13 ideas
21110 | An understanding of the most basic physics should explain all of the subject's mysteries [Krauss] |
Full Idea: Once we understood the fundamental laws that govern forces of nature at its smallest scales, all of these current mysteries would be revealed as natural consequences of these laws. | |
From: Lawrence M. Krauss (A Universe from Nothing [2012], 08) | |
A reaction: This expresses the reductionist view within physics itself. Krauss says the discovery that empty space itself contains energy has led to a revision of this view (because that is not part of the forces and particles studied in basic physics). |
21105 | In 1676 it was discovered that water is teeming with life [Krauss] |
Full Idea: Van Leeuwenhoek first stared at a drop of seemingly empty water with a microscope in 1676 and discovered in was teeming with life. | |
From: Lawrence M. Krauss (A Universe from Nothing [2012], 04) | |
A reaction: I am convinced that this had a huge influence on Leibniz's concept of monads. He immediately became convinced that it was some sort of life all the way down. He would be have been disappointed by the subsequent chemical reduction of life. |
5052 | When Gentiles follow the law, they must have the law written in their hearts [Paul] |
Full Idea: When the Gentiles which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves, which shew the works of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness. | |
From: St Paul (06: Epistle to the Romans [c.55], 02.15) | |
A reaction: This passage was used by theologians as proof of innate ideas, which are, of course, divinely implanted (in the guise of doing things 'by nature'). It is quoted by Leibniz. Thus Christians annexed credit for pagan morality to God. |
7572 | Power is ordained by God, so anyone who resists power resists God, and will be damned [Paul] |
Full Idea: Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained by God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. | |
From: St Paul (06: Epistle to the Romans [c.55], 13:1-2) | |
A reaction: This notorious passage was used to justify the Divine Right of Kings in England in the seventeenth century. It strikes me as being utterly preposterous, though you might say that violent resistance to an evil dictator only brings worse evil. |
13304 | Learned men gain more in one day than others do in a lifetime [Posidonius] |
Full Idea: In a single day there lies open to men of learning more than there ever does to the unenlightened in the longest of lifetimes. | |
From: Posidonius (fragments/reports [c.95 BCE]), quoted by Seneca the Younger - Letters from a Stoic 078 | |
A reaction: These remarks endorsing the infinite superiority of the educated to the uneducated seem to have been popular in late antiquity. It tends to be the religions which discourage great learning, especially in their emphasis on a single book. |
21109 | Space itself can expand (and separate its contents) at faster than light speeds [Krauss] |
Full Idea: Special Relativity says nothing can travel 'through space' faster than the speed of light. But space itself can do whatever the heck it wants, at least in general relativity. And it can carry distant objects apart from one another at superluminal speeds | |
From: Lawrence M. Krauss (A Universe from Nothing [2012], 06) | |
A reaction: Another of my misunderstandings corrected. I assumed that the event horizon (limit of observability) was defined by the stuff retreating at (max) light speed. But beyond that it retreats even faster! What about the photons in space? |
21104 | General Relativity: the density of energy and matter determines curvature and gravity [Krauss] |
Full Idea: The left-hand side of the general relativity equations descrbe the curvature of the universe, and the strength of gravitational forces acting on matter and radiation. The right-hand sides reflect the total density of all kinds of energy and matter. | |
From: Lawrence M. Krauss (A Universe from Nothing [2012], 04) | |
A reaction: I had assumed that the equations just described the geometry. In fact the matter determines the nature of the universe in which it exists. Presumably only things with mass get a vote. |
21107 | Uncertainty says that energy can be very high over very short time periods [Krauss] |
Full Idea: The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle says that the uncertainty in the measured energy of a system is inversely proportional to the length of time over which you observe it. (This allow near infinite energy over very short times). | |
From: Lawrence M. Krauss (A Universe from Nothing [2012], 04) | |
A reaction: Apparently this brief energy is 'borrowed', and must be quickly repaid. |
21106 | Most of the mass of a proton is the energy in virtual particles (rather than the quarks) [Krauss] |
Full Idea: The quarks provide very little of the total mass of a proton, and the fields created by the virtual particles contribute most of the energy that goes into the proton's rest energy and, hence, its mass. | |
From: Lawrence M. Krauss (A Universe from Nothing [2012], 04) | |
A reaction: He gives an artist's impression of the interior of a proton, which looks like a ship's engine room. |
21112 | Empty space contains a continual flux of brief virtual particles [Krauss] |
Full Idea: Empty space is complicated. It is a boiling brew of virtual particles that pop in and out of existence in a time so short we cannot see them directly. | |
From: Lawrence M. Krauss (A Universe from Nothing [2012], 10) | |
A reaction: Apparently the interior of a proton is also like this. This fact gives a foot in the door for explanations of how the Big Bang got started, from these virtual particles. And yet surely space itself only arrives with the Big Bang? |
20820 | Time is an interval of motion, or the measure of speed [Posidonius, by Stobaeus] |
Full Idea: Posidonius defined time thus: it is an interval of motion, or the measure of speed and slowness. | |
From: report of Posidonius (fragments/reports [c.95 BCE]) by John Stobaeus - Anthology 1.08.42 | |
A reaction: Hm. Can we define motion or speed without alluding to time? Looks like we have to define them as a conjoined pair, which means we cannot fully understand either of them. |
21108 | The universe is precisely 13.72 billion years old [Krauss] |
Full Idea: We now know the age of the universe to four significant figures. It is 13.72 billion years old! | |
From: Lawrence M. Krauss (A Universe from Nothing [2012], 05) | |
A reaction: It amazes me how many people, especially in philosophy, would be reluctant to accept that this is a know fact. I'm not accepting its certainty, but an assertion like this from a leading figure is good enough for me, and it should be for you. |
21111 | It seems likely that cosmic inflation is eternal, and this would make a multiverse inevitable [Krauss] |
Full Idea: A multiverse is inevitable if inflation is eternal, and eternal inflation is by far the most likely possibility in most, if not all, inflationary scenarios. | |
From: Lawrence M. Krauss (A Universe from Nothing [2012], 08) |