opinion
Opinions in science, science fiction, and fantasy.
Celestial Astronomy - Volcano
After just completing the Mercurian phase in Celestial Astronomy's depiction of planetary evolution, one would logically conclude the next phase would be the Venutian phase. While that would be correct, we need to digress here for a moment to examine one of the more important pieces of planetary activity in order to get a better understanding of planetary evolution.One of the reasons planetary evolution is so difficult to discern is that you really need to combine the fields of astronomy and geology. Although legacy astronomy may enable you to chart the positions of the planets, in order to understand how they evolve and why they are at the positions they are at, as well as what they are doing at those positions during their lifetime, really requires an understanding of geology and wormation.Part of the goal is to try to recognize if there is a repeatable definable pattern that is taking place that will enable us to see planetary evolution through celestial astronomy as a structured process, not a random occurrence. In order to do this, we need to take a non-traditional viewpoint of how planets evolve so as not to arrive at the same conclusions legacy Astronomy has arrived at. A perfect example of this non-traditional approach is analyzing the word volcano. VOLCANO is a porpheme for VOLume CANOn. Volume as in a measure of space an object is taking up. Canon, not to be confused with cannon, a rule of conduct or official action similar to canon law. What this basically means is when you see volcanoes forming on a planet you can infer that the planet's volume is going to increase due to the behavior of the volcanoes.Whereas most people would probably be familiar with the term canon as in canon law in the church, the term canon when applied to planetary evolution is more like a law of physics. Though the concept of it being recognized behavior is similar to canon law in the church where their laws prescribe desired behavior. This desired behavior can be recognized when it is not being followed as well as when it is. Canon law pertaining to planetary evolution is recognized behavior of the planet's increase in volume because it can be seen over the lifetimes of planets. Unfortunately, up to this point, no one has drawn the correlation between the volcanoes and the increase in planetary volume. The key is that volcanic activity, when viewed from the big picture, is instrumental in planetary evolution. If the core of the planet is analogous to the root of a tree, the volcanoes might analogous to the leaves. Immediately, you might say but the leaves receive the light from the sun and the volcanoes don't. The key is that the cyclical nature of plate tectonics sending the crust of the Earth into the core where it is is superheated and the heavy elements are maintained and the lighter ones sent out through volcanoes is not only allowing the volume of the earth to increase it is making the core more receptive to the star's energy.So whereas there is no direct physical connection from light energy to a leaf, there is an indirect connection where volcanoes are instrumental in the cyclical process which enables the planetary core to receive more energy. Remember if the root is analogous to the core, the root is not visible so the analogy can only take you so far.So the main idea to get across is that when volcanoes start to appear on a planet, you can tell the planet is going to start to increase in volume. This is creating a repeatable definable pattern that will help to explain planetary evolution as a process that has structure and is not simply random.The volcanoes will perform slightly different functions as the planets grow. Once the planets have achieved their basic size, they are going to play a role in shaping the crust to define the terrain. As the planet's age, the volcanoes will play a role in helping the planet rarify its core to prepare for the journey to depart the star system and function as a comet again in the same or another star system. In the next article, we'll look at the Venutian phase.
By Richard Van Steenberg8 years ago in Futurism
Brain Candy Ch.1
In our world, it is perceived that we exist within the third dimension. Or at least this is the most common conception, so I will be using it in my little “theory.” I use the word "theory" lightly because I cannot stress this enough: I am not a theoretical physicist or a mathematician, I just have a pretty good grasp on most upper level physics and math. I’m really just a guy that thinks a lot.
By Brent DuVall8 years ago in Futurism
Celestial Astronomy Giant Impact Hypothesis
The most prevalent theory on how the moons in a star system originate around a planet is almost unbelievable. Legacy astronomy has come up with a description of how the planets form in a star system that seems plausible and is generally accepted by the astronomy community. How the moons originate and anchor or moor their motion to the planets is still open to debate. It is probably the biggest thing holding the Protoplanet hypothesis back from being universally accepted, as the explanation for how the star system and its planets and moons evolve.
By Richard Van Steenberg8 years ago in Futurism
Disappointed! (When a Franchise Becomes Too Popular)
I can’t help but feel excited any time a new Star Wars film arrives. Even if it turns out to be mediocre to say the least, any time the opening crawl appears with that iconic music from John Williams, it’s exciting. Perhaps it’s a symptom of the division in our society, but the most recent film garnered a shocking and frankly rather extreme reaction. I’m sure you read the reactions and reviews by now, and you either love it intensely, or you had such a visceral reaction the very thought of it almost gives you a coronary. However, this article isn’t about how good or how bad the last Star Wars film was.
By Benjamin Alexander House8 years ago in Futurism
Us Humans Are Too Curious for Our Own Good
When the New Horizons space probe launched in 2007 I couldn’t wait for it to reach Pluto in 2015 and finally reveal many secrets of that mysterious dwarf planet. Once that time came I was fascinated to read about the physical details of Pluto that had never been seen before, such as Pluto giving off x-rays. I experience the exact same curiosity whenever a new extrasolar planet is discovered, as well as distant quasars (almost as old as the universe itself).
By Rebecca Sharrock8 years ago in Futurism
The Science of Belief
As a child, I grew up with a very confusing set of morals. On one side was my father, whose family had no belief in God or anything of the sort; on the other hand was my mother's family, who were extremely Christian and often self-loathing. From a very young age, I discovered that I hated church. My brother and I would walk out of the service to stop the bleeding in our ears from hearing some dude who was just as lost and confused as we were, but pretended to know the answers - and that nothing else should ever be questioned.
By Sarah McDaniel8 years ago in Futurism
Entropy
I think in today's society we can look into the world and see ourselves as separate beings, but this is largely a fallacy I believe. More and more I see the connection we all have with one another. It might be the simple observation that everybody at the supermarket somehow randomly decides to check out at the same time, or it might be the awareness of how life is filled with constant coincidence. For whatever reason, more and more I'm noticing things as more of a whole rather than events happening as an individual.
By Sound And The Messenger8 years ago in Futurism
What Amelia Earhart Photo Says About the Power of Photography
I've been thinking about that newly uncovered photograph of Amelia Earhart and its upending of history, telling us she indeed survived that dive her plane apparently took into the Pacific Ocean in 1937.
By Paul Levinson9 years ago in Futurism
God vs Science
Science, it is the very cornerstone of our modern age and something that is intrinsically tied to our future on this planet. The wonders of the universe are vast and beautiful and leave me in awe with each sight I behold. When I witness the beauty and wonder of the cosmos I feel it not in my mind, or my heart but in my very soul like a long lost memory.
By John Ames Birch9 years ago in Futurism
Are IQ Tests Valid Measurements of Human Intelligence?
According to britannica.com, human intelligence is a mental quality that consists of the abilities to learn from experience, adapt to new situations, understand and handle abstract concepts, and use knowledge to manipulate one’s environment. So, are IQ Tests valid measurements of human intelligence? And if not, then what is?
By Jeniah Clarke9 years ago in Futurism
So Ron Howard's Directing a Star Wars Movie...
In what might be a new record between rumor and official confirmation, Lucasfilm announced on June 22nd that Ron Howard would be taking over the directing duties on the (as yet still untitled) Han Solo Star Wars spin-off film. Howard takes over the director's chair from Lego Movie filmmakers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller who left the production officially days earlier due to “creative differences.” With less than a year to go before the announced release date and months into production already, Howard certainly has his work cut out for him. What might we expect from his entry into the Star Wars canon?
By Matthew Kresal9 years ago in Futurism
The Wickedness of A.I.
Like with most things in life “There's no rose without a thorn”, in other words, there are going to be some negative points to this tale, and they don't exactly sound very reassuring, quite the contrary. Some of these have even been the target of works of fiction, TV series, games, podcasts, you name it, it has been done; movies like The Matrix, The Terminator, AI, 2001 space odyssey, and the movie adaptation of Marvel's Avengers (where the main villain is a being of "evil" artificial intelligence). Almost every apocalyptic scenario, every "machine turn on the humans that created them" scenario has been covered one way or another. These works of fiction can to some extent be seen as cautionary tales to what may come if ethics and caution are put aside.
By Tomás Brandão9 years ago in Futurism
