When Einstein applied his theory to gravitational fields, he derived the "curved space-time continuum" which depicts the dimensions of space and time as a two-dimensional surface where massive objects create valleys and dips in the surface. This aspect of relativity explained the phenomena of light bending around the sun, predicted black holes as well as the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (CMB) -- a discovery rendering fundamental anomalies in the classic Steady-State hypothesis. For his work on relativity, the photoelectric effect and blackbody radiation, Einstein received the Nobel Prize in 1921. Below is a video from Youtube about the Theory of Relativity.
Einstein has made many theories but I feel that this is the most interesting one, I feel that this theory shows how much the society has improved in science ever since the creation of Man, we have evolved from using sundials to identify the time to such an advanced theory of Relativity, Einstein's theory of Relativity suggests that Man might be able to time travel in the future, this is a fascinating and shocking thought at the same time considering the risks and consequences of time-travelling, which I will talk about later.
Now for the topic on time travel, Einstein came up with a formula for his relative time that has to do with you speed and its effect on time. This formula is called the time dilation factor. The formula is:(1 - (U/c)2)1/2
(U=speed, c=speed of light)
The time dilation factor theory says that the faster you go the slower time gets for you, because of the fact that time is elastic and relative, not constant. "Time is not absolutely defined," said Einstein in his theory of special relativity. He tried to explain how time and space are connected and that this space-time could be stretched and shrunk. The method for stretching and shrinking time is very simple - all you have to do is move very fast. This theory, called the time dilation factor theory, has been tested many times. One example of a test took place in 1971 when two physicists, Joe Hafele and Richard Keating, took very accurate atomic clocks and put them in airplanes, which they then flew around the world. They then compared the readings on the clocks in the planes to an identical clock on the ground. The results were unmistakable; the clocks in the planes were 59 nanoseconds slower. This was exactly the difference in time Einstein had predicted in his time dilation factor theory. To figure out how much slower time will get, you take your speed; divide it by the speed of light, square it, subtract your answer from one, take the square root, and the result is Einstein's time dilation or slowdown factor.
To understand how this affects time travel a basic knowledge of light and time is needed. The fastest known thing in the universe can travel 1 meter in 0.000000003335640952 seconds. But what is this fast thing called light? After years of discussion scientist decided that it is both a particle and a wave. (A good example of why this is, is a solar pinwheel, where a pinwheel-type thing is held inside a clear vacuum sealed container that resembles a light bulb, and when it is sunny out the light particle-waves go through the glass and spin the wheel). There are many theories based around light and its speed. A very well know one is part of Einstein's theory of special relativity (E=mc²), which basically means that an object with mass will increase in mass as it get closer to the speed of light, and because of this increasing mass, increasing energy will be needed to speed the object even more. So the object needs an infinite amount of energy to gain the speed of light and when it reaches this point it will have an infinite mass, thus creating the "light barrier" where nothing that has mass can reach the speed of light.
Time as most people know it is constant and never changing, but this is very wrong. Time (according to Einstein) is relative and elastic, meaning that people are affected by time differently depending on their speed (this theory allow time travel to seem conceivable). This is called the time dilation or "slowdown" factor. There are many other affects on time that can allow for time travel, such as gravity. Gravity slows down time. There have been studies where scientists have tested these slowdown factors of time. An example of this is an experiment conducted by Harvard University to see if time acted differently at different heights. They found that at the top of a building time was moving slightly faster than on the ground.
With this basic knowledge of time and light it is easier to understand what a light cone is and how it works. A light cone is built up of three parts: an event, a future light cone and a past light cone. An event its when something happens. A future light cone consists of all the paths of light that come from an event and move through time to the future. A past light cone is made up of all the paths of light that led up to the event. An image of a light cone is shown at the side.
Stephen Hawking has continued and expanded on the work of Einstein. He has tried to explain how the universe works and has studied the problems of space and time for many years. His work on light cones, black holes, wormholes, and time travel were are extremely revolutionary. Gravitational lensing, when a light cone of an event is bent by matter and energy, makes scientists believe that time travel may be possible. The Hubble Space Telescope photograph of the galaxy cluster, Abell 2218 is an example of gravitational lensing. The cluster is so huge and compact that light rays passing through it are deflected by its gravitational field. The process magnifies and distorts the view of objects that lie behind the cluster. This creates arcs which are the distorted images of galaxies that are 5 to 10 times farther than the cluster being photographed. The viewer sees multiple flashes of light which actually come from only a single source, creating a crease or bend. Because light and time can be affected by gravity and other factors, it may be possible to travel between time episodes. The video at the side is about Einstein's Theory of Relativity in relation to time travel.
I feel that although the topic on time travel is a very complicated one, it is also one of the most fascinating topics to me, the funny thing I feel about time travel is the Grandfather's Paradox. Let's say that there is a man called Bob, he hates his grandfather, his hatred for him is still there even after his grandfather dies in his sleep in 1957, however, Bob is a persistent boy, he manages to build a time-machine, he travels to the year 1930 before his Grandfather dies, he buys a sniper rifle and trains his marksmanship until it is perfect. Bob then climbs onto a roof where he knows his grandfather would pass by underneath, as grandfather walks by under the roof, he is just a few metres away.
To understand how this affects time travel a basic knowledge of light and time is needed. The fastest known thing in the universe can travel 1 meter in 0.000000003335640952 seconds. But what is this fast thing called light? After years of discussion scientist decided that it is both a particle and a wave. (A good example of why this is, is a solar pinwheel, where a pinwheel-type thing is held inside a clear vacuum sealed container that resembles a light bulb, and when it is sunny out the light particle-waves go through the glass and spin the wheel). There are many theories based around light and its speed. A very well know one is part of Einstein's theory of special relativity (E=mc²), which basically means that an object with mass will increase in mass as it get closer to the speed of light, and because of this increasing mass, increasing energy will be needed to speed the object even more. So the object needs an infinite amount of energy to gain the speed of light and when it reaches this point it will have an infinite mass, thus creating the "light barrier" where nothing that has mass can reach the speed of light.
Time as most people know it is constant and never changing, but this is very wrong. Time (according to Einstein) is relative and elastic, meaning that people are affected by time differently depending on their speed (this theory allow time travel to seem conceivable). This is called the time dilation or "slowdown" factor. There are many other affects on time that can allow for time travel, such as gravity. Gravity slows down time. There have been studies where scientists have tested these slowdown factors of time. An example of this is an experiment conducted by Harvard University to see if time acted differently at different heights. They found that at the top of a building time was moving slightly faster than on the ground.
With this basic knowledge of time and light it is easier to understand what a light cone is and how it works. A light cone is built up of three parts: an event, a future light cone and a past light cone. An event its when something happens. A future light cone consists of all the paths of light that come from an event and move through time to the future. A past light cone is made up of all the paths of light that led up to the event. An image of a light cone is shown at the side.
Stephen Hawking has continued and expanded on the work of Einstein. He has tried to explain how the universe works and has studied the problems of space and time for many years. His work on light cones, black holes, wormholes, and time travel were are extremely revolutionary. Gravitational lensing, when a light cone of an event is bent by matter and energy, makes scientists believe that time travel may be possible. The Hubble Space Telescope photograph of the galaxy cluster, Abell 2218 is an example of gravitational lensing. The cluster is so huge and compact that light rays passing through it are deflected by its gravitational field. The process magnifies and distorts the view of objects that lie behind the cluster. This creates arcs which are the distorted images of galaxies that are 5 to 10 times farther than the cluster being photographed. The viewer sees multiple flashes of light which actually come from only a single source, creating a crease or bend. Because light and time can be affected by gravity and other factors, it may be possible to travel between time episodes. The video at the side is about Einstein's Theory of Relativity in relation to time travel.
I feel that although the topic on time travel is a very complicated one, it is also one of the most fascinating topics to me, the funny thing I feel about time travel is the Grandfather's Paradox. Let's say that there is a man called Bob, he hates his grandfather, his hatred for him is still there even after his grandfather dies in his sleep in 1957, however, Bob is a persistent boy, he manages to build a time-machine, he travels to the year 1930 before his Grandfather dies, he buys a sniper rifle and trains his marksmanship until it is perfect. Bob then climbs onto a roof where he knows his grandfather would pass by underneath, as grandfather walks by under the roof, he is just a few metres away.
It seems that Bob can kill Grandfather. Every condition is optimal for a perfect shot that would kill him instantly. There is, however, the outstanding fact that Grandfather dies in his bed in 1957. It cannot be that both Bob murders Grandfather in 1930 and Grandfather dies of natural causes in 1957. Since we know Grandfather dies in his sleep in 1957, then it must be the case that Bob does not kill Grandfather in 1930. Now, it seems that Bob can't kill Grandfather. There have been many arguments about this, some say that grandfather CAN be killed, just that Bob will disappear, some say that Grandfather didn’t die in 1930; he didn't die until 1957 and even then died of natural causes. So, if Bob were to try to kill Grandfather, he would fail. Bobmight lose his nerve, or it is possible that the rifle will not go off when he fires it, or even after all of his practicing, Bob will fire a shot and miss. Bob cannot kill his grandfather. Time travelers “can’t change any past fact whatsoever” .
Time, space, light, and space-time are very complex things to understand but in understanding them things like time travel could be made possible. The interest and understanding of various scientists in this topic is ever increasing, so maybe one day in the future, time travel would be made possible.
Next, I will talk about recent science discoveries and breakthroughs that have benefitted mankind,there have been a number of amazing discoveries in recent years. Many are fascinating, but some may truly affect the way we live in the near future. The following finds may make it possible to cure disease, and even turn back the ageing clock. Some of the best results of these finds may be far in the future, while some may be right around the corner.
According to UCLA, In 2007, researchers discovered that skin cells could be reprogrammed to act like embryonic stem cells. It was a great discovery for people fighting against using embryonic stem cells for religious reasons. It was hoped that the reprogrammed skin cells would work better than embryonic cells, because they would have an endless supply of cells that could be coaxed into various cell types to treat many different conditions.
In 2009, the method had a possible setback, when UCLA researchersfound that the reprogrammed cells are inherently different from embryonic stem cells. They didn't know whether this was good or bad. Reprogrammed skin cells had another setback in 2011, when another study, published in Nature, found that mice rejected their reprogrammed cells.
More recently however, in March, 2012, another study, published in the Journal of Cell Science found signatures that could predict the expression of a protein that can regenerate tissue. This was the biggest step forward for reprogrammed stem cells, because it means that researchers may be able to select only the features they know will create resulting cells that will do what they intend, which could include wound healing and drug development.
In 2007, researchers discovered telomeres, which shield the ends of chromosomes, and seemed to have something to do with aging. The discovery was published in Nature. In 2010, Harvard scientistsdiscovered that longer telomeres partially reversed the aging process in mice. Very little research has been done with humans in this area. Hopefully, telomere research will one day result in an anti-ageing pill, but will likely happen after we have all died of old age. Isn't that always the way it goes?
The first self-replicating, synthetic bacterial cell is created
In 2010, researchers at the J. Craig Venter Institute were able to create a completely synthetic, self-replicating cell. This discovery could help our lives in many ways. The researchers hope the cells can be used in the creation of many beneficial products, from biofuels to vaccines, and even food products. Let's just hope it is always used for good, rather than evil.
In 2004, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium published the final draft of the almost-complete mapping of the human genome in Nature. Many scientists initially thought we had around 100,000 genes. Their predictions were way off, however. We actually have only 20,000 to 25,000 genes. Researchers hope our understanding of the genome could lead to cures for many diseases, such as cancer and Alzheimer's.
In 2007, a British research team, led by Sir Magdi Yacoub, were able to grow a heart valve from bone marrow stem cells, according to The Gaurdian Because the heart valve is created using the patient's own cells, there's less chance of rejection. Further study into these, and other related methods, have provenvery successful. With heart disease being so prevalent, the possibility of growing heart parts, and even entirely new hearts, could alleviate much heartache.
With the improvement in medical science, I believe that scientists would be able to come up with more and more ways to improve human life and health, I am thankful for living in such a advanced society and I hope that there would be more breakthroughs in science in the future
Next, I will talk about recent science discoveries and breakthroughs that have benefitted mankind,there have been a number of amazing discoveries in recent years. Many are fascinating, but some may truly affect the way we live in the near future. The following finds may make it possible to cure disease, and even turn back the ageing clock. Some of the best results of these finds may be far in the future, while some may be right around the corner.
- Skin cells can be reprogrammed to act like embryonic stem cells
According to UCLA, In 2007, researchers discovered that skin cells could be reprogrammed to act like embryonic stem cells. It was a great discovery for people fighting against using embryonic stem cells for religious reasons. It was hoped that the reprogrammed skin cells would work better than embryonic cells, because they would have an endless supply of cells that could be coaxed into various cell types to treat many different conditions.
In 2009, the method had a possible setback, when UCLA researchersfound that the reprogrammed cells are inherently different from embryonic stem cells. They didn't know whether this was good or bad. Reprogrammed skin cells had another setback in 2011, when another study, published in Nature, found that mice rejected their reprogrammed cells.
More recently however, in March, 2012, another study, published in the Journal of Cell Science found signatures that could predict the expression of a protein that can regenerate tissue. This was the biggest step forward for reprogrammed stem cells, because it means that researchers may be able to select only the features they know will create resulting cells that will do what they intend, which could include wound healing and drug development.
- Longer telomeres may make us live longer
In 2007, researchers discovered telomeres, which shield the ends of chromosomes, and seemed to have something to do with aging. The discovery was published in Nature. In 2010, Harvard scientistsdiscovered that longer telomeres partially reversed the aging process in mice. Very little research has been done with humans in this area. Hopefully, telomere research will one day result in an anti-ageing pill, but will likely happen after we have all died of old age. Isn't that always the way it goes?
The first self-replicating, synthetic bacterial cell is created
In 2010, researchers at the J. Craig Venter Institute were able to create a completely synthetic, self-replicating cell. This discovery could help our lives in many ways. The researchers hope the cells can be used in the creation of many beneficial products, from biofuels to vaccines, and even food products. Let's just hope it is always used for good, rather than evil.
- The final draft of the human genome was completed, and we only have ¼ of the genes we thought we had
In 2004, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium published the final draft of the almost-complete mapping of the human genome in Nature. Many scientists initially thought we had around 100,000 genes. Their predictions were way off, however. We actually have only 20,000 to 25,000 genes. Researchers hope our understanding of the genome could lead to cures for many diseases, such as cancer and Alzheimer's.
- Heart valves can be created using bone marrow stem cells
In 2007, a British research team, led by Sir Magdi Yacoub, were able to grow a heart valve from bone marrow stem cells, according to The Gaurdian Because the heart valve is created using the patient's own cells, there's less chance of rejection. Further study into these, and other related methods, have provenvery successful. With heart disease being so prevalent, the possibility of growing heart parts, and even entirely new hearts, could alleviate much heartache.
With the improvement in medical science, I believe that scientists would be able to come up with more and more ways to improve human life and health, I am thankful for living in such a advanced society and I hope that there would be more breakthroughs in science in the future
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