OT: Now, it could force reconsideration of how solar system formed

[Gus Mahler]

Dude... Big BAND Theory... auto correct? That is precious!

Ha! Man oh man. That's funny.

'course, I do have a history with big orchestras . . .

 

[Zorro]

I think I remember reading that Scientology puts the age of the universe at about 4 quadrillion years, but I think maybe that was just something that Hubbard put into the stew just to see how much idiocy his followers could swallow. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 13-14b years ago is the currently accepted (except by AIG and the like) for the Big Bang. But if we are talking big bands, here is my nomination;

 

[RockyMTblue2]

A light year is a measure of distance, not time. And the universe, based on the received thought of the scientific community across the world, would not admit such a distance as 400 billion light-years. It would also not admit a measure of age nearly that large (400 billion years). Of course many cosmological theories could still be proved wrong, but as such theories go, the Big Band Theory is a pretty successful one in that many of its predictions have been supported by observation.

Thank you Gus, for a while there I was questioning my position in the cosmos. "Light speed Uhuru!" Scotty: "Nay, Captain, I dunna think the flux capacitors can handle it."

 

[RockyMTblue2]

maybe 400 billon light years off

I suspect I was off a tad. Suspect it was 400 million. Can't find the bleeping article. Every time we get better with telescopes, radiotelescopes, all that stuff we find that there is stuff out there that can't be explained by the current hypothesis. For me the greatest "singularity" in all of this is the question of what is this ever expanding cosmos expanding into?

 

[Zorro]

http://map.gsfc.nasa.gov/universe/uni_age.html

 

[RockyMTblue2]

http://map.gsfc.nasa.gov/universe/uni_age.html

Yeah, yeah...I have been there. It is gibberish to me. Not going to click in again, but thanks "the sign of Z".

And it doesn't deal with the whole nothingness thing. There is that, too. Yup. You betcha.

 

[Gus Mahler]

I suspect I was off a tad. Suspect it was 400 million. Can't find the bleeping article. Every time we get better with telescopes, radiotelescopes, all that stuff we find that there is stuff out there that can't be explained by the current hypothesis. For me the greatest "singularity" in all of this is the question of what is this ever expanding cosmos expanding into?

If it's any consolation, maybe a year ago they added 100 million years to the age of the universe, taking it from 13.7 to 13.8 billion years old.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

If it's any consolation, maybe a year ago they added 100 million years to the age of the universe, taking it from 13.7 to 13.8 billion years old.

Well, it's a 1/4 consolation. I will find that article or write one myself! %#$%&!

 

[Zorro]

If it's any consolation, maybe a year ago they added 100 million years to the age of the universe, taking it from 13.7 to 13.8 billion years old.

Makes me feel younger by comparison.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Makes me feel younger by comparison.

You are only as old as you feel Zorro. 3 legged dog/albino coyote/whatever with a sword has my respect!

 

[Stinger92860]

Science does not deal in "proven definitive facts". That is the purview of religion. And "theory" does not equal "idle speculation". It is amazing to me that so many people, in this 21st century, really have only the vaguest idea of what science is actually is, what the scientific method is, and the relationship between theory and fact. Or what logical thought and relevant evidence are, for that matter.

For example, look at the Boneyard.......

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Makes me feel younger by comparison.

Young ain't necessarily a good thing. George Carlin had a wonderful rant that has stuck with me and also resonates. Here's a small part and below it a link that gives you the whole magilla: PS. Volvo owners take a hit in the long version.

We’re going away. Pack your , folks. We’re going away. And we won’t leave much of a trace, either. Thank God for that. Maybe a little styrofoam. Maybe. A little styrofoam. The planet’ll be here and we’ll be long gone. Just another failed mutation. Just another closed-end biological mistake. An evolutionary cul-de-sac. The planet’ll shake us off like a bad case of fleas. A surface nuisance.




If I can find it "live" I'll post it, 'cuz it is classic Carlin, the dark period.

 

[BroadwayVa]

If this is a common view of science as a discipline, or a true reflection of the way it is being taught, our country is in big trouble. Your confusion between units of time and units of distance may reflect the issues with science, but hopefully it is a simple typo.

In any case, your characterization of science is exactly the opposite of what the scientific method is, and this method is practiced all over the world by thousands of dedicated folks who understand the difference between dogma and evidence-based inquiry. Our cushy lives and technological miracles are the result of the thousands and thousands of things that science got right after many iterations of the hypothesis>prediction>test cycle. If you introduce dogma in that process, progress stops. I loved the attitudes of some of the top level scientists when the LHC was coming online to search for the Higgs... many said it would be far more interesting if the Higgs were not found because that would require a whole new direction for theoretical physics. They were excited by the prospect of this long-held cornerstone prediction being wrong. That is a true scientific attitude.

With some hesitation to introduce politics, I note that your source is Fox news, and while I won't quibble with the basic information in this article, the tone of the post is reflective of the general biases inherent to that media outlet.

I don't think he or anyone is having issues with SCIENCE or SCIENTIFIC Methods. Those involved in SCIENCE know of the riggers that one must go through to have a Theory accepted.

 

[j66kicker]

http://map.gsfc.nasa.gov/universe/uni_age.html

"Stars infest the heavens in the Southern skies......
The stars are dead and what you see are shining lies."

. Johnny Clegg/Juluka

 

[psconn]

If this is a common vie

It is you who are confused about units of time and distance ps I think, but whatever.

I'm am not confused in the least... your statement indicates you are (or were)... you said "WHEN the Big Bang was" (a time reference) and said the "dogma" had it off by 400 billion light years (a distance reference). It's like saying "I thought it was 4 o'clock but my watch was running slow by 43 yards . Hopefully Gus clarified it for you.