| Dr. Stephen Hawking is one of our
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| | "That means that the 100 billion or so
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| best-known cosmologists, a person who
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| | galaxies we can now see though our
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| studies the universe and develops
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| | telescopes will zip out of range, one by
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| theories to explain its creation. Dr.
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| | one. Tens of billions of years from now,
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| Hawking suffers from a debilitating
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| | the Milky Way will be the only galaxy
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| disease, is in a wheel chair, and speaks
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| | we're directly aware of (other nearby
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| with a special computer. You may have
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| | galaxies, including the Large Magellanic
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| seen him on television at times.
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| | Cloud and the Andromeda galaxy, will have
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| Dr. Hawking is an example of a man that
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| | drifted into, and merged with, the Milky
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| did not let adversity conquer him.
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| | Way).
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| Despite his illness, he has outlived the
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| | "By then the sun will have shrunk to a
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| prediction of his doctors by years. He
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| | white dwarf, giving little light and even
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| has children and a loving wife who cares
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| | less heat to whatever is left of Earth,
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| for him despite what his outcome was
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| | and entered a long, lingering death that
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| supposed to be. He is known and respected
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| | could last 100 trillion years-or a
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| worldwide. He should be admired by youth
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| | thousand times longer than the cosmos has
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| and held up as an example of a person who
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| | existed to date. The same will happen to
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| did and does very difficult things
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| | most other stars, although a few will end
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| despite his physical short comings. All
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| | their lives as blazing supernovas.
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| of us have shortcomings. All of us can
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| | Finally, though, all that will be left in
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| succeed.
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| | the cosmos will be black holes, the
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| When my children were young I told them
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| | burnt-out cinders of stars and the dead
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| to do things that were difficult for
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| | husks of planets. The universe will be
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| others. Many people shy away from
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| | cold and black.
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| mathematics, chemistry, physics, foreign
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| | "But that's not the end, according to
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| languages, political science and other
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| | University of Michigan astrophysicist
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| difficult subjects. When you do difficult
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| | Fred Adams. An expert on the fate of the
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| things, you improve your ability to do
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| | cosmos and co-author with Greg Laughlin
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| still more difficult task. Why are
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| | of The Five Ages of the Universe
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| engineers, scientist, medical doctors,
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| | (Touchstone Books; 2000), Adams predicts
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| nurses and architects paid more than
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| | that all this dead matter will eventually
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| other people. It's because they form a
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| | collapse into black holes. By the time
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| smaller part of our population with
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| | the universe is 1 trillion trillion
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| special skills. Rarity has always paid
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| | trillion trillion trillion trillion years
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| off. That is why gold and diamonds are
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| | old, the black holes themselves will
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| worth more than iron and coal.
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| | disintegrate into stray particles, which
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| So what happened to my children. My
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| | will bind loosely to form individual
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| oldest son is a neurosurgeon, hand
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| | "atoms" larger than the size of today's
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| surgeon, and neurologist, my second son,
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| | universe. Eventually, even these will
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| a ventriloquist and juggler in his spare
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| | decay, leaving a featureless, infinitely
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| time, is a pediatric anesthesiologist, my
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| | large void. And that will be that-unless,
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| daughter married a cardiac
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| | of course, whatever inconceivable event
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| anesthesiologist and is a professional
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| | that launched the original Big Bang
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| portrait artist, my second son, who has
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| | should recur, and the ultimate free lunch
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| 13 children here in my hometown (9
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| | is served once more."
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| adopted), is a veterinarian, and my
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| | If you read the article as you were
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| youngest son, who has triplets, is an
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| | supposed to, you know that "dark energy"
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| attorney. All of my children have musical
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| | and "dark matter" confuse things. Present
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| ability and music is a major part of
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| | thinking is that there is little or no
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| their lives and the lives of their
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| | curvature to our universe. Now that is
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| children.
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| | confusing. Here's why:
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| One thing that some youth don't know is
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| | The universe didn't exist until about 15
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| that people who are not as smart or able
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| | billion years ago. We know that because
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| are doing things that they themselves
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| | everything we see in the universe seems
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| could be doing. The difference is hard
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| | to be moving away from us that we are on
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| work and desire. Be like Dr. Hawking. You
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| | the surface of a great celestial sphere.
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| can ask Dr. Hawking questions at
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| | Like two dots on a balloon, if we blow
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| Please be patient for an answer to your
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| | the balloon until the circumference has
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| question.
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| | doubled in length, the distance of the
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| Would you like a more detailed
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| | two dots will have doubled too.
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| explanation of cosmology? There is a good
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| | Cosmologist do not thing in three
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| article at
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| | dimensions as we do. They like to think
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| I have asked Dr. Hawking for answers to
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| | in "n" dimensions where "n" is any whole
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| universe questions before and I got an
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| | number they want it to be. Solid state
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| answer from his staff. I have some more
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| | physicists do this to. They like to think
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| questions for Dr. Hawking but first we
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| | of "momentum space" and "energy space,"
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| must explore the universe a bit.
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| | and such.
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| Here is the time-line for a Big Bang
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| | Since I'm a simpleton, I like to think of
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| theory universe:
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| | the universe as a spherical annulus. Draw
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| Too-Big Boom: Energy blows everything
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| | a circle inside a circle both having the
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| apart too rapidly, matter that form
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| | same center. I'm talking about the space
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| never coalesce into stars, everything is
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| | between the circles.
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| dark and boring. God takes not-so-deep a
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| | So, you can blow a balloon up inside a
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| breath and tries again.
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| | balloon, can't you?
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| Too-Little Boom: Too little poop to pop.
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| | Of course you can.
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| Not enough time for stars to form. All is
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| | If you can center the smaller balloon,
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| black. God again decides to start over.
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| | the space between the two balloons is my
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| Ah, Ha! Just Right!: God gets it right
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| | "spherical annulus."
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| this time. The universe is created from
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| | Okay, so you couldn't center the inner
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| nothing everywhere at the same time
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| | balloon. Neither could I. Actually, old
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| (that's what one member of Dr. Hawking's
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| | men have an evolutionary discrepancy in
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| staff told me in an e-mail some years
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| | their DNA. We can't blow air into
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| ago).
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| | balloons without our teeth flying across
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| As the universe expands, stars form. I
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| | the room.
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| think black holes may be already around
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| | So, here are my questions for Dr. Hawking
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| from "incomplete combustion." (Well what
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| | and his staff (other cosmologist may jump
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| do you expect from a ceramic engineer?)
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| | in-we will assume that cosmological
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| Anyway, black holes form at some time as
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| | forces have not yet completely pancaked
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| stars and galaxies get confused and
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| | the universe):
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| forget that they are supposed to be
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| | If Galaxy "A" is on one side of the
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| moving apart from each other.
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| | annulus and Galaxy "B" is on the other
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| Stars go supernovae spreading the stuff
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| | side of the annulus on the same diameter
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| that men are made of into the
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| | line, can I turn my super-telescope
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| surroundings. Planets form and gather up
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| | around 180 degrees and see the galaxy
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| the star dust as they do so. A planet of
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| | from the other direction?
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| just the right size and composition forms
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| | What if I draw a straight line across the
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| at just the right distance from just the
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| | balloon to the galaxy? Will the galaxy
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| right size star and Taylor Jones, the
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| | look different from this view or will
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| Hack Writer, is created in Salt Lake City
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| | light refuse to enter a "central
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| in January of 1932. The universe
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| | forbidden zone" and refuse to look in
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| continues to expand, things get colder as
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| | that direction?
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| even the background radiation of the
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| | What if I hop into my super-spaceship
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| universe dissipates (well, it wasn't
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| | (For those who read my UFO articles at
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| enough to keep us warm anyway) everything
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| | this is the spaceship owned by Xrytspet©
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| gets so far apart that except for local
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| | from Fanton in G10009845788899990766,
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| traffic, entropy wins.
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| | the FnL7 Time Craft), can I fly in any
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| I'm sorry I threw "entropy" in there. Now
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| | direction from Galaxy "A" and get to
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| you will have to read about
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| | Galaxy "B" as long as I stay in the
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| thermodynamics at
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| | annulus of the sphere? (Will my FnL7
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| Read about entropy at
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| | Time Craft ignore the annulus and shoot
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| Here are the Three Laws of Thermodynamics
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| | across to Galaxy "B" following a diameter
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| in simple terms if you are a gambler who
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| | line? (String theory says it might do
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| likes Texas Hold'em (read my article
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| | more clever things.)
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| Texas Hold'em is Not a Sport:
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| | Back to the flat universe idea: What does
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| First Law: You can't win.
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| | a cosmologist mean when he or she says
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| Second Law: You can't break even.
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| | that the flat universe lets him or her
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| Third Law (entropy): You aren't even in
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| | see God? Was he obscured by the curvature
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| the game!
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| | back in the old days?
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| Back to cosmology.
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| | Well, that should do it.
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| Here is a homework assignment: Read the
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| | Dr. Hawking and you other cosmologist,
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| article at
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| | send me your answers by e-mail: I thank
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| Here is an excerpt from that article:
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| | you!
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| "THE FATE OF THE COSMOS
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|
