The discovery that could re-write physics
Summary
Allan Adams begins his TED talk by giving a rhetorical situation: what if one looked up at the night sky as far as possible? What would one see? The answer is the afterglow of the big bang, the theoretical event that is predicted to be responsible for the creation of our universe. What is peculiar about this after glow is that when it was mapped by cosmologists, they found that it was relatively uniform at the time of the event, contrary to intuition. Currently, we have temperature variation and density variation throughout the universe-- if it were uniform, there was no way that matter could condense to form galaxies, stars, black holes, and, ultimately, Earth. However, a new astronomical discovery earlier that week found something revolutionary. Scientists found the ripple effect-- the resonation, of the Big Bang in the early universe in the fabric of space-time itself. Astronomers call this phenomenon the gravitational waves from the fundamental era. These gravitational waves resulted in the distortion of light. THerefore, when one would look deeper into the sky, they could find these theoretical waves. Adams claims that this discovery is "killer evidence" for the theory of inflation, as we can practically see its aftermath. It also supports the idea that our universe is just a small "bubble" within something larger, something that us as a society needs to explore and discover. Alan concludes his TED talk by talking about how awesome and enticing it is to him to be able to practically "see" the aftermath of the big bang, now, in he 21st century on Earth.
Connection to the Thesis
This artifact connects to the thesis statement because it portrays the ultimate edge of the metaphorical frontier and how much passion cosmologists and scientists have in educating themselves about the creation of the cosmos (the field is known as cosmology). The most evident aspect of his TED talk was Alan's passionate voice when talking about this new landmark discovery. From his passionate tone, one can see that he indeed has an authentic and genuine interest in this field. One can essentially see the curiosity and passion radiating out of him, as he describes society's "ultimate frontier." This artifact also sheds light on a unique aspect of the frontier and reveals a new characteristic of the metaphorical frontier. This TED talk portrays the fluidity and flexibility of the frontier. The frontier is not a solid line that remains stable. It is constantly moving and changing, as each intellectual discovery pushes it further into the unknown. Alan brings up the question, What's beyond the universe? Indeed, we are only a bubble, and we have no knowledge whatsoever about what is beyond our "bubble." We can only speculate. For all we know, we can be one universe in thousands of other universes. This advancement of the metaphorical frontier and American intellect has a profound impact on society, as it elevates society as a whole. One can argue that a better educated society is far better off than an ignorant one. One can also be skeptical. How can astronomical discoveries improve society as a whole? By attempting to learn about the cosmos, not only is society feeding its seemingly infinite curiosity, but, we are learning about our home planet and us, because ultimately, we are all made from the same fundamental materials and are governed by the same fundamental laws and principles. By learning about deep space and the big bang, to a certain extent, we are learning more about us and our home.
Allan Adams begins his TED talk by giving a rhetorical situation: what if one looked up at the night sky as far as possible? What would one see? The answer is the afterglow of the big bang, the theoretical event that is predicted to be responsible for the creation of our universe. What is peculiar about this after glow is that when it was mapped by cosmologists, they found that it was relatively uniform at the time of the event, contrary to intuition. Currently, we have temperature variation and density variation throughout the universe-- if it were uniform, there was no way that matter could condense to form galaxies, stars, black holes, and, ultimately, Earth. However, a new astronomical discovery earlier that week found something revolutionary. Scientists found the ripple effect-- the resonation, of the Big Bang in the early universe in the fabric of space-time itself. Astronomers call this phenomenon the gravitational waves from the fundamental era. These gravitational waves resulted in the distortion of light. THerefore, when one would look deeper into the sky, they could find these theoretical waves. Adams claims that this discovery is "killer evidence" for the theory of inflation, as we can practically see its aftermath. It also supports the idea that our universe is just a small "bubble" within something larger, something that us as a society needs to explore and discover. Alan concludes his TED talk by talking about how awesome and enticing it is to him to be able to practically "see" the aftermath of the big bang, now, in he 21st century on Earth.
Connection to the Thesis
This artifact connects to the thesis statement because it portrays the ultimate edge of the metaphorical frontier and how much passion cosmologists and scientists have in educating themselves about the creation of the cosmos (the field is known as cosmology). The most evident aspect of his TED talk was Alan's passionate voice when talking about this new landmark discovery. From his passionate tone, one can see that he indeed has an authentic and genuine interest in this field. One can essentially see the curiosity and passion radiating out of him, as he describes society's "ultimate frontier." This artifact also sheds light on a unique aspect of the frontier and reveals a new characteristic of the metaphorical frontier. This TED talk portrays the fluidity and flexibility of the frontier. The frontier is not a solid line that remains stable. It is constantly moving and changing, as each intellectual discovery pushes it further into the unknown. Alan brings up the question, What's beyond the universe? Indeed, we are only a bubble, and we have no knowledge whatsoever about what is beyond our "bubble." We can only speculate. For all we know, we can be one universe in thousands of other universes. This advancement of the metaphorical frontier and American intellect has a profound impact on society, as it elevates society as a whole. One can argue that a better educated society is far better off than an ignorant one. One can also be skeptical. How can astronomical discoveries improve society as a whole? By attempting to learn about the cosmos, not only is society feeding its seemingly infinite curiosity, but, we are learning about our home planet and us, because ultimately, we are all made from the same fundamental materials and are governed by the same fundamental laws and principles. By learning about deep space and the big bang, to a certain extent, we are learning more about us and our home.