physics

Space Elevator

Posted 2004-07-02 (金) 午後7:21 by terra

Arthur C. Clarke’s one of my top 5 favourite sci-fi authors, and my favourite book from him would have to be . Set in both imaginary past and the not-too-distant future, it is the tale of two visionaries, a king and an engineer, who envision and put to science fiction reality, the towers of babylon.

And we are now a further step away from this being a mere dream if Bradley Edwards, Director of Research for the Institute for Scientific Research, is to come closer to realising his vision.

An article two years ago that I read from SPACE.com, “The Space Elevator Comes Closer to Reality”; and its follow-up just a few days ago, “Space Elevator: Momentum Building”.

Subjects: Books 書物, Technology 技術

Mood: Philosophical Musings

Tags: Arthur C. Clarke, physics, science fiction, space elevator

Emotions in writing and Wave Particle Duality

Posted 2004-04-05 (月) 午後8:54 by terra

It’s so hard to write about emotional states and momentary feelings, because the process of reflection - that transpires while putting thoughts to words - alter the very subjects to begin with. I see this as analogous to Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, a consequence of wave particle duality in physics, in which the act of observation alters the state of a quantum system.

How is this so?

In order to write, we assume that our subjects possess definitive states; in reality, they fluctuate with every word that is spoken or heard, every sensation received from interaction with the environment, every thought process that is made. The additional dimension of time allows us to objectively assess and rationalise these states and feelings with our belief systems. The resultant evaluation is likely to be radically different from the original subjects that are of a transient nature.

Subjects: General

Mood: Discoveries & Relevations, Philosophical Musings

Tags: Heisenberg, physics, wave particle duality

The Evolution & Fate of the Universe

Posted 2004-02-09 (月) 午後6:04 by terra

The ultimate fate of the universe holds a perpetual fascination with mankind. Ever since Hubble discovered in 1929 that the universe is expanding, people have wondered whether the universe would continue expanding forever, or whether its expansion would one day come to a halt and be reversed, leading eventually to a “big crunch”. In this essay, you should trace through the pioneering work of Hubble, Einstein and others, and review modern cosmological theories as well as current evidence for the fate of the universe.