Tonight's Nova (The universe is accelerating!)

[wviperw]

Just got finished watching Nova on PBS. Quite cool. It was about type 1 supernovae (sp?) and how the researchers have used their explosions to actually figure out that, opposed to conventional thought, the universe is actually accelerating in its expansion (!!). As stated on the show, this has quite a few implications with respect to the nature/origin/conclusion of the universe. Other topics discussed: among other things Dark Matter, Dark Energy, red shifts, and makeup of the universe.

Anybody else catch it? Does anybody else find the fact that the universe is accelerating in expansion extremely interesting? Or am I just a geek and/or this is old news?

 

[omega2]

I'm sure other people know this too. But to the question of how many know about this, that's a good question.

 

[Trevelyan]

Dude, I thought I was the only one who watched it!!

It was REALLY interesting and REALLY cool to here about all the dark matter and dark energy theories. I specifically loved the part about subatomic particles that are everywhere in space that just come in and out of existence, and since it happens everywhere all that energy stretches space and works against gravity, pushing planets/galaxies/etc away from one another.

VERY COOL!

 

[Anubis]

Anybody else catch it? Does anybody else find the fact that the universe is accelerating in expansion extremely interesting? Or am I just a geek and/or this is old news?

ive known this for a while. but then again im a Physics major and know these things. i think its kinda cool

 

[wviperw]

ive known this for a while. but then again im a Physics major and know these things. i think its kinda cool

Yea, I would assume this happened a few years ago due to the lapse in time between happening, filming, airing. Its just that news like this doesn't get out as much as it SHOULD, imo.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

I didn't see it, but this is important. Did the show answer the most important question? If the universe is accelerating, can that be used as an excuse to beat a speeding ticket?

 

[MaxDSP]

so the universe is trying to get away from Earth as fast as possible, eh?

 

[Citation]

Originally posted by: Trevelyan
Dude, I thought I was the only one who watched it!!

It was REALLY interesting and REALLY cool to here about all the dark matter and dark energy theories. I specifically loved the part about subatomic particles that are everywhere in space that just come in and out of existence, and since it happens everywhere all that energy stretches space and works against gravity, pushing planets/galaxies/etc away from one another.

VERY COOL!

uhg, why non of us will ever score. j/k

actually that does sound pretty cool, and i score on a regular basis.

-Cit

 

[wviperw]

Oh cmon, you know chicks dig guys and their dark matter...

Anyway, one of the program's conclusions that they derived from the fact that the universe is accelerating is that, after the "big bang", the universe accelerated very quickly (explosion), slowed down, and is now accelerating again due to some unseen force. However, when I first heard them say it is accelerating, I figured it would mean that we are still IN the "big bang." Who is to say the explosion would not be long and drawn out? And in space, what is there to stop the debris from a constant acceleration? There is nothing to slow it down I don't think. Gravity wouldn't do it.

 

[Schlocemus]

Sounds very interesting; I wish I watched it! Grr.

 

[Walleye]

Originally posted by: MaxDSP
so the universe is trying to get away from Earth as fast as possible, eh?

must be my intergalactic BO...


oh, and i already knew all that stuff... course, i am an ametuer astronomer, an astrophotographer, and... several other things.

 

[Supermercado]

No need for me to watch it. We just started talking about the universe expanding today in my astronomy class. Too bad I slept through most of the class today. Was so tired from being up almost all night the night before studying for a test and finishing a project.

 

[Ender]

Um... I've known about the universe expanding and Dark Matter theories for a while now... nothing really new.

 

[HombrePequeno]

I can't say I caught the program but that kind of stuff is pretty interesting.

 

[GTaudiophile]

I couldn't help but associate "dark matter" with the "dark side of the force." Maybe ol' George was right all along?

 

[silverpig]

I knew about it before, but I still like watching those shows. I only caught the last half though. Pretty interesting still.

 

[TheShiz]

sweet, it replays tomorrow night at 11 here in richmond, va.

 

[LS20]

i dig it

i suppose if i were to start college all over id do either this or architecture... but i suck at physics

 

[Atlantean]

Originally posted by: GTaudiophile
I couldn't help but associate "dark matter" with the "dark side of the force." Maybe ol' George was right all along?

I associate it with futurama cause thats what nibblers crap is. Oh and the universe accelerating is interesting, I wonder if the acceleration is uniform?

 

[Balthazar]

Originally posted by: wviperw

ive known this for a while. but then again im a Physics major and know these things. i think its kinda cool

Yea, I would assume this happened a few years ago due to the lapse in time between happening, filming, airing. Its just that news like this doesn't get out as much as it SHOULD, imo.

Slashdot is your firned

Eventually the universe will be exapnding at a rate that not only makes travel to other galaxies impossible, but transmitting to/from them would be impossible as well....

Better get in on that SETI@Home action before it's too late

 

[Trevelyan]

Originally posted by: Citation

Originally posted by: Trevelyan Dude, I thought I was the only one who watched it!! It was REALLY interesting and REALLY cool to here about all the dark matter and dark energy theories. I specifically loved the part about subatomic particles that are everywhere in space that just come in and out of existence, and since it happens everywhere all that energy stretches space and works against gravity, pushing planets/galaxies/etc away from one another. VERY COOL!

uhg, why non of us will ever score. j/k actually that does sound pretty cool, and i score on a regular basis. -Cit

Haha

 

[woowoo]

I will have to watch it during lunch
(works at a PBS station

 

[djheater]

WTF!

I don't think my ReplayTv picked it up, man, I couldn't live without it but it does drive me nuts sometimes. :|

 

[sandorski]

Well, this will remain interesting until we find out that the acceleration is caused by a huge spherical wall that surrounds the universe. The gravitational force of the wall is drawing the universe to it, eventually we'll all die in a catastrophic SPLAT!

 

[dighn]

old news man

except the supernova stuff which could be new