Large Hadron Collider

[Maverick]

So you are saying that time is a function of the universe and that mathematics are also. I understand the concept of negative numbers. How does that apply to time which is also, at least so far as we know, linear?

[Holden McGroin]

So you are saying that time is a function of the universe and that mathematics are also. I understand the concept of negative numbers. How does that apply to time which is also, at least so far as we know, linear?

Einstein said time is a dimension in spacetime.  Length, width, height, and time.

Other theories hold that there are maybe a dozen more that we cannot comprehend.

Cosmology holds that when the BB started, spacetime was near zero, at possibly the planck length. time was near zero as well, and it cannot be before zero.  (maybe it can, but no theory exists that could explain it makes any logical sense.)  Much the way that something cannot occupy a space measured negatively (that makes no sense to be negative 4 cubic feet in size), time cannot exist in a truely negative way.

[Maverick]

Gives you a headache trying to wrap your head around it doesn't it. 

[Holden McGroin]

Trying to comprehend nothingness without even empty space and no time may be a truely impossible thing.

[trax1]

Yeah, it tends to boggle the mind when you try to comprehend the idea of the BB.  The thought of what it was and what could have been before it is very hard to truly understand.  Most scientist believe what happen was that there was a kind of primeval atom that contained all the matter in the universe, and that something caused the gravity part of the atom destabilize releasing all the energy and matter inside it.  When you think of the size and matter that makes up the known universe it's almost hard to even comprehend it all.

[Chalenge]

A very wise person long ago discovered what it was that happened so long ago before any of us were around and he decided to share it with us all so he wrote it down and scientists have been trying to rediscover it ever since. 

[Furball]

I find it fascinating that the expansion of the Universe is not slowing, but accelerating at a rapid rate - which points to another force, 'Dark Energy'.  If it continues at the current expansion, the Universe will die out becase eventually everything will be so far apart that there is no matter to create new stars and the matter created from exploding stars is not enough to completely fill the gap.  For a time the only stars still shining will be Red Dwarf stars, and after that the Universe will be a dark and lonely place.

[Chalenge]

Whoever told you that doesnt understand the theory properly. The expansion is more of a steady state and it doesnt matter anyway. The quantum bits and pieces that make up Furball are the same size as they were yesterday. If you were to travel back in time you would not change dimensions (excepting the fourth - ha!). Our solar system doesnt change over time either. The spaces in between systems galaxies and even the spaces between dark matter bits is expanding. Whatever it is that makes up the 'fabric' of space is 'stretching' if you will. If we ever truly understand what makes up that 'fabric' then maybe one day we can wrinkle it up and move from here to there in rapid order. Otherwise it doesnt effect us in the least.

[LYNX]

Humans are like quarks on an atom.  Planets are like atoms.  In our case we're part of an atom on a giants finger nail that's scratching it's arse.

[Gh0stFT]

If before the big bang the entire universe was collected up in an incredibly dense and small ball, what did it collide with to set it off?

heard about the String theory?
search/read about "Pre-Big-Bang in String Cosmology" or so, very interesting btw.

[deSelys]

This weekend the Large Hadron Collider will begin to be turned on, this is a particle accelerator that is 17 miles in circumference, and cost over 5 billion just to build.  It will speed up particles to 99.99% the speed of light, and slammed into each other recreating part of the big bang.  There are some fears that it will create a black hole which will destroy the Earth, but the scientist say the chance of this happening are really small.  It won't be turned on completely until September 10th.

That's an awful lot of money and efforts to verify that the answer is 42. Sheesh...

[CAP1]

So you are saying that time is a function of the universe and that mathematics are also. I understand the concept of negative numbers. How does that apply to time which is also, at least so far as we know, linear?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIMGkR2BkkI&feature=related

 

[lasersailor184]

Einstein said time is a dimension in spacetime.  Length, width, height, and time.

Other theories hold that there are maybe a dozen more that we cannot comprehend.

Cosmology holds that when the BB started, spacetime was near zero, at possibly the planck length. time was near zero as well, and it cannot be before zero.  (maybe it can, but no theory exists that could explain it makes any logical sense.)  Much the way that something cannot occupy a space measured negatively (that makes no sense to be negative 4 cubic feet in size), time cannot exist in a truely negative way.

But you can have negative time.  All that you need to do is to set the 0 point.  Much like you can define the 0,0 point of a cartesian system anywhere you damn well please.  If we know that time can be defined value wise by the interval between two events, then that same interval can be applied any time you want (zing!).  Nothing may be happening, but that doesn't change the fact that the interval exists and can be measured out. 


You may just be playing devil's advocate, however I never understood how more dimensions past 3 could exist. 

[Holden McGroin]

But you can have negative time.  All that you need to do is to set the 0 point.  Much like you can define the 0,0 point of a cartesian system anywhere you damn well please.  If we know that time can be defined value wise by the interval between two events, then that same interval can be applied any time you want (zing!).  Nothing may be happening, but that doesn't change the fact that the interval exists and can be measured out. 


You may just be playing devil's advocate, however I never understood how more dimensions past 3 could exist. 

Just as you can say it is 20 degrees cooler than it was yesterday, so that is -20 from yesterday, you can say three weeks ago is negative time...  but just as you can't have a temperature below absolute zero, you can't have a time past absolute zero time.*





*so the theory says. 

[AKIron]

Amazing the lengths we'll go to and the gazillions we'll spend to better understand our universe.  <no sarcasm intended>