Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Astrophysics = Cool

Today, Alex asked me how "they" set up the whole world. Who made the clouds? Who made the sky? How did the world get built? How? How? How??

I decided to go with the scientific explanation as I understand it and hoped it stuck.

"No one is actually certain how it was all made," I said "But most physicists today believe that it happened spontaneously - that means "all at once and in an instant". A bunch of particles in space grew together and the whole of it grew so tight and compacted and dense that it blew up."

"What blew up?" he asked - surprising me with his willingness to listen to more.

"The universe blew up into existence," I said, "And that included the earth and the things in the earth that would wind up making the sky and the clouds."

"And this is what physi- physhi..."


"Physicists" I offered.

"Physicists!" he declared "That's what most physicists believe happened?"

"Yes, I think so."

He didn't even pause a beat.

"That's so cool." he declared.

Wow! I never expected the Big Bang theory to be an easy one to cover.

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