The scale of the universe

[PTK]

From the tiniest theoretical bit of matter (a string) to the entire universe and everything in between, to scale, on a user-scrollable interface.

http://htwins.net/scale/

It gave me chills, seriously.

[bakerjw]

OK.... That is fucking way cool

[Abiqua]

Way cool.

[mudshark]

That broke my brain.


And I disagree fundementally with the whole "planck" thing. Distance must be infinitely divisable. As proof, in order to go from point A to point B, you must first go halfway. In order to get to halfway, you have to go 1/4 way, and so on. If there can not be anything smaller than a Planck, it would be impossible for movement to occur at all, since you could never get to the halfway point of a planck.

[Russian]

xx

[mudshark]

how my local librarian is really overreacting about the fact that I never returned the copy of George Orwell's 1984 that I checked out in 8th grade. It's been 20 years. Get the F--k over it!

LMAO! I have a copy of Animal Farm, printed 1957, checked out in 1991 from the University of Maryland... Still on my bookshelf!

[jlwilliams]

Russian makes a good arguement backed with solid observation. Just one thing wrong. It all revolves around me.

[PTK]

mudshark, as Russian pointed out logic and reality don't need to be saying the same thing. Logic can't tell you anything you don't already KNOW, and can be used (is often used, rather!) to back up improper arguments. Hell, look at what happens to "logical" physics when you just deal with Earth and the local neighborhood... objects in orbit are moving fast enough that they move at a completely different rate of time and must constantly be adjusted. No logic in that, but it is what happens.

[DoctorSolo]

That broke my brain.


And I disagree fundementally with the whole "planck" thing. Distance must be infinitely divisable. As proof, in order to go from point A to point B, you must first go halfway. In order to get to halfway, you have to go 1/4 way, and so on. If there can not be anything smaller than a Planck, it would be impossible for movement to occur at all, since you could never get to the halfway point of a planck.

It's commonly argued that there are actually ten or more dimensions of space at that scale. IMO the arguments are compelling. Google Brian Greene.

Subatomic laws of physics != Observable(Newtonian/Classical/Macro) physics

This is the basis of quantum mechanics. The discrepancy has been studied, observed and repeated since newton's own light refraction experiments(Is it a particle or a wave WTFOMG), but it really came into it's own when it was studied by the likes of Einstein, Schrodinger, Bhor, and Dirac.

I can't really tell you why I believe any of those idiots...call it faith...

[bakerjw]

Didn't one of those guys have a cat?

[DoctorSolo]

If he did I sure hope he didn't keep it in a box with a hammer dangling over a vial...

[PTK]

And certainly not with that connected to some radiation monitoring device...

[bakerjw]

And certainly not with that connected to some radiation monitoring device...

Endymion perhaps?

[Libertarian_Geek]

That broke my brain.


And I disagree fundementally with the whole "planck" thing. Distance must be infinitely divisable. As proof, in order to go from point A to point B, you must first go halfway. In order to get to halfway, you have to go 1/4 way, and so on. If there can not be anything smaller than a Planck, it would be impossible for movement to occur at all..

...if the space between two points were infinity divisible, then you'd never get from point A to point be because you'd have an infinite amount of space between the two.

When an "infinite" is used in a theory , it's generally a sign that the theory has a flaw.

[mudshark]

I'm not suggesting that the distance between point A and point B is infinite, just that the possible number of divisions is limitless.

[PTK]

Mathematics doesn't work like that. If the number of divisions is limitless, the distance is limitless. Math hurts my brainmeats!

[MJF1911]

I wonder if I can use this effectively to show my boss how insignificant he is.

[mudshark]

Mathematics doesn't work like that. If the number of divisions is limitless, the distance is limitless. Math hurts my brainmeats!

No. You can ALWAYS add another zero behind that decimal point.

[PTK]

If you can ALWAYS have more, that is how we represent infinity. If there isn't a stopping point, the subject is infinite.

[PTK]

I wonder if I can use this effectively to show my boss how insignificant he is.

Yes. Maths can also be used to show that 1 = 2.

[Libertarian_Geek]

Mathematics doesn't work like that. If the number of divisions is limitless, the distance is limitless. Math hurts my brainmeats!

No. You can ALWAYS add another zero behind that decimal point.

Yes, you are correct that mathematics lets you always add another zero behind that decimal point. The ability to add an infinite amount of digits to the end is an attribute of math, not an attribute of spacetime. Mathematics is an abstraction that we used to represent the physical world.

In your example of moving in fractional distances, imagine that you're capable of infinitely small movements. (DoctorSolo, let's keep the discussion simple Just 1 dimension of movement in this example ) You walk 1/2 way across the room and stop. Now you walk 1/2 way across the remainder of the distance and stop. You continue this pattern forever. Are you starting to see the problem with the idea of infinitely divisible space?

If space were infinite, then you'd constantly be making progress (you're always moving 1/2 the distance of the remaining room), yet you'd never arrive at the opposite wall. Your theory is that there would always be enough space between you and the wall that could be cut in 1/2. At some point "Planck scale", you'll be traveling a distance of which it's meaningless to try and divide into 1/2. Where 1/2 is = 0 or 1 and you will either stop, or you will travel the full remaining distance. The same kind of thought experiment works with time too, but space is easier to think through.

Now, fun with math:

Take 1 - 0.999(repeating). What's your answer?
Now, take 1 - 0.999(repeating), but before you subtract it, convert it to a fraction. What's your answer?


While we're at it... I would like to step in and coin a new phrase for when you're traveling increasingly shorter and shorter distances: "Plancking"

[PTK]

I would like to step in and coin a new phrase for when you're traveling increasingly shorter and shorter distances: "Plancking"

As long as it's not like owling or planking (the one where morons lay in the road, on train tracks, etc. "like a plank")