NASA: The Big Bang and The Expanding Universe
This is a beautiful depiction of the unfolding of the universe. Time is displayed on the horizontal axis with the Big Bang on the far left. The bright point represents the microscope origin of the universe. The green ellipse at 400,000 years denotes the time when the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (CMBR) was generated. The first stars appear at about 400 million years. Before that time the universe was completely dark - the so-called Dark Ages. Our measurement satellite (WMAP) is depicted on the far right.
Home Sweet Home:
There are many who dream of finding another planet like Earth where we might encounter life on some level. An in-depth study of the geophysic of planet Earth makes it clear that we inhabit a very special place in the universe. Even though there are without doubt myriads of planets, such searchs seem futile. It is likely that Earth is the only Home we will ever have. We must treasure it!! Care for it and restore it!
The “Standard Model” of Particle Physics
This diagram represents the crowning achievement of modern physics. The elementary building blocks of all matter and the forces between them are displayed. A sophisticated mathematical theory stands behind it. It has survived a multitude of experimental tests. Ordinary atoms are composed of items in column I of the table. Protons and Neutrons in the nucleus of atoms are made of ‘u’ and ‘d’ quarks. Generations II and III have properties similar to Generation I, but are much more massive. They can only be generated in the large high energy accelerators such as CERN in Europe or Fermi-Lab in the US.
Mind / Brain Mystery:
Even though much has been learned about the organization of the brain, we have no understanding how the so-called “qualia” of the mind are generated by brain activity. These “qualia” correspond to conscious experiences like the color of red or auditory and other sensual experiences. Our normal consciousness is filled with various “qualia”. Even abstract ideas and higher meaning must be addressed. Many think our physics will have to be radically expanded to deal with the mind. In fact it is now woefully inadequate, a totally new science is required!
The Genetic Code
This “code” is a second great achievement of modern science. It shows how to map a triplet of nucleotide’s, such as (C,A,A), into an amino acid, in this case (Gln) = glycine. There are 4x4x4=64 positions in the table but only 20 amino acids, hence the code is redundant. The code is used by the ribosome in the cell to map a string of triplets, (X,Y,Z), into a protein, which constitutes an enzyme. Enzymes do all the important work of the cell. The ribosome is an extremely complicated structure. Some of this science is sketched in the Dialogue.
Human Migration
An extensive study using modern genetic markers on human chromosomes has produced a map of human migration out of eastern Africa to various regions of the world. Two types of markers were employed. The markers on the mitochondrion are carried by the mother alone. The markers on the ribosome are carried by both the male and female. Modern man apparently began sometime after the last ice-age in middle East Africa. It is believed that only a small number of homo-sapiens survived the last ice-age. All humans are related to this small group - we are one family!