A Brief History of Time (II)

2010.04.21

To Whom It May Concern:
Another week has passed. I should be completed with my book. The entire eleven chapters of A Brief History of Time: from the big bang to black holes need to be completed. From the last letter of 2010.04.14, I have completed minimal reading…again. I think this week I took a step backward compared to my previous progress. Then again, I did not have much time to read my book. It was a very busy weekend. And of course my weekday nights are hectic. Nevertheless – I still accomplished some reading.

In 340BCE ., Greek philosophers (namely Aristotle) started in depth studies of astronomy. Prior this time, most studies concerning the sky and space was astrology based. Now Greek philosophers started studying the round shape of the earth (and other heavenly bodies) and the patterns of their orbits. Although some predictions were incorrect, it was the first major step in understanding more about the universe in this scientific perspective.

By the second century C.E., the set of observations thus far were compiled into their complete cosmological model. The earth stands stationary in the center of the universe. Surrounding it orbit in circles that carry the moon, the sun, the stars, and the five known planets at the time: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. For some reason, ancient scientists think that for some reason –mystical, religious, or imaginative – that the earth was the center of the universe. The outer-most orbit consists of “fixed stars” – which always stay in the same position relative to each other but which rotate together across the sky as a whole. Beyond these fixed stars remained a mystery. It was by far beyond the observational power of the most advanced technology at the time.

However, Ptolemy (who added the final touches of that cosmologic model) recognized that the model was flawed. In order to predict the positions of the heavenly bodies correctly, it had to be assumed that the moon followed a circular orbit while somehow bringing it twice as close to the earth as at other times. Therefore, the moon technically could not form a circular orbit for his calculations. On top of that, the moon ought to have appeared twice as large as it did other times.

Albeit flawed, this model was adopted by the Christian church as the structure of the universe – as it was in accordance with the writings. The outer “fixed stars” sphere also allowed room for the Christian church to fix ‘heaven’ and ‘hell’.

For the most part, this flawed model was accepted. In 1514, Polish priest Nicholas Copernicus suggested that the sun was stationary and the center of the universe. Consequently, the earth and the planets moved in circular orbits around the sun and the moons (or other smaller bodies) can orbit other planets. This theory accounts for the fact that the visible moons of Jupiter did not regularly orbit the earth, but orbited in an irregular (and somehow complicated) patter around the sun.

In sum, what does that tell me? Regardless of how many times a theory is proposed, it is still possible that it requires modification or discarding altogether. We can only assume what are the patterns and forces of nature, and even after numerous years of observation, there is still more to discover about our universe.

A Brief History of Time (I)

2010 April 14

To Whom It May Concern:

This is the first Literature Circle letter that I have composed. At this point, I am still attempting to find a technique for reading quickly while staying focused to the text. I notice that there is progress in my reading habits. However, the pace at which I am reading is not truly at a satisfactory level. At this point, I should be at the beginning of Chapter 09 (The Arrow of Time). Thus far, I have completed Chapter 03 (The Expanding Universe). Wow – six chapters behind in my readings. Nevertheless, progress has been made – and I believe that is as valuable and powerful. In the coming months (and if there is time over the summer) my goal is to build upon this now-stable reading foundation and hopefully practice the ability of good reading.

The text I have selected for 2010 April is A Brief History of Time: from the big bang to black holes. Professor Stephen W. Hawking, CH, CBE, FRS, FRSA authored this 1988 compilation. The book is densely packed with rich information in all branches of physics – ancient and modern. In the Acknowledgements, Hawking writes “Someone told me that each equation I included in this book would halve the sales. I therefore resolved not to have any equations at all. In the end … I did put in one equation, Einstein’s famous equation, .” Basically, the professor hints that A Brief History of Time aims for a more general audience. He wishes not to limit this informative to those with advanced degrees from the University of Cambridge, but to readers with interest in the subject of astrophysics and lack of a PhD.

Hawking attempts to address and answer several questions – to the best understanding of 1988 science. These are the questions that compelled him to further his studies in cosmology and quantum theory: Where did the universe come from? How and why did it begin? Will it come to an end – and if so, how? It may also be the questions that stir interest to us all, to make us wonder about the space beyond our earth. Beyond our solar system. Beyond our galaxy. And lead us to the origins of the universe we see today. What makes this book so extraordinary is how Stephen W. Hawking is able to beautifully word complex (and often abstract) ideas and advanced scientific concepts with minimal reliability on the mastered levels of mathematics. Only several specialists are able to master the mathematics and use them to answer the aforementioned questions. It is further impressive that this book utilizes only one formula and can still answer some of these questions (like the basic ideas about the origin and fate of the universe) in a form that people without a highly developed scientific background can still understand.

Hawking first starts the Introduction saying “We go about our daily lives understanding almost nothing of the world.” Many times when children ask, it is still common for parents and educators to mumble some religious texts or simply give a shrug. It is possible that some are still uncomfortable with these issues as they vividly show the limits of human understanding...