horizon tuesday night

ladies and gents,
sorry to inform you but the universe is disappearing:- www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00rgg31 . please consider this before joining the government pension scheme ;).
stephen.

see
www.irishastronomy.org/forum?func=view&a...1&id=83990#83992

I'm skeptical - in my understanding - the cosmological principle precludes any one place in the universe being special over any other place.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmological_principle

Yet, in Deep Flow, it is proposed that we have a mass migration of galaxy clusters to a special place (okay, direction) like birds migrating in winter.

Cosmology is a very confusing subject and I'm aware of multiple papers published over the past ten or so years critical of frequent but fundamental mistakes that are still getting to print with regards to cosmic expansion. (Do a Google search on "Expanding Confusion" for starters).

Now for scary outcomes of the universe have a look at "The Big Rip"
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Rip

I don't know if that corresponds with realty either - but all this stuff is good fun.

Despite my skeptism I would be watching the Horizon program if I had BBC2.


Mark

"The Universe: A Biography" by John Gribbin is a very accessible* book describing the Universe as we know it and the possible futures (big rip, big crunch etc).

Dave

* Accessible meaning that I read it in a few days and understood more than 50% of it

I read the same book Dave, and only understood 50% of what you understood....so that would be 25% I think
I am still waiting for "A Brief History of Time for Dummies - the simplified illustrated version"

Declan

There *is* an illustrated edition of a Brief History of Time - I wouldn't say its simpler to read - but it is more pleasant to read.

Mark