Sunday, April 15, 2007

The Geometry of the Universe

This weeks episode is going to be discussing the Creationist claim about the changing nature of science and their problem with it. The topic for this week's episode is the geometry of the universe and how this geometry affects the evolution of the universe. I also discuss the recent finding of protein in a T-rex bone which verifies the evolutionary link between dinosaurs and birds (in this case, the chicken!)

The Geometry of the Universe

Here are some links I found helpful in wrapping my mind around the notion of non-Euclidean geometry:
Hyperparallel lines in hyperbolic geometry
Geometry of the Universe
Hyperbolic geometry

Note: the lines on Wikipedia's Hyperbolic geometry page don't look like they would be parallel to the first line. This is just a problem with the drawing. The parallel lines only "touch" at infinity. They close in asymptotically towards the line but never touch.

P.S. Sorry about any strange background noises you heard (including my nose near the end!), the dorm isn't exactly the quietest place to record a podcast!

3 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Woo new post!

7:48 PM  
Blogger Carol said...

Basic Euclidian geometry may play a role in the big bang/creationism: the 4th non-coplanar point would have created a third dimension immediately, much like a big bang. 3 dimensions is capable of containing space, time, and mass, unlike previous dimensions. God, if indeed is LOVE, could not have existed alone. Love cannot exist without an "other". So, not a singularity, or as in Euclidian geometry, a point without dimension, God is ALL, and time did not exist until the big bang, so the trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit could be a metaphysical representation of the point, line, and plane---then space with the big bang. Now time exists, but only in this dimension. It makes sense with the biblical references to the "body of Christ" meaning, a God existence in the 3rd dimension is being "created" (time only existing here)as a "body" with mass in a space/time mode. Light must be addressed in your discussion of the big bang. I believe light does not travel because it is everywhere, and the illusion of darkness is a result of mass/time/space. Investigate the properties of light in both a physical and metaphysical way. According to Genesis, light was not created, God said "Let there be light."

10:43 AM  
Blogger Carol said...

I have little regard for the Creationist movement fueled by religious rhetoric and dismissing actual proven facts; however, you could incorporate a little more larger thinking by using your interest in metaphysics and philosophy to assist your narrowly scientific/mathematical foundation. In other words, understand that science is only revealing what already is, and we are so limited in our understanding, as evidenced by the unlimited amount of information that was supposedly fact, but found through new "science" to be wrong. This has been happening throughout known history. When I say think larger I mean apply all we know to a metaphysical truth, which can only be spiritual. Only 2 kinds of things exist that we know: physical and metaphysical; tangible and spiritual. Words, math, music are all spiritual things--metaphysical. Yet, you only acknowledge the physical science which is just being revealed as time unfolds. A good study of epistomology may help with this type of thinking. It actually requires exercising your mind to do it. Don't mean to be confrontational.

11:19 AM  

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