanced "border" to the universe pulling all objects equally.
-This seems hard to believe because the way I understand most forces the act more forcefully on objects closer to them (just thinking of gravity here) so things further from the border wouldnt be accelerating as fast as one's on the border.
2. The universe is finite, and is contained in something that is being depressurized. Ever seen a marshmallow in a vacuum chamber? it expands. Think of the universe as that marshmallow in a vacuum chamber.
-This one needs more thought
3.There is as scientists say some dark energy throughout that propels the expansion. Either this is an infinite source of energy, or it is finite and eventually the expansion will stop, the moving objects having taken all the energy from the dark matter.
-Random thought, what if the universe would expand til all matter was gone, then because so much energy had absorbed some how start over. A cyclical universe?
Every galaxy in the universe is getting further away from overy other galaxy in the universe. Research suggests it is doing this at an increasing speed. Here's the way I visualize it. Imagine Dots (each representing a galaxy) around each dot is a sphere or bubble, the bubbles are increasing in size, pushing every other bubble away but also getting pushed by every bubble, meaning they are all distancing themselves from every other one. Say every bubble grows at the rate of doubling in size every hour. If it starts with a diameter of 2inches, in an hour it will have a diameter of 4 inches, and in two 8 inches. Basically each bubble would grow exponentially and that would cause acceleration. If the universe's expansion is accelerating this must mean there is a constant energy source causing this. I have Three theories.
1. There could be an outside force at some far distanced "border" to the universe pulling all objects equally.
-This seems hard to believe because the way I understand most forces the act more forcefully on objects closer to them (just thinking of gravity here) so things further from the border wouldnt be accelerating as fast as one's on the border.
2. The universe is finite, and is contained in something that is being depressurized. Ever seen a marshmallow in a vacuum chamber? it expands. Think of the universe as that marshmallow in a vacuum chamber.
-This one needs more thought
3.There is as scientists say some dark energy throughout that propels the expansion. Either this is an infinite source of energy, or it is finite and eventually the expansion will stop, the moving objects having taken all the energy from the dark matter.
-Random thought, what if the universe would expand til all matter was gone, then because so much energy had absorbed some how start over. A cyclical universe?
Motion
So i kept thinking after writing that last one. We looked into what could possibly happen if you went as fast as you can. But what if you remain completely motionless? Is it possible to be completely motionless. I don't mean just lying on the ground not moving. I mean relative to everything else, completely motionless. I am not moving on the earth, the earth is moving so I am moving. I go into space and don't move in space but space is ever expanding, I am still moving. Is there a way for everything to movie in relation to me but I am motionless? Would I technically be the center of the universe then? What would happen to me?
I looked into this a bit. According to big bang, there was nothing, and the space began uniformly expanding, meaning there is no center and everything is accelerating away from everything else at increasing speed, and not just objects, but the imperceivable space itself. Meaning basically our bubble is getting bigger and the contents inside are getting less dense.
Here's the website I am getting my info from http://cnx.org/content/m13580/latest/
look into it, interesting shit.
I just got this idea about the expansion of the universe that I need to draw to illustrate correctly.
I looked into this a bit. According to big bang, there was nothing, and the space began uniformly expanding, meaning there is no center and everything is accelerating away from everything else at increasing speed, and not just objects, but the imperceivable space itself. Meaning basically our bubble is getting bigger and the contents inside are getting less dense.
Here's the website I am getting my info from http://cnx.org/content/m13580/latest/
look into it, interesting shit.
I just got this idea about the expansion of the universe that I need to draw to illustrate correctly.
Planck Time
A wikipedia article relating to smallest divisible amount of time
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planck_time
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planck_time
Return
So this is my return to blogging. I have been absent I know.
so...science has been blowing my mind lately. So far my classes have no enthralled me, only introduced me to topics that spark an interest. The only time I get really into things and really learn from classes is when I go out on my own time and research that spark.
In my astronomy class we talked about the speed of light. I have looked into this only lightly and only have a rudimentary understanding so PLEASE correct me if I am wrong or provide any insight you may have.
Ok so something traveling at the speed of light is strictly traveling through space and not through time at all. MEANING all light around is is everpresent in every moment that it exists. The light can look at everything around it as if it is a three dimensional photograph so to speak. COOL.
Nothing can go faster than the speed of light. Example: Driver A drives towards driver B at 70 mph, driver B goes the same speed toward driver A. They both appear to be going faster in reference to the other since they are traveling towards one another. BUT if both A and B are going towards each other at the speed of light they both appear to be going the speed of light, rather than faster because THAT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE.
Say I can travel at the speed of light around the world. Time would stop for me but I wouldn't be able to chill in it and wander around as if in a photograph because I am going the speed of light. It'd be like sonic the hedgehog trying running around in a photo. If I am in a spaceship, and the spaceship is going at the speed of light I am free to roam around in the spaceship while time has stopped. so the spaceship would be cruising super fast but I would not be moving through time. What this brings me to is that if we could accelerate the earth to the speed of light, time would stop on the earth. Pretty neat.
Now to connect the two ideas. If nothing can go faster than the speed of light, or at least conceived to be going faster than the speed of light. Then what if, strictly theoretical. There is a second realm or tandem universe. This tandem universe, in its entirety, is moving faster than the speed of light. Is there a possibility the tandem universe could be active within our own, but not able to be perceived, and how would that universe move through time? Could it move freely through time since it is going faster than the speed of light? Or would it cease to move through both time and space? I have no idea, but this type of thinking is really getting me going. Please provide thoughts, other circumstances and corrections.
another thing I thought about. If nothing can go faster than the speed of light and the speed of light is approx. 299 792 458 m / s then wouldnt the shortest division of time possible be 1/299792458 seconds? That is the shortest amount of time that can exist? Is that the framerate of the universe or the exact time measurement of a moment?
fun stuff
so...science has been blowing my mind lately. So far my classes have no enthralled me, only introduced me to topics that spark an interest. The only time I get really into things and really learn from classes is when I go out on my own time and research that spark.
In my astronomy class we talked about the speed of light. I have looked into this only lightly and only have a rudimentary understanding so PLEASE correct me if I am wrong or provide any insight you may have.
Ok so something traveling at the speed of light is strictly traveling through space and not through time at all. MEANING all light around is is everpresent in every moment that it exists. The light can look at everything around it as if it is a three dimensional photograph so to speak. COOL.
Nothing can go faster than the speed of light. Example: Driver A drives towards driver B at 70 mph, driver B goes the same speed toward driver A. They both appear to be going faster in reference to the other since they are traveling towards one another. BUT if both A and B are going towards each other at the speed of light they both appear to be going the speed of light, rather than faster because THAT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE.
Say I can travel at the speed of light around the world. Time would stop for me but I wouldn't be able to chill in it and wander around as if in a photograph because I am going the speed of light. It'd be like sonic the hedgehog trying running around in a photo. If I am in a spaceship, and the spaceship is going at the speed of light I am free to roam around in the spaceship while time has stopped. so the spaceship would be cruising super fast but I would not be moving through time. What this brings me to is that if we could accelerate the earth to the speed of light, time would stop on the earth. Pretty neat.
Now to connect the two ideas. If nothing can go faster than the speed of light, or at least conceived to be going faster than the speed of light. Then what if, strictly theoretical. There is a second realm or tandem universe. This tandem universe, in its entirety, is moving faster than the speed of light. Is there a possibility the tandem universe could be active within our own, but not able to be perceived, and how would that universe move through time? Could it move freely through time since it is going faster than the speed of light? Or would it cease to move through both time and space? I have no idea, but this type of thinking is really getting me going. Please provide thoughts, other circumstances and corrections.
another thing I thought about. If nothing can go faster than the speed of light and the speed of light is approx. 299 792 458 m / s then wouldnt the shortest division of time possible be 1/299792458 seconds? That is the shortest amount of time that can exist? Is that the framerate of the universe or the exact time measurement of a moment?
fun stuff
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