Space expanding.

[too-open-minded]

So space is expanding, dark energy, and stuff.

 

Now I have my own speculatory idea on as to why space expands which is a combination of things but before I get into that (because I know i'm probably wrong and you guys who actually take your time to learn this stuff get annoyed with me running through big concepts.)

 

Can anyone explain to me the best they can in laymans terms the extent that we know of?

I can only learn and comprehend so much off wikipideia.

[ajb]

Can anyone explain to me the best they can in laymans terms the extent that we know of?

No, as it will not really help you develop a theory. To do that, you will need to read proper physics and cosmology books as well as papers and review articles. As cosmology is outside my area of I am probably not the best person to advice you. However, for a good general introduction I like the book by Andrew Liddle, An Introduction to Modern Cosmology, 2nd Edition. It is suitable for advanced undergraduate level.

[too-open-minded]

Thanks mayng

 

does this book cover concepts? I already know I won't be able to work out let alone remotely understand the equations as of right now.

Edited March 19, 2013 by too-open-minded

[too-open-minded]

I'm not just trying to develop my ideas though, I also want to understand what the scientific community already knows about it.

[SplitInfinity]

I'm not just trying to develop my ideas though, I also want to understand what the scientific community already knows about it.

 

No matter what anyone tells you the reality is we have created the names Dark Matter and Dark Energy to describe two specific effects that we can both observe and calculate.

 

The too effects being....the Warping of our our Universes Space/Time Geometry...which is an Expession of One Dimensionality...or in one word....GRAVITY. If you read a book about what is Dark Matter it will tell you that 87% of the known Universe is invisable to us as Dark Matter comprises 87% of all Matter in the Universe.

 

Now the reality. Even though the text books will say this...the reality is that we can calculate that 87% of all Gravitational Effect in our Universe has no visable or detectable Mass present that would be creating it. This means we do not really know what is causing 87% of the Gravitational Effect detected in our Universe. So what we have done is declare that something we call...DARK MATTER...is causing this effect.

 

In reality we have absolutely no idea what is causing this. It might not be any varying form of Matter at all...but hey...we just LOVE to create cool names...Dark Matter.

 

Same thing for DARK ENERGY....it is just a NAME given to an unknown cause that is forcing the Galaxies to accelerate away from each other and thus expand Space/Time. We have NO CLUE why this is happening or what is causing it. But again...we LOVE cool names. DARK ENERGY.

 

Split Infinity

[ajb]

does this book cover concepts? I already know I won't be able to work out let alone remotely understand the equations as of right now.

Liddle's book is great, but it does naturally presuppose you know some physics. The book however, does not require general relativity, but that should be on your list of things to learn about.

 

I'm not just trying to develop my ideas though, I also want to understand what the scientific community already knows about it.

Try Liddle's book and then hunt for more advanced stuff from there.

[too-open-minded]

Where should my level of physics education be to understand the book?

[proximity1]

My recommendations for you come from my own very recent reading. First and foremost, I recommend you read Lee Smolin's book, The Trouble With Physics. I've nearly finished it and I think it will give you not only a good overview of the current pciture of issues which are generally agreed and which are controversial, it will do this in as fair and balanced a way as I've seen anywhere so far. I think that Smolin's views are very insightful and his explanations are as clear as I think they can be made--the book is addressed to the general reader. Using his bibliographical references, you'll also have many places to go next in your reading and, in going there, you'll have the basis for a general idea of what you're going to find discussed.

 

Second, I'm about to go next to this book, which I also recommend as I've already dipped into it:

 

What is Time? What is Space? by Carlo Rovelli (also addressed to the general reader).

 

see the link for the english edition's details: http://www.direnzo.it/dett_libri.php?recordID=8883231465

 

Both Rovelli's homepage and Smolin's pages at the Perimeter Institute should offer you lots of interesting information and prompt a great many things to think about. At the Perimeter Institute's website, there are many lectures presented in video format.

 

__________________________

 

P.S. : Lee Smolin has a new, about-to-be-published book, (projected date of publication, 23 April, 2013) from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Time Reborn.

 

And, while looking up that link, I came upon this, directly on the topics of Dark Matter and Dark Energy, aslo from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, The 4 Percent Universe: Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Race to Discover the Rest of Reality, by Richard Panek.

Edited March 24, 2013 by proximity1