Just a pale blue dot...

[LiquidFire]

Wow, this really gets you thinking about how infintly huge the universe is.
This is a photo of Earth from four billion miles away.
http://us.st11.yimg.com/store1.yimg.com/I/skyimage_1875_25798488


"We succeeded in taking that picture [from deep space], and, if you look at it, you see a dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever lived, lived out their lives. The aggregate of all our joys and sufferings, thousands of confident religions, ideologies and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilizations, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every hopeful child, every mother and father, every inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every superstar, every supreme leader, every saint and sinner in the history of our species, lived there on a mote of dust, suspended in a sunbeam........"

Just wow, This sort of proves how useless all of our efforts are. I guess were all just fish in a big pond.


Any thoughts about this?


BlueDot (http://www.skyimagelab.com/pale-blue-dot.html)

[MasterGlitch]

No matter how many times it's explained to me, no matter how many people say it, no matter how many times it's reiterated, it never ceases to amaze me how small and insignificant we are in the grand scheme of the universe...

[Kawahee]

I still can't explain it to my friend that a vacuum is nothing and no matter how far out you will go, you'll always hit something and then a nothing again.

void travel ()
{
find (something);
travel ();
}

Finite state machines choke on that code.

[semiavrage]

Well, if you go out far enough, anything will look small. If you put a bowling ball on the ground and walk 50 yards back, all you'll see is a small, black, dot... if anything. If you have a 747, and walk back a few miles, all you'll see is a shiny, white, dot...

[LiquidFire]

idiot...

[KrazyKain]

Well, if you go out far enough, anything will look small. If you put a bowling ball on the ground and walk 50 yards back, all you'll see is a small, black, dot... if anything. If you have a 747, and walk back a few miles, all you'll see is a shiny, white, dot...

thats the whole point!

[semiavrage]

So whats so amazing? They went back billions of miles and... SUPRISE! We look like a dot. Yes, I do get it, but... or course we are small, the universe is an infinite void... My point is, why did they need to take a picture to prove this point?

[iLazz 2.0]

And the universe is expanding.

[MasterGlitch]

How can an infinite void expand?

And, semiavrage, the point is that going out those billions of miles kinda puts things in perspective. Partially because they were able to go back millions of miles.

[semiavrage]

Oh, I understand, but was it worth the millions it must have cost to take a picture from billions of miles away?

[Element]

The universe isn't infinite though.

[Eaglebird]

I don't think that's earth.

For one, earth wouldn't stand out that well, esp. a billion miles away. I mean, don't you think our SUN would be brighter? :think:

[MasterGlitch]

I don't think that's earth.

For one, earth wouldn't stand out that well, esp. a billion miles away. I mean, don't you think our SUN would be brighter? :think:

If you notice, the sun is not in the picture. It is entirely focused on the earth.

[Eaglebird]

If you notice, the sun is not in the picture. It is entirely focused on the earth.

If you notice, from said billion miles away, it'd hard not to get the sun in the picture.

[Mr.Badguy]

If you notice, from said billion miles away, it'd hard not to get the sun in the picture.

Of course he knows this as he travels this far away from earth quite frequently.

[Element]

I'm with Eaglebird on this one. Also how would this picture have been taken?

[JuCa]

I cant find the link, but they have this thing where you can zoom out from the earth. you cant even see the milky way.

[Eaglebird]

Of course he knows this as he travels this far away from earth quite frequently.

They say that the bright red band that goes across it is light from the sun, but at 4 billion miles away, the earth would be pretty close to the edge...

[Lame Face]

God, this made me shutter and feel lonely.

It scares me just thinking about how even though we all feel important to ourselves, we're completely insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

[Denial]

You guys need to read the Hitchhiker's guide books.

[Eaglebird]

You guys need to read the Hitchhiker's guide books.

You mean they haven't? :eek:

[Denial]

You mean they haven't? :eek:

Seems that way. :wall:


Edit that should have been on the other post but no one would see it:

The Guide books have a really interesting take on the perspective and significance of things in the universe.

[iLazz 2.0]

How can an infinite void expand?Who says it's infinite? And it IS expanding.

[semiavrage]

I don't think that's earth.

For one, earth wouldn't stand out that well, esp. a billion miles away. I mean, don't you think our SUN would be brighter? :think:

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. The sun is bright, much brighter than the earth.

[Sofa of Death]

ok, sputnik went towards Jupiter, and used it's gravatational pull to reach neptune, so if IT took the picture, it would get jupiter in the photo, along with 6000000 stars.....

VRSEX III is the only other picture taking, and sending, satellite that was released long enough ago to reach that far, and it stopped sending information in 1987...


so what spacecraft took that picture?

[semiavrage]

I found information about it. http://www.bigskyastroclub.org/pale_blue_dot.htm

The photo above was taken by Voyager 1 in 1990 as it sailed away from Earth, more than 4 billion miles in the distance. Having completed it primary mission, Voyager at that time was on its way out of the Solar System, on a trajectory of approximately 32 degrees above the plane of the Solar System. Ground Control issued a command for the distant space craft to turn around and, looking back, take photos of each of the planets it had visited. From Voyager's vast distance, the Earth was captured as a infinitesimal point of light (between the two white tick marks), actually smaller than a single pixel of the photo. The image was taken with a narrow angle camera lens, with the Sun quite close to the field of view. Quite by accident, the Earth was captured in one of the scattered light rays caused by taking the image at an angle so close to the Sun.

[Eaglebird]

ok, sputnik went towards Jupiter, and used it's gravatational pull to reach neptune, so if IT took the picture, it would get jupiter in the photo, along with 6000000 stars.....

VRSEX III is the only other picture taking, and sending, satellite that was released long enough ago to reach that far, and it stopped sending information in 1987...


so what spacecraft took that picture?

I'm surpised you said Sputnik at all. Sputnik was just a floating, beeping radio, practically. :P

[Sofa of Death]

well.... apparenlty my science class teaches me nothing.....

it was under my impression that it was still in existance, and in space, and taking pictures....


well, ha


anyway, i didn't try to honeslty disprove the picture, i just wanted to be the devils advocate

[Rab]

actually smaller than a single pixel of the photo. The image was taken with a narrow angle camera lens, with the Sun quite close to the field of view. Quite by accident, the Earth was captured in one of the scattered light rays caused by taking the image at an angle so close to the Sun.
So how did they accidentally stumble across a picture of the earth which is smaller than a pixel?

I'm not doubting that the universe is that vast, just the likelihood of this picture being accurate.

[Sofa of Death]

how do they know it isn't some sort of space-dust or a small scratch on the lens?

i mean, at least say that it's possible....


(i also don't say it's not earth, i just enjoy exploring other possibilities)

[Eaglebird]

Sofa, your sig stretches my pages.

Also, if it was taken with a narrow angle camera, wouldn't the dot be a lot bigger, esp. if it was avoiding capturing the sun?

[semiavrage]

Do you doubt that it is a real picture... I beleave it to be real.

[MasterGlitch]

Who says it's infinite? And it IS expanding.

How could they even know that? The expanse of the universe is so vast that we can't even hope to come anywhere near its outer edges. Ever. We can't even leave the galaxy, let alone venture out into the rest of the universe for exploration. How could they know if it's expanding?

[TravTech]

Hey! Lay off my dot!

[semiavrage]

How could they even know that? The expanse of the universe is so vast that we can't even hope to come anywhere near its outer edges. Ever. We can't even leave the galaxy, let alone venture out into the rest of the universe for exploration. How could they know if it's expanding?

A thing called red shift in distant stars shows the shift twords red as they move faster. This is the same concept at work in the doppler effect. By observing distant stars, they can observe that everything is moving apart and expanding.

At least, that is my understanding.

[klo1313]

The Sun would be off the right edge of the picture.

[KageOni]

Seeing this... makes me feel not so fat.

[Hdarim]

I'm going to have fun with this:

Infinitely small to infinitly large


The size of a quark, is about 10^ -18 m

Atomic Nucleus is about 10^ -15 m

An atom is about 10^ -10 m

The width of a human hand is about 10^ -1 m

Earth's diameter is 12,756 km, or 10^7 m

Our solar system is around 12 billion km, or 10^13 m

The Milky Way has about 200 billion stars, with a diameter of 100 light years and is 10 light years thick or 10^20 m.

Our galaxy is part of a local group with 30 other galaxies, the grouped galaxies are together in a space measuring less then 10 million light years, or 10^22 m

Our local group itself is part of a supercluster, a complex,filamentous structure that extends for 100 million light years, or 10^23m

The Galactic superclusters form the complex canvas of the universe, which contains about 100 billion galaxies or more, in this almost unimaginable stucture, there us a tangled network of clusters, galactic superclusters, and immense bubbles of emptiness.

The known edge of the universe is measured at about 15 trillion light years way and one light year is equal to 9,460 billion km's or the complete size of the universe may come around to 10^30 or easily greater.

[semiavrage]

Neither of those are "infinitely" anything.

[iLazz 2.0]

How could they even know that? The expanse of the universe is so vast that we can't even hope to come anywhere near its outer edges. Ever. We can't even leave the galaxy, let alone venture out into the rest of the universe for exploration. How could they know if it's expanding?Hubble proved the universe is expanding. Do your bloody homework and stop mouthing off about things you know nothing of. Stop trying to peddle superstitious mumbo-jumbo when there are demontrable and facts and reproducable evidence to the contrary.

We have already discussed this in depth in this (http://www.1337.com/forums/showthread.php?t=274)old thread.

[LiquidFire]

How is the universe not infine and expanding?

I don't get where you people come from.

[Hdarim]

Neither of those are "infinitely" anything.

Its just to get your mind in a thinking state to see how far your own mind can go from one object to the next to see the size of it, we are always finding things smaller and smaller as well as the oppsite.

[semiavrage]

Hehe, good luck finding something bigger than the universe.

[LiquidFire]

Easy...




Avariks stupidy/gayness.

[Hacky]

Lets see, a few thousand years ago people believed the Sun revolved around the earth, the earth was the center of everything, and that it was also flat.

Is it so hard to believe that perhaps there is something bigger out there that we have yet to discover? First we discovered new planets. Then we discovered new Galaxies, thus creating a Universe. As Galaxies continue to move outwards, our Universe grows.

Oh, and when people (Such as Copernicus) came up with these new "theories" now proven, who was the first to try and stop their influences? The Christian Church. Now, I have nothing against the Christian or Catholic Church and I am certainly not trying to insult anybody at all, so don't flip out on me, I'm just pointing out the facts at how the Church is always the first to deny new theories, because it is "Anti-God". Then when the theories become more and more accepted around the world and even people who remain Faithful to God believe in these new theories, the Anti-Theory opinions go out the window.

[LiquidFire]

The Bible said teh earth was round.

Isaiah 40:22
It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,
And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers,
Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.

And I find your statment quite odd Hacky.
http://www.clarifyingchristianity.com/science.shtml

[Hacky]

The Bible says the Earth is round. I never once said that it said it was flat. Seriously, if I say "The Bible says the earth is flat" in my post, shoot me now.

I did however say that Christians and people who worshiped God etc were the people to prosecute Copernicus and denied for MANY years that the Earth is round, that we are not the center of the universe, and that the earth actually revolved around the Sun. Christians and Catholics etc were the people to fight and deny those things. Called the teachings of Copernicus "Ungodly". Just like the Greeks did to Socrates (Said he was against the God's, etc). That's what my post says.

Learn to read.

Also, the Bible says nothing against Evolution, so couldn't that be true? Oh, the Bible also says nothing again the Expansion of the universe! Wohoo! Thank you for doing nothing but supporting my post.

[LiquidFire]

I didnt know I was going aginst your post...

[Jager]

Uhm where's the stars if this 'picture' was taken so far out?

[LiquidFire]

This pic may not be legit but it still holds the same princible.

[Kawahee]

Uhm where's the stars if this 'picture' was taken so far out?

They're all in the background, it's not one congruent colour. And the Bible doesn't say anything against evolution, just that life was started by God. There are many ways you can interpret how the creation took place. For example, God moulding Eve out of Adam could quite easily be evolution, however it's more likely that the Bible intended it to be interpreted literally.

/Edit: just checked the photo again, the stars are missing.

[LiquidFire]

I typo way to much.

[MasterGlitch]

Hubble proved the universe is expanding. Do your bloody homework and stop mouthing off about things you know nothing of. Stop trying to peddle superstitious mumbo-jumbo when there are demontrable and facts and reproducable evidence to the contrary.

We have already discussed this in depth in this (http://www.1337.com/forums/showthread.php?t=274)old thread.

I asked a simple, honest question. I really wanted to know how anyone can know if the universe is expanding, and I got my answer. Thank you for your time.

[iLazz 2.0]

I asked a simple, honest question. I really wanted to know how anyone can know if the universe is expanding, and I got my answer. Thank you for your time.Oh OK. You're welcome.

[Hdarim]

Next thing bigger to are universe would be the local group of are universe is located in, that is if the multi-verse theory is correct.

[LiquidFire]

Hehe, good luck finding something bigger than the universe.

runes 1337ness.

[semiavrage]

Oh, I found something bigger... MY PENIS.

[LiquidFire]

With 50,000 lbs of viagra.

[MasterGlitch]

Not to mention all that plastic surgery... o.0

[LiquidFire]

And you would have to buy special tailor made pants to um... Give you the extra room.

[KrazyKain]

end of the wold.. newspaper:

"parts of america have already been crushed and annihalated by what appears to be a gigantic penis. if it continues to exapand experts fear the entire world might be destroyed in what is being dubbed penisgeddon, the entire univers might even be at risk"

[MasterGlitch]

Terrorists: "That's it, men! Keep throwing that porn at him! Good... good..."

[Tegro]

No matter how many times it's explained to me, no matter how many people say it, no matter how many times it's reiterated, it never ceases to amaze me how small and insignificant we are in the grand scheme of the universe...

qft. no matter how much i think about it, it so hard to compremend how big this place really is and how small we really are.

[Generation Kill]

The more you think about this kind of stuff the more confusing and scary it gets... I believe in God, so i really don't get as scared, Athiest on the other hand... there is no god! omgwtfhax! Who do you think created all this? It just popped out of nowhere?

[the.doctor]

big bang

EDIT: Read Angels and Demons by the guy who wrote the davinci code

it actually explains alot

[Mad_Monkey]

every time i hear/see how small and patetic this world is it makes me feel depressed =(



but then i think......atleast we arnt uranus

[Crispy]

I think about how all of those stars that you see at night are all potential solar systems. It's mind blowing.

[Mr.Badguy]

I like it when people mention how small we are on a galactic scale, it kinda makes me feel cosy.... Don't ask me why it just does, like when a thunderstorm comes past my area and I'm in bed listening/watching it makes me feel nice and cosy.

[Generation Kill]

who made it go bang? all these theories and things are retarded.

also, how could something as complicated as a living thing just come to being by itself?
humans didn't come from apes. "monkeys are having babies today, why don't they just give birth to another human?" that one guy from that ali g show. hehehehe

[Hdarim]

I think about how all of those stars that you see at night are all potential solar systems. It's mind blowing.

Did you ever think when you looked up at the stars and wondered someone could be doing the exact same thing a thousands of ligth years away questioning the possiblites for life to exist beyond there own known race?

[MasterGlitch]

who made it go bang? all these theories and things are retarded.

also, how could something as complicated as a living thing just come to being by itself?
humans didn't come from apes. "monkeys are having babies today, why don't they just give birth to another human?" that one guy from that ali g show. hehehehe

Yeah, it really is stupid.
Science has proven that energy and matter can neither be created nor destroyed, so how can anyone think that when absolutely nothing existed, energy just popped out of nowhere and created all the matter in the universe? It doesn't add up.

[Ym3x]

But being a commie does.

ROFFEL.

[Hacky]

who made it go bang? all these theories and things are retarded.

also, how could something as complicated as a living thing just come to being by itself?
humans didn't come from apes. "monkeys are having babies today, why don't they just give birth to another human?" that one guy from that ali g show. hehehehe
Are you some kind of stupid?

First and foremost. Monekys are not apes.

Second. There is a goddamn difference between Macro Evolution and Micro Evolution

Now let me elaborate, for the 500th time on this forum.

Micro Evolution = Proven fact, small changes of a species as the ones with the weaker genes die off and the ones with the stronger genes continue to live. Also known as Survival of the fittest or Survial of the most able to adapt. Was the basic theory of Darwin.

Macro Evolution = Not proven, large changes, ability to change one species into a complete different one. Now I sure as fuck hope that you don't honestly believe that what Macro Evolution says is that an Ape gave birth to a human and here we are. What is says it that one speicies of Primape slowly changed into what we are now. Not that we were once the exact same as Guerillas or anything like that. What we once were, was as different from any current species of Ape as Guerillas are from Orangutans.

However, science does say that Energy cannot be created or destroyed, and thus the big bang doesn't add up and that's the best defence against it that anybody has ever come up with.

You however, dear sir, never stated that idea and insted tried to insult evolution with an opinion and a quote that was completely stupid.

[PieMaster]

You guys need to read the Hitchhiker's guide books.
Those never did win enough awards.
Quite the read, I'll say.

[MasterGlitch]

I like to think of it as this:

Micro evolution = natural selection; proven
Macro evolution = the term "evolution"; unproven

So to me, people saying "Evolution is a proven fact" are just deemed ignorant and deserve a firm smack on the head, unless they specified that they meant micro evolution/natural selection/whatever.

That's just the way I look at it, though.

[Hacky]

Evolution refers to both though, not just Macro or Micro, so you can't make an assumption either way of what they believe in. Almost every single person that ever says Evolution is proven fact knows that they're talking about Micro Evolution but everybody else thinks they're talking about Macro.

[MasterGlitch]

I'm just a firm believer in people getting their vocabulary straight, knowing what the hell they're talking about, and making absolute and complete sense before spewing words from their mouths.

When people say "evolution," most people think of macro evolution; it's just generally implied. That's why people should ALWAYS specify if they are speaking ONLY natural selection. It's better to make sense to everybody than to make sense to only some people.

[Hacky]

When I hear evolution I think Micro, as do 95% of all Evolutionists, where as creationists hear Evolution and think Macro.

[Generation Kill]

Are you some kind of stupid?


that quote was a joke, some guy was making fun of these theories in the Ali G show and i remembered it.
anyway monkeys... apes... gorillas... whats the difference? they all go OO OO oo!!! and eat bananas and jump on trees.. same shit.

[MasterGlitch]

When I hear evolution I think Micro, as do 95% of all Evolutionists, where as creationists hear Evolution and think Macro.

Which is exactly why everyone in the world should specify what they're saying.

[EmeraldFalcon89]

Notice micro-evolution and adaption to climate, enviroment, and conditions is never disproved in the Bible?

[MasterGlitch]

That's because micro evolution is a widely accepted, highly proven idea.

[Hacky]

anyway monkeys... apes... gorillas... whats the difference? they all go OO OO oo!!! and eat bananas and jump on trees.. same shit.
You are a moron.

And yes, Micro-Evolution isn't disproved by the Bible, your point? Many Creationists still hate it becuase it was the original idea of Darwin and we all know that Darwin was the devil. Thousands of people everywhere still don't believe it despite the studies and extensive reasearch into it.

[MasterGlitch]

Darwin was Catholic.

[Hacky]

Darwin was Catholic.
As was Kerry, doesn't stop me from hearing crap about them both deserving to burn in hell for all eternity from an old friend of mine. I don't group all Christians along with him, but I did hear him make those claims, at which point I realized he was a moron, and I have seen others say similar things about Darwin being a moron and anybody that supports Evolution in the slightest being against God. (Infact, I once read a paper about Social Darwinism in which the kid linked it all the way back to "But we didn't evolve from Monkeys, and Darwin and everybody that believes that are morons")

Not to group all Christians together, I studied much of the Bible and like to think I know both sides of the debate very well, and one person can believe in God etc and still believe in Micro Evolution (And even macro to an extent in which you believe that Humans were ape-like to start), the problem is that people just don't because it is general assumption that the Bible is 100% anti-evolution completely, and people are given this bullcrap by their pastors or parents, or grandparents etc and they just follow it.

[MasterGlitch]

one person can believe in God etc and still believe in Micro Evolution

In fact, they quite specifically can, because everybody agrees with micro evolution, because that's just all about alterations in the gene pool and stuff.

Also, I don't think Darwin is a horrible, evil person, because his intention was never to harm or discredit religion, which is what everyone assumes nowadays. Darwin never said "and this is why God doesn't exist," he merely proposed a "what if the earth was made this way"-type theory. It's modern society that has blown it out of proportion and tries to say "religion is crap because evolution exists and clearly every bit of it is true because we have 'proof' of it." And that is stupid.

Evolution is a THEORY. Let's treat it that way. Not as proven and undeniable fact.

[the.doctor]

i definetly think micro-evolution when i say evolution - the thought that shit just changes in leaps and bounds seems kinda prepostrous. Nothing in life has happened fast, the big bang theory is drawn out of proportion in the same way - it didnt just BAM, then there was everything and jesus and shit started...


while its definetly proven though that energy cannot be created or destroyed, the fact that a single star can produce the ammount of energy it does is evidence enough that there are sources of energy further out that could theoretically produce anotyher galaxy

[MasterGlitch]

i definetly think micro-evolution when i say evolution - the thought that shit just changes in leaps and bounds seems kinda prepostrous. Nothing in life has happened fast, the big bang theory is drawn out of proportion in the same way - it didnt just BAM, then there was everything and jesus and shit started...


while its definetly proven though that energy cannot be created or destroyed, the fact that a single star can produce the ammount of energy it does is evidence enough that there are sources of energy further out that could theoretically produce anotyher galaxy

First of all, everyone is saying "I think of micro evolution when someone says 'evolution'" and all that, but that's actually false. Saying the word "evolution" by itself actually refers to the entire theory. That includes macro AND micro evolution. Both.

Secondly, the thing is not that stars don't have enough energy or anything, it's that
A.) The Big Bang Theory suggests that there was absolutely nothing. A complete void lacking in everything. That would include energy. But then one day, BAM! an explosion happens out of nowhere and creates the universe. The one thing I have to say about that: What. The. Fuck. It's impossible!
B.) How could a star exploding create planets like the earth? That doesn't make sense either.

[the.doctor]

im not saying that necessarily that a star explodid and shat out planets, im just making reference that there are enormous ammounts of power surrounding us and im certain that there are (or were) much greater sources elsewhere

[Hacky]

First of all, everyone is saying "I think of micro evolution when someone says 'evolution'" and all that, but that's actually false. Saying the word "evolution" by itself actually refers to the entire theory. That includes macro AND micro evolution. Both.

Secondly, the thing is not that stars don't have enough energy or anything, it's that
A.) The Big Bang Theory suggests that there was absolutely nothing. A complete void lacking in everything. That would include energy. But then one day, BAM! an explosion happens out of nowhere and creates the universe. The one thing I have to say about that: What. The. Fuck. It's impossible!
B.) How could a star exploding create planets like the earth? That doesn't make sense either.
Nature is a thing that cannot be fully understood, in some of the most common examples of things that happen on this planet alone we see perfection formed from chaos (Think: Snowflake)

I think the problem with humanity not understanding how, is that we think all life must be formed under the same conditions as ours. Now that may well be possible, but I believe it is more possible that this planet was formed, and life adapted to it. Evolution. I believe it could happen on any number of planets, at any time, anywhere, no matter the circumstances, life would simple adapt around the different circumstances of that planet. I may be a fool for thinking that, but I believe it to be the most likely answer.

And Macro, as we think of it, is crap. But you need to think of it on a different scale. It isn't great leaps of difference, it is millions, billions, of very very small steps, that over countless years have the effects of a great leap. It is simply Micro Evoltion on a larger timeline.

But, to each his own.

[Hdarim]

In other words Hacky, you've birefly explained the Chaos Theory:

In mathematics and physics, chaos theory deals with the behavior of certain nonlinear dynamic systems that under certain conditions exhibit a phenomenon known as chaos, which is characterised by a sensitivity to initial conditions.As a result of this sensitivity, the behavior of systems that exhibit chaos appears to be random, even though the model of the system is deterministic in the sense that it is well defined and contains no random parameters.

Examples of such systems include the atmosphere, the solar system, plate tectonics, turbulent fluids, economies, and population growth, and so forth.

[Hacky]

In other words Hacky, you've birefly explained the Chaos Theory:

In mathematics and physics, chaos theory deals with the behavior of certain nonlinear dynamic systems that under certain conditions exhibit a phenomenon known as chaos, which is characterised by a sensitivity to initial conditions.As a result of this sensitivity, the behavior of systems that exhibit chaos appears to be random, even though the model of the system is deterministic in the sense that it is well defined and contains no random parameters.

Examples of such systems include the atmosphere, the solar system, plate tectonics, turbulent fluids, economies, and population growth, and so forth.
I love the Chaos Theory, it is so beautiful.

[the.doctor]

i <3 this thread, look at how intelligent it is (for the most part) and what more it was started by liquidfire

[Hdarim]

Here's a picutre to get you thinking just like the Blue dot, I wonder in the next century or millenium we will reach another planet or race even, that is if mankind doesn't nuke itself before hand.

http://universe-review.ca/I02-29-universe.jpg

[Lightbringer]

B.) How could a star exploding create planets like the earth? That doesn't make sense either.

After the Big Bang, it took 300,000 years for stable hydrogen and helium atoms to form. Gradually these atoms began to clump together into gas clouds called nebulae (http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/myspace/yourgallery/nebulae.shtml).
Over the course of the next 300 million years, these clouds grew. They attracted more and more atoms and so became increasingly dense and hot.

Nuclear explosions

Eventually, the centres of these clouds became so hot and dense that they exploded in huge nuclear reactions (http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/stars/stellarsoup/index.shtml). Hydrogen atoms began to fuse together and the clouds were transformed into blazing balls of fire. The first stars were born.
Stellar birth is still going on today. As you read this, stars are emerging and dying (http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/stars/death/index.shtml) all over the Universe, individual episodes in an huge process of cosmic recycling.

Our Sun

Even our own parent star, the Sun (http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/solarsystem/sun/index.shtml), is part of this cycle. The Sun wasn't one of the original stars in the Universe, it was born about 10 billion years after the Big Bang (http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/origins/bigbang/index.shtml). There are atoms inside the Sun that were blasted out by stars long since dead.

Our Solar System (http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/solarsystem/index.shtml) is a relative newcomer in this lengthy tale of cosmic creation. A drifting gas cloud on the very edge of the Milky Way slowly began to shrink and spin round. This cloud, or nebula (http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/myspace/yourgallery/nebulae.shtml), gradually contracted to a disc about the size of Neptune's (http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/solarsystem/neptune/index.shtml) orbit, and as it did so it heated up. Once the nebula had warmed to a few thousand degrees, it began to separate into two different clouds. The scorching centre continued heating until eventually the Sun (http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/solarsystem/sun/index.shtml) exploded into action about 5 billion years ago. The rest levelled out to form a revolving disc that gradually cooled down.
As the temperature dropped, the gas quickly condensed into tiny solid particles of rock, metal and ice. As they smashed into each other inside the spinning disc they stuck together to form pebbles. These pebbles rapidly fused to form rocks, then boulders and eventually, after around 100 million years, a set of nine complete planets in stable orbits.
The characteristics of each of the planets also reflect their position in this cosmic cooking pot. Around the inner region near the scorching Sun (http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/solarsystem/sun/index.shtml) the planets are made from toughened rock and metal, because all the lumps of ice were vaporised and blown away. Later, as the solar system cooled, these ejected gases condensed and clung back onto the surface of a few of the farther planets, such as our Earth (http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/solarsystem/earth/index.shtml).
The cooler outer planets managed to keep hold of more of this vapour, which clung to their rocky cores, forming the gas giants like Jupiter (http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/solarsystem/jupiter/index.shtml) and Saturn (http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/solarsystem/saturn/index.shtml). Right out at the barren edge of the Solar System (http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/solarsystem/index.shtml), as it gradually merges into the freezing void of space, the icy remnants congregated. It is here that the comets (http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/solarsystem/comets/index.shtml) reside, the frozen balls of ice and rock that light up as they swing past the Sun (http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/solarsystem/sun/index.shtml) on their grand orbits.

[Arhystat]

bump

[semiavrage]

Fuck off you lousy cocksucker.

[ichabod crane]

the big bang doesnt make sense either.
it is easily disproved by saying...
where'd the star* come from?
one more thing.
even if we did figure out where the star* came from, the chances of it exploding and creating all this... well let's just say itd be like believing that a tornado blew through a junkyard and assembled a boeing 747.
not.
very.
likely.
sir.