Abstract The purpose of the universe has been seen from many angles in human history. The scientific view of the purpose of the universe has fluctuated together with various epochs and the philosophies connected with these epochs. Various philosophies of the purpose of the universe, and whether indeed the universe does have a purpose, are discussed.
From the Paper "Cosmology, or the study of the universe, originated in Mesopotamia. The philosophy of the time was that the earth was the center of the universe. Main philosophers of the time were Aristotle and Ptolemy. Because of Aristotle's power, this view of the world remained relatively uncontested until 1543. This philosophy also made the idea of the purpose of the universe fairly simple. The universe existed for human beings, who were created at the center of it. The understanding of the world, being simple, was therefore unproblematic. It therefore might be not only Aristotle's power but also the basic human need to feel that there is a purpose to things that perpetuated this view."
Abstract This paper examines Carl Sagan's clear and lucid style of writing which lends itself well to understanding the diverse number of issues as detailed in ""The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark." This paper discusses the basic theme of Sagan's novel which is the defense of technology as a necessity to improve man's existence on this planet. The writer of this paper also touches on Sagan's provision of figures which communicate the number of people who remain in the dark about matters of science.
From the Paper "Carl Sagan uses a clear and lucid style of writing which lends itself well to our understanding of the diverse number of issues he discusses. Perhaps the best way that Sagan creates such a clear understanding of his ideas in The Demon Haunted World is his art of using words effectively. From the beginning of the work his explanations are
handled with a sort of empathy so as not to demean the intelligence of true believers. Not once does he ever write anything to suggest that people who believe in the various pseudosciences are asinine. He simply shows the evidence in an unbiased, objective manner."
Abstract The paper explains that before landing on the moon, scientists feared that the astronauts manning a space craft might die and that there was a possibility of lunar microbes causing an epidemic if they found their way into the earth's biosphere. The writer explains that despite this great risk, the Soviets and Americans continued the race to space. The paper suggests reasons for this race to have continued and the writer posits that the only reason for doing so was for one of these nations to prove the dominance of their way of life over the other country's way of life. The writer states that the United States won the race to the moon, and also dominance of the planet, and that the Soviet Union broke apart while America prospered. In conclusion, the writer questions whether the exploration of space will wane without competition and posits that it may become a mission not of fostering competition between nations, but inspiring cooperation.
From the Paper "While the moon does not have anything to due with proving either of these ways of life superior to the other per se, the conquest of the moon was an important symbolic victory. There was a definite feeling that whoever managed to land on the moon first would prove to be the "superior" society. Astronaut Eugene Cernan clearly illustrates this anxiety to prove America's dominance of the Earth through space travel in his book The Last Man on the Moon. He starts his book recalling the occasion when he and two fellow astronauts were in the middle of testing a space craft when they were interrupted by an important phone call. Interruptions of these tests were rare since they were so difficult to set-up, so terminating the test must mean something very wrong had happened. One of the first thoughts Cernan remembers having when they were called out of their craft was "...maybe it was our worst nightmare come true, and the Russians were on their way to the Moon" (Cernan 5). That turned out not to be the case: in fact, the phone call was to inform them of the deaths of three other American astronauts in an electrical fire while testing another spacecraft. Cernan, of course, was devastated by the loss of his friends and colleagues, but nevertheless, he apparently viewed the idea of the Russians reaching the moon as his "worst nightmare." He writes that after the funerals, he worried that the American space program might be scrapped forever. "From this point on," he writes, "the dream of sending men into orbit and beyond would be viewed through the prism of the sacrifice demanded. It was a dangerous enterprise and we all now clearly understood what President Kennedy meant when he said our country had accepted this challenge not because it was easy, but because it was hard" (Cernan 13). Why, after such a tragedy, was Cernan's first fear that the Russians might beat the Americans to the moon? And why, after the funerals, did he and his fellow astronauts become even more determined to risk their lives for what was, for all practical purposes, a mostly symbolic victory? Risking so much to do something "because it was hard" really isn't a satisfactory answer."
Abstract This paper explains that in the universe, few elements are weirder than black holes, a celestial body made of material so dense that nothing can easily escape its gravitational field, not even light. The author points out, that for decades, theorists considered them mere mathematical constructs, unavoidable consequences of Albert Einstein's theories of relativity; but there is no reason that they cannot exist in nature and, over the last four decades, evidence has mounted that suggests they actually do exist. The paper relates that, although black holes are totally invisible and there is no way to see them directly, they can be detected indirectly (1) by observing the radiation from the bright-burning accretion disks, which radiate on all electromagnetic frequencies especially on the X-ray bands, and (2) by observing their gravitational effects on other objects.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Black Hole Anatomy 101
Surfing the Singularity
From the Paper "Another important feature possessed by many black holes is an accretion disk, a torus around the event horizon formed by infalling matter as it spirals toward the singularity. Because of the energetic nature of the infall-think of the whirlpool formed as water drains from a bathtub-accretion disks usually emit all sorts of radiation, including visible light. The only other features black holes are reliably theorized to possess are angular momentum (rotation) and occasionally the odd electric charge or magnetic polarity, a consequence of eating too many charged particles"
Abstract This paper explains that Jupiter, which has a mass of 1.900e27 kg., has more than twice the mass of all the other planets' masses combined and is over 300 times the mass of the Earth. The author points out that, when observing from Earth, Jupiter can best be seen when it is near its solar opposition, which is where Jupiter and the Earth are both aligned on the same side of the sun; Jupiter rises at Earth's sunset and sets at Earth's sunrise thereby being visible all during the night hours. The paper relates that the first space probe to Jupiter was Pioneer 10 in 1973, followed by Pioneer 11, Voyager 1, Voyager 2 and Ulysses; the spacecraft Galileo is currently orbiting, sending data for at least two more years as it continues to orbit Jupiter.
From the Paper "Jupiter has a dynamic weather system, indicated by the colorful bands at the latitudes, and the atmospheric clouds and storms. The pattern of the clouds can change within days or hours. The Great Red Spot, which is a complex storm system, moves in a counter-clockwise direction. Found throughout the clouds, with their banded appearance, are smaller storms and eddies. In the storm's center, and near the center, random motions are detected in small amounts, but motions appear to rotate in four to six days near the outer edges."
Abstract This paper describes the origin of meteors, their composition and properties. The author explains the source of light and color of meteors, their speed and size. The paper gives some features of major meteor showers such as the Leonid and Perseid.
From the Paper "The smallest units in the solar system, which can be observed with the naked eye, are meteoroids and they range in size from large fragments of asteroids and comets to small micro-meteoroids. Most meteoroid streams come from..."
Abstract This paper describes the origins of comets, large and small. The author points out the effects of the impact of a large comet with the Earth in Tunguska, Russia in 1908 and its effects on the atmosphere.
From the Paper "Comets consist of rock ice and organic compounds and they can be several miles in diameter. They are thought to originate from a region which is beyond the orbits of the outermost planets and scientists believe that gravitational perturbations jolt them ..."
Abstract This paper looks at the Newtonian Universe, laws of gravity, the development of calculus, the laws of motion and the idea of the clockwork universe.
From the Paper "Sir Isaac Newton was considered by many the most important figure in the development of modern science, and his accomplishments covered a broad scope, from fundamental contributions to physics and astronomy, to the invention in parallel with Liebnitz of the mathematical field of calculus and Newtonian mechanics which came to be regarded as the ultimate explanatory science. Sir Isaac Newton changed the understanding of the universe with his three laws of motion."
Tags: gravity, clockwork universe, calculus, laws of motion
Abstract The paper compares and contrasts the theories of Darwin revisionist Stephen Jay Gould and creationists. The paper explains the major beliefs of creationist thought and includes Gould's belief that creationism is a pseudo-science.
From the Paper "Stephen Jay Gould's Non moral Nature. Stephen Jay Gould prior to his death was the Alexander Agassiz Professor of Zoology at Harvard University and has been described by Phillip E Johnson as a Darwinian revisionist, who rejects the tendency in Darwinian thought to insist on the absolute primacy of natural selection as a regulatory mechanism operating in the evolutionary process."
Tags: Stephen Jay Gould, Creationism, Darwin, natural selection, evolution
Abstract This paper explores man's interest in the planet Mars. The paper begins by taking a historical look at observation and exploration of the planet. Next, the author describes conditions on the planet, and how they are unsuitable for life. Finally, the author concludes that Mars is a beautiful planet, and gives a description of the planet as well as including actual pictures.
Introduction
Analysis
Conclusion
From the Paper "Though there are no live forms, yet there is a meteorite present on Earth which had come down some 13,000 years ago in the Antarctic which is raising a lot of questions. This contains a magnetic compound called magnetite or Fe3O4 and that compound is found easily on earth. It is also used in many products like video and audio tapes which are regularly used in most houses. At the same time, there are only very few bacteria on earth which can produce magnetite in the crystalline form as they are able to assemble magnetite structures which are chemically pure and free from any defects. This type of magnetite crystals were found in the Allan Hills meteorite and that is a 4 billion year old rock which had come down from Mars as described earlier. The crystals of magnetite were present deep inside the rock. There is a belief in the scientists that these crystals had traveled all the way from Mars and were not produced on Earth through contamination by bacteria from the Earth after its arrival. (Life on Mars? The Allan Hills meteorite from Mars is peppered with tiny magnetic crystals that on our planet are made only by bacteria) "
Tags: space, exploration, aliens, planets, solar, system
Abstract This is a position paper responding to Harry Harding's 1995 criticism of claims to a 'Greater China' which he explains to be an old and very questionable model. It follows with an outline of W. H. Overholt's very pro capitalist American analysis of the same development towards much assumption of the PRC capitalism and democracy and the automatic interest and unity of diverse overseas Chinese groups.
From the Paper "Harry Harding's article, "The Concept of Greater China", points out several defects in this model, as well as informing the reader that such predictions have been made, in the past, due to an incomplete assessment of various factors. (1993) Economic reform in Mainland China, altered communications, or the rising visibility of Chinese communities, around the world, do not imply that the mythical concept of dazhonghua will be realized in the 21st century. As Harding correctly points out, the peoples that others refer to as "Chinese" share linguistic and cultural features and are from groups having left the Chinese mainland, at different points, through several centuries."
Abstract This paper reviews the concept and history of Unidentified Flying Objects, or UFOs, and the influence UFOs have had on the world entertainment, and the influence the world of entertainment has had on our perception of UFOs and alien life.
From the Paper "Unidentified Flying Objects, (UFOs) were once only saucers tied to a string and filmed by an 8mm camera in the 1950s. By the 1970s they became a bit more believable when 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' presented images of technologically advanced UFOs, with images fitting the preconceived idea of aliens driving them through the desert. Yet, by the time 'E.T.', (The Extraterrestrial) was presented in the 1980s society began to take a closer look at the phenomenon of the UFO, and many within it started to relate their personal experiences in sightings, abductions, meetings, and "close encounters". Today there is a vast array of television programming focused on UFOs, and the aliens who build them."
Abstract This paper examines the development of research into artificial intelligence. It traces the roots of the discipline back to the 1950s when the term was first coined. The author traces the development of AI research into the present where researchers are struggling to create software that emulates human cognition. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of the potential future implications of AI research.
From the Paper "Achieving artificial intelligence is an accomplishment in computing that has enticed and frightened people for decades. But just how likely is that achievement? Examining the history of artificial intelligence studies as well as its present course and future implications should serve as a useful stepping off point for understanding both the promises and perils of artificial intelligence. In short, artificial intelligence research has progressed through a series of period over the past fifty years, each building on the last to drive the discipline closer to the realization of computational thought. It is only in recent years that we have begun to apply what has been learned and develop more finely tuned forms of artificial intelligence. The future for the discipline is, of course, uncertain."
Abstract The paper describes how, through the ages, it has become evident that ancient civilizations had methods of creating structures that are unexplained, even to this day. The paper discusses how the manner in which astronomy affects archeology verifies this contention. The paper examines ancient observatories such as Chaco Canyon, Machu Picchu, and Chichen Itza, which have given science the means to explore the methods practiced by ancient societies in correlating the existence of their societies with the heavens.
Abstract This paper is a book review of David H. Clark and Matthew D. H. Clark's "Measuring the Cosmos: How Scientists Discovered the Dimensions of the Universe". It details the main aspects of this history as recorded in the book, and in the process takes the conclusion that the book is a celebration of the human passion for knowledge and the great debates that have accompanied scientific advance.
From the Paper "Searching the Skies: A Book Review of Measuring the Cosmos: How Scientists Discovered the Dimensions of the Universe by David H. Clark and Matthew D. H. Clark Clark and Clark's book is a historiography of the timeless human debate into the fundamental question of "Why?" Why do we exist? Where do we come from? Ultimately, what is the nature of the universe around us? The book follows the careers of the great minds of astrology from early antiquity to the modern era, following science as it haphazardly pushes forth the limits of human comprehension."
