Do you believe we are alone in the universe?

Umbran · Dec 10, 2018

Maxperson said:
It's not just something "that doesn't glow really bright." It's freaking invisible. We have matter, so it's solid

That word - solid. No. I mean, not any more solid than hard vacuum.

Out in interstellar space, you can get densities of normal matter about 1 atom per cubic centimeter. Somewhat lower out between the spiral arms of the galaxy. This is "hard vacuum" - not "solid".

The density of dark matter in our region of space is calculated to be roughly 1 proton mass per three cubic centimeters. So, the density of dark matter is less than a third of that of normal matter in the void. What it misses in density around us, it makes up for in sheer volume.

The Earth should be impacting with it on a regular basis, but we don't seem to be.

The exact same things were said about neutrinos. They don't obstruct light or other emitted energy in any way. They are very light, but there's *lots* of them. Like 500 million per cubic meter around us. They are sleeting through the Earth, through your very flesh. They were first detected in the wild in 1965, a decade after one had been created and detected in the lab.

Patience, dude. This stuff doesn't just come, fully formed from the forehead of Zeus, or something. Science takes *time*.

Hussar · Dec 10, 2018

I think you folks are largely proving my point.

Astronomers say that the mass of the universe is made up of dark matter. Ok. But, since you can't (at least at the moment) test for dark matter, nor can you even indirectly test for dark matter, it's basically the same as making stuff up. Until it's falsifiable, it's not really true science. Like I said, astronomers get a LOT more leeway in this stuff. Imagine if chemists tried the same thing - "Um, well, stuff burns because it's got Inflamium, this unseeable, undetectable, and completely unknowable substance. Yeah, that's it, Inflamium"

Dark Matter is basically a really cool way of saying, "Well, we have these equations that don't actually work, so, if we add this, whatever this is, to the equation, then they work out. So, we'll call this Dark Matter and everyone will pat us on the back for it. "

So, yeah, astronomers and astrophysicists get a LOT more leeway when it comes to making stuff up.

R_Chance · Dec 10, 2018

Have to love Inflamium. It answers so much...

Maxperson · Dec 10, 2018

Umbran said:
That word - solid. No. I mean, not any more solid than hard vacuum.

Out in interstellar space, you can get densities of normal matter about 1 atom per cubic centimeter. Somewhat lower out between the spiral arms of the galaxy. This is "hard vacuum" - not "solid".

The density of dark matter in our region of space is calculated to be roughly 1 proton mass per three cubic centimeters. So, the density of dark matter is less than a third of that of normal matter in the void. What it misses in density around us, it makes up for in sheer volume.

The exact same things were said about neutrinos. They don't obstruct light or other emitted energy in any way. They are very light, but there's *lots* of them. Like 500 million per cubic meter around us. They are sleeting through the Earth, through your very flesh. They were first detected in the wild in 1965, a decade after one had been created and detected in the lab.

Patience, dude. This stuff doesn't just come, fully formed from the forehead of Zeus, or something. Science takes *time*.

Dark matter and energy were invented to explain why galaxies don't fly apart. Massive black holes are at the center of each galaxy, so it seems far more likely that something we don't understand about gravity and/or black holes is keeping galaxies together and spinning, not some magic particles. Hell, the gravity from black holes would extend out in a sphere to create the "halo" they say dark matter/energy creates.

Science does take time, but hacks are still hacks. Magic matter/energy and magic creation of negative matter are both hacks in my opinion. I could be wrong on one or both counts, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

Maxperson · Dec 10, 2018

R_Chance said:
Have to love Inflamium. It answers so much...

For proof of Inflamium, just look at online threads. It exists in great amounts on the internet.

Morrus · Dec 10, 2018

Maxperson said:
Dark matter and energy were invented to explain why galaxies don't fly apart. Massive black holes are at the center of each galaxy, so it seems far more likely that something we don't understand about gravity and/or black holes is keeping galaxies together and spinning, not some magic particles. Hell, the gravity from black holes would extend out in a sphere to create the "halo" they say dark matter/energy creates.

Science does take time, but hacks are still hacks. Magic matter/energy and magic creation of negative matter are both hacks in my opinion. I could be wrong on one or both counts, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

I think the issue here is a fundamental misunderstanding of the amount of work that goes into serious science, and a frankly insulting trivialization of that work into soundbytes like "magic particles" and implications that scientists just “make stuff up”. It's the traditional weapons of the psuedoscientist and the anti-science campaigners.

Shasarak · Dec 10, 2018

Of course you dont call it "magic particles" that would be dumb.

You call it "negative mass fluid"

Zardnaar · Dec 10, 2018

I don't know if this is a sad though but if its 1 light year or 100 right now functionally its the same thing in terms of interstellar travel. Its to far for us.

Morrus theres a lot of things that scientists are still fuzzy on. For example is space infinite. Another one is the Big Bang Theory. OK there is a big ball of mass, energy or whatever and it explodes 13 billion years ago. Who or what created it? How did it get their to explode in the 1st place? Would that who or what in effect be God? Note I am not religious was just wondering.

Morrus · Dec 10, 2018

Zardnaar said:
Morrus theres a lot of things that scientists are still fuzzy on. For example is space infinite. Another one is the Big Bang Theory. OK there is a big ball of mass, energy or whatever and it explodes 13 billion years ago. Who or what created it? How did it get their to explode in the 1st place? Would that who or what in effect be God? Note I am not religious was just wondering.

You utterly misunderstood my point. Utterly.

Hussar · Dec 10, 2018

Zardnaar said:
I don't know if this is a sad though but if its 1 light year or 100 right now functionally its the same thing in terms of interstellar travel. Its to far for us.

Morrus theres a lot of things that scientists are still fuzzy on. For example is space infinite. Another one is the Big Bang Theory. OK there is a big ball of mass, energy or whatever and it explodes 13 billion years ago. Who or what created it? How did it get their to explode in the 1st place? Would that who or what in effect be God? Note I am not religious was just wondering.

I thought the "is space infinite" question was largely resolved. If space was truly infinite, then the night sky would be solid white with stars. In an infinite universe, you would have infinite stars, therefore, from our point of view, there would be almost no space between the stars in the night sky. At least, that's the way it was explained to me.

But, [MENTION=1]Morrus[/MENTION], I'm certainly no anti-scientist campaigner. Just pointing out that in one branch of science, the rules get... err... relaxed somewhat.

Do you believe we are alone in the universe?

Umbran

Mod Squad

Hussar

Legend

R_Chance

Hero

Maxperson

Morkus from Orkus

Maxperson

Morkus from Orkus

Morrus

Well, that was fun

Shasarak

Banned

Zardnaar

Legend

Morrus

Well, that was fun

Hussar

Legend

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