“Scientists will always look for answers.”
“Maybe they shouldn’t ask so many questions!”
Maybe Brooklyn from Sakura Killers had it right. (Apologies for the allusion only 3 or 4 of my readers understand.)
A couple of cosmologists are blaming human observation of dark matter for possibly shortening the lifespan of the universe:
“The intriguing question is this,” Prof Krauss told the Telegraph. “If we attempt to apply quantum mechanics to the universe as a whole, and if our present state is unstable, then what sets the clock that governs decay? Once we determine our current state by observations, have we reset the clock? If so, as incredible as it may seem, our detection of dark energy may have reduced the life expectancy of our universe.”
So the problem here is that we’re pretty much guaranteed that instead of maybe having great-great-great-great-great-great-great-(x5 million)-grandkids, we’ll only get great-great-great-great-great-great-great-(x4.5 million)-grandkids?
It’s the kind of thing that keeps people awake at night.
Well I don’t know much about dark matter… so i wont comment on that i guess, but did you here the news about Garry Kasparov getting arrested? townhall.com had a very short blurb about it that ended “he was sentenced to five” and left me hanging. You seem more in touch with the chess news so thought id ask. Now that I think about it, I should probably just check your chess blogroll…off i go.
Universe to it’s mother: “He’s LOOKING at me!”
@l3rucewayne: Out of the Ether has some links, but you’ve probably seen it by now.
I still have to give feedback to you on the video. It’s not been too easy to sit for 1 1/2 hours, but I’ll have time tonight. 😀
@Tacticus: Who knew it could be so sensitive?
I’ve been reading The Anthropic Cosmological Principle by Barrow and Tipler–awesome, thought-provoking and highly, highly recommended–anyway, the wave function of the universe is old hat, having been discussed by Everett way back in the ’50s, and this article is kinda mushy. It does however, prove once again that the best strategy when the alarm goes off in the morning is to shut it off, turn over and go back to sleep.
Donnie: looking forward to readin it, as the the chess thing nope havent seen it yet I only checked out f4 chess blogs before giving it up so thanks for the info ill check it out.
Wahrheit: That is very interesting, for a while that same book was on my wishlist for a not all that long ago birthday(highly reccomended by Christian apologist william craig.). But I had so many books I was reading that when I found out it was 700-800 pages of deep thought provoking stuff i chickened out. it discusses the fine tuning of the physical constants and intitial conditions for life which is the main reason I wanted it but it also discusses the improbability of certain steps neccesary in the darwinian evolution of man and according to its amazon.com reviewers much else besides. Now hearing this i’m wondering if i should have kept if on the list. Is it slow reading or are you able to go through it at a decent pace?
I3rucewayne: I find it riveting–read 8-10 pages every day. Parts have some heavy math, but you can just trust them on that and keep going. Yeah, I say go for it, just don’t try to read it all in two days…
wow good to hear, i guess ill have to consider adding it back on my wish list for Christmas. If i see it in a used book store no doubt I wont be able to wait even that long.
It just occured to me that if this article were true, then wouldn’t it be a problem for materialism? what is so intrinsicly different about observers from passing by energy or material that our observations would change things to this degree. material and energy if conscious would “observe” the same things when they came into contact with or got near dark energy. But alas over at uncommondescent.com they seem to have confirmed that the article got the scientists statements wrong. Until then they were having fun pointing out what a science stopper this would be.
@Wahrheit/l3rucewayne: You’ve tingled my curiosity. But I’m too lazy to get off my butt and read it.