Far out cosmology (Introduction)

by xeno6696 , Sonoran Desert, Tuesday, January 07, 2014, 13:45 (3972 days ago) @ dhw

...If energy is eternal, and is capable of transforming itself into matter, -This particular phrase is troubling. -First, we know now that energy in our universe cannot be eternal, and most certainly isn't infinite. You'll recall that the universe is expanding, and that its expansion is acceleration, and that this acceleration is tied to "dark energy?"-One way to look at dark energy is that it is collected in empty space as the universe's expansion does work--if you think of the universe's expansion as the rolling of a wheel, the energy lost to heat friction would be "dark energy." -On big scales, you have the conservation laws--in this case energy, and this might be partly what you're basing your idea of "eternal energy" upon. Well, we know on the quantum scale, that this law isn't true. You've heard me refer to "virtual particles," well, these are particles that don't exist until there is some interaction with the universe--when two particles collide for example, the collision is ruled by the temporary existence of a third particle that blinks into existence for the decision on the event, and then disappears. On the smallest scale then, matter is both created and destroyed regularly. This doesn't suggest that energy is eternal at all. Not to me, at least. All the matter and energy that was ever going to exist in the universe exists now, and because of Black Holes and Dark Energy, I think that these ultimately prove to be drains on both matter AND energy. -And our big supercolliders... they force particles in and out of existence daily... the universe mechanically allows for the creation of "something from nothing" or in your words "turns energy into matter."

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\"Why is it, Master, that ascetics fight with ascetics?\"

\"It is, brahmin, because of attachment to views, adherence to views, fixation on views, addiction to views, obsession with views, holding firmly to views that ascetics fight with ascetics.\"