Our View of the Universe

HistoryThe Big Bang

The Anthropic Principle

Physicists Find Elusive Particle Seen as Key to Universe

“ASPEN, Colo. — Signaling a likely end to one of the longest, most expensive searches in the history of science, physicists said Wednesday that they had discovered a new subatomic particle that looks for all the world like the Higgs boson, a key to understanding why there is diversity and life in the universe.”

- New York Times, July 4 2012

Integration of Science and Religion ?

Worldview - 2012

Worldview – 1700 BCE

Ptolemy – 150 AD

Source - http://www.vikdhillon.staff.shef.ac.uk/

Copernicus – 1500 AD

Heliocentric Model

Galileo and Kepler – 1600s

SN 1604

Phases of Venus 1610

Elliptical orbits

Sir Isaac Newton (1642 – 1727)

• Principia mathematica• Law of Universal Gravitation– Confirmed Kepler’s Laws of planetary motion

Static Universe Model (Einstein’ s universe)

Albert Einstein (1879 – 1955)

• Newtonian mechanics did not reconcile with laws of electromagnetism

• General Theory of Relativity (1916)E = mc 2

– Nobel Prize in Physics 1921 Led to Quantum Theory

Georges Lemaitre, S.J.

• Belgian priest and physicist• Applied general relativity to cosmology– derived equations describing universe of constant

mass and expanding radius (1927). Theory of the Primordial Egg

– Disputed by Einstein– Later known as Hubble’s Law– Pejoratively (Hoyle 1949) referred to as:

»The Big Bang

The Big Bang - Evidence

• Edwin Hubble (1889 – 1953)– Hooker telescope at Mount Wilson CADiscovered galaxies beyond the Milky Way• Measured distances by “brightness”

• Light from distant galaxies is “red shifted” Galaxies are all moving away

• Hubble’s Law (1929)H = v/d

Electromagnetic spectrum• Light behaves as both a particle (photon) and a wave• Shorter wavelengths/higher energy

The Doppler Effect

• Change in frequency of a wave (sound or light) for an observer moving relative to its source.

• Applications – radar (police, weather), medical imaging

The Big Bang - Evidence• Edwin Hubble (1929)– Assumes all galaxies emit similar light– Spectroscopically measured light from far off galaxies– Light from distant galaxies is “red shifted” , i.e. has longer

wavelengths than light from nearby galaxies– Confirmation of Big bang theory.

• Microwave Background Radiation (1964) – Princeton and Bell Labs (New Jersey) – New radio telescopes– Found microwave “noise” everywhere– Determined age of the universe (13.7 billion years)

• Oldest galaxy – UDFy 38135539 (2011)– 13.07 billion light years away (600 MY after the big bang)

But Why is There Anything at All ?

• “The Laws of Nature” – mathematical relationships that describe what we observe.

• The Law of Gravity• First and Second Law of Thermodynamics• Theory of Relativity ( E = mc2 )

• Each of these laws is defined by a constant which could (theoretcially) have different values than what we observe.

The Fundamental Constants (Forces)• Strong nuclear force – holds subatomic particles together

• Weak nuclear force– Causes radioactive decay– Higgs boson is part of this

• Gravitational force• Electromagnetic force– Combines electricity and magnetism

• Matter/anti-matter ratio• Expansion rate of the universe – H in Hubble’s Law

If any of these were even slightly larger or smaller the universe as we know it would not exist!!!

Let’s Play!

Roulette – spaces 1-36, 0, 00•Chance of hitting a 7?

1/38

•Let it ride!1/38 x 1/38 = 1/1444

•How about 3 times ?1/38 x 1/38 x 1/38 =

1/54,872

•Hitting 6 times - 1 in 3 billion chance

The Goldilocks EnigmaWhy is the universe “just right” for life?

• Random chance –– We are winners of the cosmic lottery

• Anthropic principle (AP)– Weak AP: universe must support our presence– Strong AP: “fine tuning” suggests there is an

intentionality in universe’s creation• Multiverse hypothesis– There are many hostile universes, we just happen to

be in one that isn’t hostile• Temporal Multiverse• Simultaneous Multiverses

String Theory/M TheoryThe Theory of Everything (ToE)

• All matter is composed of strings of infinitely small energy loops

• Attempts to unify:– Quantum physics (behavior of very small things)– Relativity theory (behavior of very large things)

• Is it testable??• Advocates believe it will ultimately explain

why the constants are what they are?

Questions?

• Why do YOU think the Big Bang should be accepted or not accepted?

• Projects such as the Super Hadron Collider are VERY expensive – are they worth it?

• Do you think a Theory of Everything will eventually be arrived at?

What then?

9am

:00 Gather - Continental Breakfast

:30Welcome/Updates

Sauer/Ryscavage

:45 The Big Bang Sauer

10am:00 Sauer:45 Questions/Discussion

11am

:00 :15 Transition :30 Small Groups 1-3/Lunch Groups 4-7

12pm

:00 :15 Transition :30 Lunch Groups 1-3/Small Groups 4-7

1pm:00 :30 Religious Cosmology Dallavalle

2pm:00 :30 Questions/Discussion

3pm:00 Reflection Period Collins:30 Small Groups

4pm:00 :30 Large Group Report Out

5pm:00 Depart :30

Day 2 - Schedule