The Universe and Everything
One sure-fire way of stimulating discussion within any group, small and
large, is to pose the question: “where does everything come from?” Every
person on planet Earth must surely have pontificated upon such a question at
some time in their lives. For the religious folks, the answer is forthright; for
the science-minded, the question is a particularly challenging and
thought-provoking (if not a downright troublesome) one.
At the September monthly meeting, I opened the floor to an informal
debate of certain not-so-basic questions in cosmology: “How large is the
Universe? Is it expanding or contracting? Where are we right now within the
universe? How will the universe end?”
The debate was lively and stimulating. I’m only sorry so many of you
missed out on the opportunity to throw your two cents worth into the cauldron of
ideas. One of the reasons I enjoy discussing cosmology is that one’s ideas
cannot be proven absolutely wrong. Yes, current generally accepted evidence can
be placed on the table for consideration and the initiator is then free to
revise a theory or reinforce it with that new evidence. Refusal to do so will
simply entrap one in a dogmatic fervour that soon fails even the most elementary
of scientific tests.
We are an open-minded group of free thinkers. At times like this it is
as though one is walking down a corridor of possibilities and every new idea is
an open door to a new passage of exploration.
I opened the debate with a personal view of the cosmos; I closed the
debate with an altered one. This is growth. Science (and astronomy, for that
matter) allows itself to be tested through open debate. When faced with a more
plausible or proven alternative, embrace, mesh and mould it into you own model
of the cosmos. Make it yours and make it unique. Very few will agree with your
personal theory, but that’s what stimulates debate.
Keep thinking and think big …very big!
Dave Gordon