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Title: Mankind 'shortening the universe's life'
Source:
telegraph.co.uk
URL Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/ma ... s121.xml&CMP=ILC-mostviewedbox
Published: Nov 21, 2007
Author: Roger Highfield
Post Date: 2007-11-24 22:58:42 by farmfriend
Keywords: None
Views: 272
Comments: 34
Forget about the threat that mankind poses to the Earth: our activities may be shortening the life of the universe too. The startling claim is made by a pair of American cosmologists investigating the consequences for the cosmos of quantum theory, the most successful theory we have. Over the past few years, cosmologists have taken this powerful theory of what happens at the level of subatomic particles and tried to extend it to understand the universe, since it began in the subatomic realm during the Big Bang. But there is an odd feature of the theory that philosophers and scientists still argue about. In a nutshell, the theory suggests that we change things simply by looking at them and theorists have puzzled over the implications for years. They often illustrate their concerns about what the theory means with mind-boggling experiments, notably Schrodinger's cat in which, thanks to a fancy experimental set up, the moggy is both alive and dead until someone decides to look, when it either carries on living, or dies. That is, by one interpretation (by another, the universe splits into two, one with a live cat and one with a dead one.) New Scientist reports a worrying new variant as the cosmologists claim that astronomers may have accidentally nudged the universe closer to its death by observing dark energy, a mysterious anti gravity force which is thought to be speeding up the expansion of the cosmos. The damaging allegations are made by Profs Lawrence Krauss of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and James Dent of Vanderbilt University, Nashville, who suggest that by making this observation in 1998 we may have caused the cosmos to revert to an earlier state when it was more likely to end. "Incredible as it seems, our detection of the dark energy may have reduced the life-expectancy of the universe," Prof Krauss tells New Scientist. The team came to this depressing conclusion by calculating how the energy state of our universe - a kind of summation of all its particles and all their energies - has evolved since the big bang of creation 13.7 billion years ago. Some mathematical theories suggest that, in the very beginning, there was a void that possessed energy but was devoid of substance. Then the void changed, converting energy into the hot matter of the big bang. But the team suggests that the void did not convert as much energy to matter as it could, retaining some, in the form of what we now call dark energy, which now accelerates the expansion of the cosmos. Like the decay of a radioactive atom, such shifts in energy state happen at random and it is possible that this could trigger a new big bang. The good news is that theory suggests that the universe should remain in its current state. But the bad is that quantum theory says that whenever we observe or measure something, we could stop it decaying due what is what is called the "quantum Zeno effect," which suggests that if an "observer" makes repeated, quick observations of a microscopic object undergoing change, the object can stop changing - just as a watched kettle never boils. In this case however, it turns out that quantum mechanics implies that if an unstable system has survived for far longer than the average such system should, then the probability that it will continue to survive decreases more slowly than it otherwise would. By resetting the clock, the survival probability would now once again fall exponentially. "The intriguing question is this," Prof Krauss told the Telegraph. "If we attempt to apply quantum mechanics to the universe as a whole, and if our present state is unstable, then what sets the clock that governs decay? Once we determine our current state by observations, have we reset the clock? If so, as incredible as it may seem, our detection of dark energy may have reduced the life expectancy of our universe." Prof Krauss says that the measurement of the light from supernovae in 1998, which provided evidence of dark energy, may have reset the decay of the void to zero - back to a point when the likelihood of its surviving was falling rapidly. "In short, we may have snatched away the possibility of long-term survival for our universe and made it more likely it will decay," says Prof Krauss. Not all agree, since his interpretation hinges on one of the issues at the heart of quantum theory - do you need people to do the observing? This is not the only damage to the heavens that astronomers may have caused. Our cosmos is now significantly lighter than scientists had thought after an analysis of the amount of light given out by galaxies concluded that some shone from lightweight electrons, not heavyweight atoms. In all, the new analysis suggests that the universe has lost about one fifth of its overall mass. The discovery was made while trying to analyze clusters of galaxies - the largest cosmological structures in the universe - and is not the result of a cosmological diet but a major rethink of how to interpret x-rays produced by the clusters. Five years ago, a team at the University of Alabama in Huntsville lead by Prof Richard Lieu reported finding large amounts of extra "soft" (relatively low-energy) x-rays coming from the vast space in the middle of galaxy clusters. Although the atoms that emitted them were thought to be spread thinly through space (less than one atom per cubit metre), they would have filled billions of billions of cubic light years. Their cumulative mass was thought to account for as much as ten percent of the mass and gravity needed to hold together galaxies, galaxy clusters and perhaps the universe itself. But now the team has taken a closer look at data gathered by several satellite instruments, including the Chandra X-ray Observatory and have had a major rethink about these soft X-rays, the bottom line being that this chunk of the universe should now be discounted. The reason is that the soft x-rays thought to come from intergalactic clouds of atomic gas probably emanated from lightweight electrons instead. If the source of so much x-ray energy is tiny electrons instead of hefty atoms, it is says the team as if billions of lights thought to come from billions of aircraft carriers were found instead to come from billions of extremely bright fireflies. "This means the mass of these x-ray emitting clouds is much less than we initially thought it was," said Dr. Max Bonamente. Instead, they are produced by electrons travelling almost the speed of light (and therefore "relativistic"). The discovery may also change what we think is the mix of elements in the universe because these soft x rays mask the tell tale x ray emissions of iron and other metals. "This is also telling us there is fractionally more iron and other metals than we previously thought," said Bonamente. "Less mass but more metals." Results of this research by Bonamente, Jukka Nevalainen of Finland's Helsinki Observatory and Prof Lieu have been published in the Astrophysical Journal. The calculated mass of the universe ranges anywhere from 10 to the power of 53 kg to 10 to the power of 60 kg and is complicated by the fact that there is invisible matter we cannot see, called dark matter.
Mankind 'shortening the universe's life'
By Roger Highfield, Science Editor
Last Updated: 12:01am GMT 21/11/2007
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#1. To: farmfriend (#0)
WE'RE ALL DOOMED!!!
Fortune favors the prepared mind. A zombie, however, prefers it raw.
What if I just refuse to think about dark matter?
Women and minorities to be hardest hit?
"Most of the trouble in this world has been caused by folks who can't mind their own business, because they have no business of their own to mind, any more than a smallpox virus has." - William S Burroughs
Universe to inhabitants of planet Earth: "Get over yourselves."
Well a problem certainly won't go away if you refuse to look at it. Except for those few problems which do go away by themselves, which also tend to...
#2. To: farmfriend (#0)
#3. To: farmfriend (#0)
Mankind 'shortening the universe's life'
#4. To: farmfriend (#0)
Remember...G-d saved more animals than people on the ark. www.siameserescue.org
#5. To: farmfriend (#0)
 | In many places they have the monopoly of the wine and spirit shops, and retail trade generally; and as they are always willing to advance money on usury, and are more intelligent and better educated than the ordinary peasant, there is little doubt that in a country where the large landowners are proverbially extravagant, and the peasant proprietors needy, the soil would soon fall into the hands of the Jews were it not for the stringent laws which prevent them from owning land outside the towns. |
#6. To: farmfriend (#0)
I believe that this is all individual in nature. The Universe will be much shorter-lived for those who do the observations than for the ignorant who don't have any and never heard of grey matter and are sometimes 'the observed'. This is very much in line with Jesus' discussing the advantages of simple-mindedness and the theories that predict that cockroaches will be outliving us by billions of years.
Antiparty - find out why, think about 'how'
#7. To: Tauzero (#5)
Except for those few problems which do go away by themselves, which also tend to... I used to live in New York. The best strategy for riding that city's subways is "don't make eye contact". What do you have to say of this?
Well a problem certainly won't go away if you refuse to look at it.
Antiparty - find out why, think about 'how'
#8. To: farmfriend (#0)
I think this is true in at least a trivial way. Putting the idea of an accelerating heat death on top of a Big Bang no doubt has subtle psychological effects on one's world-view, effects that can be decidedly pro-entropic. I haven't looked into his theory enough to compare notes here.
"Incredible as it seems, our detection of the dark energy may have reduced the life-expectancy of the universe," Prof Krauss tells New Scientist.
#9. To: farmfriend (#0)
Here is where I'd like to disagree with him, that a human "obversation" is not required. It seems that the key act is the making of a record of the event, and it's difficult for me to argue that thermal conversion of light is not an observation of the light, a temporary record of it. The fact remains, however, that in many cases it does matter whether something is observed by an intelligence, and if a quantum theory is to be complete, it needs to explain this. One caveat here is that a QT may only need to be a formal underpinning for many predictions which may best be performed by using abstracted logic. In any event, it seems all the most intriguing complexities of the universe are focused on the lowest ends of the energy scale, where things begin with much nuance and ambiguity unfolds slowly.
Prof Krauss says that the measurement of the light from supernovae in 1998, which provided evidence of dark energy, may have reset the decay of the void to zero - back to a point when the likelihood of its surviving was falling rapidly. "In short, we may have snatched away the possibility of long-term survival for our universe and made it more likely it will decay," says Prof Krauss. Not all agree, since his interpretation hinges on one of the issues at the heart of quantum theory - do you need people to do the observing?
#10. To: farmfriend (#0)
Carl Sagan Lives!!: Forget about the threat that mankind poses to the Earth: our activities may be shortening the life of the universe too.
"The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite." James Madison
#11. To: X-15 (#10)
Just curious about how sage a person you must be to be able to carry yourself with cute little graphics and amazing spare proclamations of wisdom quite well. Do you believe that the Bible is the word of God?
#12. To: nobody (#11)
I've got a sense of humor, what's your excuse?
"The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite." James Madison
#13. To: X-15 (#12)
I enjoyed ridiculing your sense of humor.
#14. To: nobody (#13)
And I enjoy ridiculing you ridiculing my sense of humor! Top that.
"The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite." James Madison
#15. To: X-15 (#12)
Appears you don't like being ridiculed while you ridicule, and feign ignorance of it by switching roles. Do you see the humor in observing that?
#16. To: nobody (#15)
:-)
"The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite." James Madison
#17. To: X-15 (#16)
Do I need to switch on browser animations in order to be annoyed by that image?
#18. To: X-15 (#16)
Give everyone here something tangible to go with your judgement. What's powering the future going to be like? More nuclear power plants? Nuclear waste recycling? Life does appear to generate entropy and thus contribute to a predicted universal heat death. Or, are you disputing the universe ends in heat death? Just seems you're complaining about Sagan and comparing him to Sagan, when the science is not being clearly disputed. That's just plain lazy on your part and boring to see you post. It really is. That's why I treated you like you were an ass.
#19. To: nobody (#9)
I think we are over due for a revolution in cosmology.
My spelling is Wobbly. It's good spelling but it Wobbles, and the letters get in the wrong places. -- Winnie the Pooh
#20. To: nobody, X-15 (#11)
Careful or the smilie queen will come after you. Just curious about how sage a person you must be to be able to carry yourself with cute little graphics and amazing spare proclamations of wisdom quite well.
My spelling is Wobbly. It's good spelling but it Wobbles, and the letters get in the wrong places. -- Winnie the Pooh
#21. To: X-15 (#10)
My spelling is Wobbly. It's good spelling but it Wobbles, and the letters get in the wrong places. -- Winnie the Pooh
#22. To: nobody (#18)
"Incredible as it seems, our detection of the dark energy may have reduced the life-expectancy of the universe," Prof Krauss tells New Scientist. ^^ Statements like this are just loony. I was poking fun at the whole article because they come off sounding like theorizing eggheads, and NOT the kind that build atomic bombs.
"The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite." James Madison
#23. To: farmfriend (#19)
That I have no problem with. It's at least a scientific point. Spare, but a point nonetheless. Inflation/BB theory (Linde, Hawking, others) assumes a singular point of creation, a dislocation becomes a bubble, and the cosmological constant keeps the bubble expanding forever, into accelerating heat death. It's not clear that brane-theories and other string theories can't be incorporated into that without changing it, but most efforts will probably be to make these theories fit the Inflation/BB, I guess.
I think we are over due for a revolution in cosmology.
#24. To: X-15 (#22)
You were poking some fun at them because they didn't build nuclear bombs? See, now it just seems as if you are incredibly starved for attention and worse, and so the shaming technique is not going to work as planned. I give up here. You're worthless but you know how to say you're funny, and work well with others.
#25. To: nobody (#23)
I suspect you are right. Science in general seems to resist change. On the one hand that is the basis of science, prove your theory, show us why we should believe you are right. On the other hand, theories seem to persist when it is clear they need revising or trashing all together. Group think seems to play a role. I enjoy reading alternative theories in cosmology. Nature's Mind: the Quantum Hologram I will say that the one thing M-theory has done for me is to clarify my views on God and the nature of such a being. He would have to exist out side of space time itself, beyond all dimensions and universes. He would need to have the ability of manipulating space and time, and the branes themselves. If you add to that the concept of being made in his image, well it just blows your mind after a while.
It's not clear that brane-theories and other string theories can't be incorporated into that without changing it, but most efforts will probably be to make these theories fit the Inflation/BB, I guess.
My spelling is Wobbly. It's good spelling but it Wobbles, and the letters get in the wrong places. -- Winnie the Pooh
#26. To: nobody, X-15 (#24)
There is value in being funny. There is nothing wrong with throwing a little levity into a thread.
See, now it just seems as if you are incredibly starved for attention and worse, and so the shaming technique is not going to work as planned. I give up here. You're worthless but you know how to say you're funny, and work well with others.
My spelling is Wobbly. It's good spelling but it Wobbles, and the letters get in the wrong places. -- Winnie the Pooh
#27. To: X-15 (#22)
Well it's not as loony as you might think. Quantum theory shows that you change things just by observing them, they have extended this concept to the whole universe. I disagree with them but it's not so loony really.
Statements like this are just loony. I was poking fun at the whole article because they come off sounding like theorizing eggheads, and NOT the kind that build atomic bombs.
My spelling is Wobbly. It's good spelling but it Wobbles, and the letters get in the wrong places. -- Winnie the Pooh
#28. To: nobody (#24)
So, you're not sending me a Christmas card?? God bless anyway.... :(
You're worthless but you know how to say you're funny, and work well with others.
"The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite." James Madison
#29. To: farmfriend (#27)
I sit in the woods and observe deer/turkey/coyotes/bobcats and I know when they don't detect my presence: I don't change a thing. Hell, I've had a turkey go AROUND me because I was blocking it's path but it didn't "see" me. I DO know when I screw up and they detect me, I cause them to change their routine. I don't see how observing inanimate matter changes anything, that's my extrapolation from a small observation of my corner of the universe.
Quantum theory shows that you change things just by observing them, they have extended this concept to the whole universe. I disagree with them but it's not so loony really.
"The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite." James Madison
#30. To: farmfriend (#26)
A lot of people don't think it's funny when I ridicule clowns. It was funny, in a very charming freerepublic sort of way. It was the kind of funny often mistaken for being extremely happy with oneself. It appears I've made an error and diminished someone's level of happiness with themselves. That's not funny to you, is it?
#31. To: farmfriend (#27)
About the observer affecting what is observed -- if a tarantula that I don't notice is watching me, and moves as a result, I have another reason to notice it. All the various quantum states, including poses, of a tarantula do not matter much, however, if all that tarantulas represent to me is something to run away from or kill. While the mind is a quantum object, at some level it, on occasion, operates only according to rules of logic, and its quantum nature largely operates to maintain that functionality despite opposition, self-damage and other forms of interference. Ha ha, my sense of humor strikes again! Some will say it's not as funny as anyone else's, or it is at the expense of people nicer than I, to which I have to say gosh that really really majorly sucks and now I'm going to have to completely reassess my suitability for existence contemporaneously and within communication distance of wiser, better, more civilized company.
#32. To: nobody (#18)
Thorium Power, Nuclear fusion, other possibilities. Junk the space program, no chile left behind, etc. .... throw the money is this direction. Hand wringing and despair are certainly not solutions.
What's powering the future going to be like?
Republicans (Democrats for that matter) ....... HAD ENOUGH?
#33. To: nobody (#30)
It was funny, in a very charming freerepublic sort of way. You weren't charming or funny. You were being an ass and I called you on it. Deal.
A lot of people don't think it's funny when I ridicule clowns.
My spelling is Wobbly. It's good spelling but it Wobbles, and the letters get in the wrong places. -- Winnie the Pooh
#34. To: farmfriend (#27)
Actually, their theory is looney. We "change" quantum reality by "looking" at it only by adding energy to it. In order to look at something that small, the subatomic parties we use to look at it knocks subatomic particles around. In order to do it to the universe, we'd have to add energy to it by looking at it. We don't, so I suspect these guys are pulling everyone's leg.
Quantum theory shows that you change things just by observing them, they have extended this concept to the whole universe. I disagree with them but it's not so loony really.
Fortune favors the prepared mind. A zombie, however, prefers it raw.
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