The Fabric of the Cosmos

Discussion in 'TV & Media' started by Kelso, Nov 3, 2011.

  1. Kelso

    Kelso Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Is anyone watching Brian Greene's The Fabric of the Cosmos on NOVA? If so, what did you think?

    I haven't had a chance to watch episode one yet, but I'm looking forward to it!
     
  2. Christopher

    Christopher Writer Admiral

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    My DVR failed to record it for some reason. Hopefully it'll catch the rerun later in the week.
     
  3. Temis the Vorta

    Temis the Vorta Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I recorded it, but at this point I feel like I've watched too damn many docs on string theory and multiple universes and how time travel could work for real. :rommie:
     
  4. RoJoHen

    RoJoHen Awesome Admiral

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    Not without harnessing the power of chronoton particles it won't!
     
  5. Kelso

    Kelso Vice Admiral Admiral

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    It is also streaming on the NOVA site, I believe.
     
  6. DrCorby

    DrCorby Captain Captain

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    I watched the first episode last night. Like The Elegant Universe, it presented the subject matter in a fairly clear, understandable manner, with good visual illustrations. The nature of space, from intergalactic to subatomic and from Newtonian to post-Einstein, was the topic. Fascinating stuff. And engaging for my whole family, adults and kids (tweenagers) alike. So you have to like that. :techman:

    My only nitpick is the attitude that all the latest cosmological theories are correct and established, just needing to have a little experimental verification, instead of cool theories that are on the frontiers of science and may need to have more work done on them, mathmatical and experimantal, to really establish their validity. Sort of like membrane theory -- a cool theory that explains certain phenomena but that can't be proven experimentally at this point.

    Looking forward to the rest of the series.
     
  7. Christopher

    Christopher Writer Admiral

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    My DSL connection's unreliable at the moment, so I'm not sure that would work for me.
     
  8. Christopher

    Christopher Writer Admiral

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    Okay, I finally saw the first episode. And it's the first time I've seen an analogy for the Higgs field that really helped me understand what it supposedly does. I mean, I studied physics in college, I've read about the Higgs boson/field on and off for decades, but I never understood what people meant when they said it created mass. Now I'm finally starting to get a sense for it.

    Although I'm wondering if there's any way the Casimir effect/virtual particle field, the Higgs field, and dark energy could be aspects of the same thing. It would seem rather inelegant for them all to be totally unconnected things simultaneously pervading spacetime.