August
28, 2017 Monday
Bedtime
Story
The Ouroboros and the Scale of Our Universe
I
am continuing the extract from “Just Six Numbers”
“It
is actually no coincidence that nature attains its maximum complexity on this intermediate
scale; anything larger, if it were on a habitable planet, would be vulnerable
to breakage or crushing by gravity.
We
are used to the idea that we are moulded by the microworld: we are vulnerable
to viruses a millionth of a meter in length, and the minute DNA double-helix
molecule encodes our total genetic heritage.
And
it’s just as obvious that we depend on the Sun and its power.
But
what about the still vaster scales?
Even
the nearest stars are millions of times further away than the Sun, and the
known cosmos extends a million times further still.
Can
we understand why there is so much beyond our Solar System?
In
this book I shall describe several ways in which we are linked to the stars,
arguing that we cannot understand our origins without the cosmic content.
(Exactly
the point mon ami keeps emphasizing).
The
intimate connection between the ‘inner space’ of the subatomic world and the
‘outer space’ of the cosmos are illustrated by the picture that I will try to
show to you – an ouroboros, described by Encyclopedia Britannica as the
‘emblematic serpent of ancient Egypt and Greece, represented with its tail in
its mouth continually devouring itself and being reborn from itself.
It
expresses the unity of all things, material and spiritual, which never
disappear but perpetually change form in an eternal cycle of destruction and
re-creation.’
On
the left in the illustration are the atoms and subatomic particles; this is the
‘quantum world’.
On
the right are planets, stars and galaxies.
This
book will highlight some remarkable interconnections between the microscales on
the left and the macroworld on the right.
Our
everyday world is determined by atoms and how combine together to form
molecules, minerals and living cells.
The
way stars shine depends on the nuclei within those atoms.
Galaxies
may be held together by gravity of a huge swarm of subatomic particles.
Symbolized
‘gastronomically’ at the top, is the ultimate synthesis that still eludes us –
between the cosmos and the quantum.
Lengths
spanning sixty powers of ten are depicted in the ouroboros.
Such
an enormous range is actually a prerequisite for an ‘interesting’ universe.”
Stay tuned to the voice of an average story storytelling
chimpanzee or login at http://panarrans.blogspot.com
Good night mon ami and my fellow cousin ape.
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Another great educator and a teacher that I am aware of is
Professor Subhashish Chattopadhyay in Bangalore, India.
While I narrate stories, Professor Subhashish an electronic
engineer and a former professor at BARC, does and teaches real mathematics and
physics.
He started the participation of Indian students at the
International Physics Olympiad.
Do visit him here:
All his books can be downloaded for free through this link:
For edutainment and English education of your children, I
recommend this large collection of Halloween Songs for Kids:
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