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General Science / Re: How much of me is original?

« on: 30/06/2022 15:09:39 »

It might surprise you to know that the question originated in my head not through any particular scientific field, but because I was gathering some thoughts together for a poem. I was writing about my relationship with my mother and wondered just how much of her baby remains today 65 years on. Your replies and that very helpful article answer my question. The poem is still processing.

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General Science / How much of me is original?

« on: 29/06/2022 21:14:17 »

As I approach 65 years of age I was wondering just how much of my body I was born with is still original? I know my dna remains the same but does the whole of the body continually lose and regenerate new cells? For instance, will any of the original heart I was born with remain with me now?

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Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Re: Cosmic inflation, before or after the big bang?

« on: 25/11/2021 15:22:25 »

I basically searched, 'was cosmic inflation before the big bang?'  From what I could gather, if I was reading correctly, some sources said big bang before inflation and some big bang after inflation. That's why I asked the question 'is it now agreed that cosmic inflation occurred before the big bang?' And also why I asked for a reliable source of information to clarify just what the answer is as of course some of the sources I was reading could well have been unreliable.

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Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Cosmic inflation, before or after the big bang?

« on: 25/11/2021 09:33:58 »

Depending on the age of sources I read, cosmic inflation occurred after or before the big bang. Is it now agreed that cosmic inflation occurred before the big bang and if so does it make a big difference to our original understanding that inflation occurred after the big bang? Also is there a reliable source of information I could access regarding this point?

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Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Is it possible to recreate a black hole?

« on: 24/11/2021 18:36:12 »

What questions have yet to be answered regarding black holes? Would it be possible to recreate a black hole or similar in order to try and answer some of these questions?

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Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / How long does a gravitational wave last?

« on: 23/11/2021 15:17:12 »

A two black hole merger occurred in 2015 and LIGO observed waves from the event. Wouldn't the waves from such an event be observed at LIGO for quite a considerable amount of time? Or does such a massive event only produce a wave/s capable of being observed for a very short length of time?

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Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Re: A particle in 2 places at once?

« on: 09/11/2021 18:15:51 »

I'd just like to say thanks to everyone who's taken the time to contribute to this post. It's given me a really interesting insight into the subject.

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Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Re: A particle in 2 places at once?

« on: 04/11/2021 18:38:06 »

If I look down onto a football field and see a player, I can tell where his position is on the field and from his momentum I can see which direction he is going. If I look at the position of a particle in a 'field' why is it not possible to see which direction it is going due to its momentum?

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Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / A particle in 2 places at once?

« on: 31/10/2021 16:37:06 »

As a non scientist I get all my information from popular science books and websites. And as such I take these as good places to get factual scientific information. I often read that particles can be in two separate locations at once. Of course particles in the plural suggests more than one particle so the fact that they can be in two separate locations at once isn't too surprising. It is when I read that 'a particle' can be in two separate locations at once I wonder if the statement is true and if it is at all helpful to describe it as such when discussing superposition? My initial reaction is to be in awe of such a possibility. But then if I think about it a bit more I ask would this be possible in spacetime? How could one particle occupy two places in spacetime?

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Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Re: What if the universe really is infinite?

« on: 21/10/2021 22:46:37 »

Does the big bang theory cause a problem for the infinitely expanding universe theory? Our universe is currently expanding and my understanding is that a reduction of that expansion would bring us to the big bang. But wouldn't that mean that the reduction would also have to be infinite?

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Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Re: What if the universe really is infinite?

« on: 20/10/2021 09:59:25 »

I know the idea of another 'me' out there in our universe is totally hypothetical and possibly not provable one way or another, ever. But for those who have indicated the possibility of this being the case, have they or do they need to take into consideration what happens to 'me' and our universe before relativity, at the uncertain quantum level?

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Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Re: What if the universe really is infinite?

« on: 19/10/2021 21:43:21 »

I have often read about infinite numbers of infinite universes and that there will be another 'me' doing exactly what I am doing now at this exact time. If I am the product of the laws of physics in 'our' universe, and there are an infinite number of universes, could there not be an infinite variety of the laws of physics applying to each universe which could mean there would never be another me?

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General Science / Science discoveries and advancements 2021?

« on: 17/10/2021 21:57:14 »

Are there any particular standout discoveries and advancements made so far this year in the world of science?

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Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Re: Methods of discovering life on mars?

« on: 09/10/2021 20:55:46 »

This is what I was reading Halc. 

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abl4051

I know there's no mention of actual life but collecting samples and eventually getting them back to earth I found exciting. I did get to see some moon rock way back and that really was mind blowing.

Marvin? Halc, I'm talking about the real Martians 

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Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Methods of discovering life on mars?

« on: 09/10/2021 16:38:11 »

I've just read the latest exciting news involving the Perseverance Rover at the Jezero crater. What is not so exciting for me personally is that when the samples from Mars are brought to earth in the early 2030's I may well not be around! I'm old! I'm old enough to have seen man's first flights around and to the moon. And old enough to remember 'Martians'! So if I'm ever to finally discover whether there was or is life on Mars then it would have to come from another source. So other than the samples from Mars expected in the 30's is there another way of revealing life on Mars?

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General Science / Re: Do the theories of quantum and relativity have to be unified?

« on: 03/10/2021 08:38:20 »

So it's quite exciting that not only is a theory of unification to be discovered but also the discovery could lead to who knows what advancements in science. In particular I wonder if a unification would reveal some insight into dark energy or dark matter?

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General Science / Do the theories of quantum and relativity have to be unified?

« on: 02/10/2021 22:01:57 »

Is it critical that the quantum world and the the world of relativity be unified? Are there real world implications for there being unification or not? Or is it just a matter of the math/numbers don't add up and at the end of the day it doesn't affect anything?

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General Science / Re: Super conducting magnets and bigger objects.

« on: 01/10/2021 19:50:06 »

Watching that film made me wonder. Particles have different masses. Those particles that have the heaviest masses. Do they not offer more resistance when accelerated? So if we were to find a way of accelerating something anywhere near above the maximum limits experienced today then wouldn't it fall apart? Heavier particles being left behind?

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General Science / Re: Super conducting magnets and bigger objects.

« on: 30/09/2021 20:45:24 »

Origin you are correct. I have a laymans interpretation of 'theory'.

I have a theory concerning relativity - I go away and test that theory - the theory proves to be correct - then I have a fact.

I have a theory concerning quantum mechanics - I go away and test that theory - the theory proves to be correct - then I have a fact.

As a layman, the 'fact' that they cannot be unified means that they remain theories.  So I guess my issue is I have problems unifying theory and fact?

And yes matter cannot travel at the speed of light so the question is debatable.

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General Science / Re: Super conducting magnets and bigger objects.

« on: 30/09/2021 18:46:50 »

If we cannot accelerate anything bigger than a nucleus to such speeds are there experiments to show just what would happen if we could? Otherwise is the fact that mass increases infinitely along with the energy required based on math and theory ? And the mass accelerated close to the speed of light slows to a standstill in time, is this based on math and theory too?