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Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Theoretics

dark energy

the universe is expanding
galaxies are flung apart
faster and faster
acceleration

mysterious separation
questionable acceleration
a heavenly dance gone mad
and i am to blame

try and find me
come and define me
the discovery is yours
if you ask the right questions

zip, zip, zoom
faster, faster
acceleration

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Flash

twinkling

fire, heat, and hydrogen
universe lifeblood
scatter dust, blaze
explode and die

twinkle, twinkle
little star

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Embracing Evolution

"The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding." Proverbs 4:7 NIV

As a young child I was told in school about how the earth was created in six days. We learned this in kindergarten. I have never been able to believe the theory that creation took only a week. This seemed to conflict with my understanding of God and the order of the universe. God's time always seems to be longer than what mere mortal minds expect. It would seem more logical that creation would have taken place over millions of years so that everything would be just right. Being only five at the time my reasoning did not go any deeper than this.

When we reached Big Bang in my elementary science books, it was dismissed as a false theory. We simply needed to know that God created the universe so Big Bang could not have occurred. My young mind accepted this argument. I often wondered what it was like before time began. This was the first theory I was able to reject as I came of age and acquired scientific knowledge. Accepting Big Bang came naturally and did not imply that I did not believe to creation. It was simply deepening my understanding of how things came to be in a physical sense. As I learned about how matter came to be, I was furthered awed by the miracle of formation.

As I progressed in my early studies we encountered evolution and this is where the conflict truly began. We skipped over the entire section, including the ages of the earth. We were told that natural selection on a small scales was the only evolution that was possible. All adaptations were usually to the detriment of a species. We were taught how humankind walked with dinosaurs, (I quickly dismissed this thought.) I was taught to disregard carbon dating as a blatant lie. To believe in evolution was to believe in deception and to deny my faith. As I continued through the remainder of my primary and secondary education, evolution was never again mentioned, for fear of controversy. I entered into undergraduate academics with very little knowledge of theory and only with the notion that it had to be wrong. 

As I aged my drive to acquire scientific knowledge increased and I reached a conundrum. Several theories that I believed to be accurate hinged on accepting some of the ideas behind evolution. I remember feeling a twinge in my stomach as I started wonder if all of evolution was the lie I had believed it to be. I cautiously started studying the field. I examined the evidence and the counter arguments. I realized there was good scientific basis for the theory that had nothing to do with a desire to upset those who believed in creation. Could it be that this conflict is only a political illusion? 

Still I was careful in determining my opinion of the matter. I searched my soul. Could I be a scientist and a believer of spiritual truths? I examined my heart and the evidence. I could nothing to suggest that God would want me to be anything other than rational in learning about creation. So I swam deeper into ocean of knowledge and examined how life came to be over the ages. I looked at every careful step that made life possible as I know it today. It was serene and beautiful, cruel and harsh. It was then I was finally able to say without guilt. I believe that evolution might explain life and I believe that I am divinely created as is all life. The conflict need not exist.

I write this not to incur debate, but merely to express one of my own journeys. I will write more later and tragedy of the conflict between evolution and creation. In the mean time I encourage all to question every theory and to seek answers at all costs.


Friday, July 16, 2010

The "Jig"

The jig is a term that anyone who has worked in a lab is very familiar with. It is a device which is put together to help meet the goals of the project. Usually duct tape or JB Weld will be involved with the creation of this device. Most of these jigs look like something that one might fight in the reject pile of an avid builder, yet these rough devices prove to be invaluable in the process of attaining information. It bring one to humbling realization that the bulk of our experimental scientific knowledge is the result of luck and jerry-rigging. The mighty scientist is no more than a tinkerer with a hunger for knowledge and a questioning mind.

Perhaps it is best this way. One must approach the world with a child like wonder to ask the correct questions. One must have the determination and creativity of child to devise an interesting solution to obtaining data. Scientists are merely over grown children with more expensive toys and the jigs are simply science fair projects which have changed the thinking of generations.


Thursday, July 15, 2010

Entropy of Black Holes

It has been observed that a black hole has spewed forth a huge cloud of gas while it was in the process of "eating." Now since it was noted that this was a gas cloud, it might be assumed that this implies that it consists of ordinary matter. This is an interesting thought about black holes and our concepts of an even horizon. It seems that matter can actually come out of the supposed point of no return. This may have weighter implications than at first glance.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Acoustic Impedence

Acoustic Impedance is an idea about how sound is transmitted from one medium to another. The more closely matched to objects are in their impedences the more sound will be transmitted through. A medium's acoustic impedance is measure by the density and the speed which sound travels through it. The human ear membrane also has an acoustic impedence. I wonder how much this limits our hearing? How many sound waves hit only to bouce away, never to trigger the auditory nerve?

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

A Known Unknown

As early as primary school we become familiar with the concepts behind the scientific method. Any good experiments starts with a problem that demands a solutions is followed by a hypothesis. (This was one of the first big words I learned.) A hypothesis is an educated guess, based on known concepts, on how to solve the problem. Little did I know in my early years how little is actually known before a hypothesis is actually created. My early experiments were limited to well established facts and ideas, must to my disappointment.

As an adult, I am now delving into the experimental study of dark matter. This is a study of a material of which almost nothing is known. Each study is based on around properties which are hypothesized to be properties of dark matter and each study is different. It is also possible that dark matter only exists in a dimension which we cannot detect, and in that case every experiment may be in vain. The idea of an educated guess is more elusive and subjective than my earliest understandings of a hypothesis. In physics, we stare at mystery and from the illusions draw ideas which are assumed so experiments can be created. Out of this seeming madness comes beautiful answers and proofs.

Friday, July 2, 2010

Big Bang - And So It Begins

Quest

I fill my mind with
questions

How does everything
work?

Curiosity flows through my
being

Driven by a crazy
passion

Is the pursuit of knowledge
insanity?

I can do nothing else
but search...


The best adventures should be started with poetry. Join me on my adventure as I learn about scientific writing.