The Young Universe that Could Not Stand Up in Court

by Len Hart, the Existentialist Cowboy

Before his demise, A. Scalia's name come up in connection with, of all things, Warp Drive! Interestingly, Scalia's narrow view of the universe was not unlike that of Sarah Palin. Scalia managed to get a lifetime gig on the U.S. Supreme Court.

It allowed him to thrown in with a fringe group called young earthers because they believe that the Universe and the Earth were created con-currently about 6,000 years ago. That is something that A. Scalia had that in common with Sarah Palin who presumably still believes that human beings walked with Dinosaurs.

There is no evidence but religious dogma for this young universe theory. The opposite is true of the scientific evidence that proves conclusively that the universe is much, much older.

Most recently scientists discovered an "object" whose distance from Earth can be measured. That distance is about 13.7 billion light years from Earth. Put another way --it has taken light (the light we see) some 13.7 billion years to reach earth. That, of course, disproves Palin and other "young earthers" who clam that the universe and every thing of any significance in it is no older than a mere 6,000 years.

Not a chance! 

Not just Palin but fundamentalists of all types tell us that the age of the universe is derived by adding up the "begats" in the Old Testament. Scalia joined S. Palin by subscribing to it. Both Palin and Scalia were wrong! Embarassingly so! Recently --the most distant object in the universe was discovered and verified by real scientists in the real world. A poor decision from the bench would not secure Scalia's ventures into astronomical science.

The age of the universe is determined by the distance in light years to the object under observation, a recently discovered object. Its distance from Earth is stated in light years; that is the case with almost every object beyond our moon. The distance to this recently discovered object makes it the most distant object yet discovered. That distance is 13.7 Billion Light Years. Ergo: it has taken light from this object some 13.7 billion light years to reach Earth! That we see this object is PROOF that the universe is at least 13.7 billion light years distant/old as it has taken light itself some 13.7 BILLION years to reach the Earth where we have, in fact, observed it as it might have appeared some 13.7 billion years ago!

NASA Plans: A Warp Drive, Visit to Alpha Centauri

by Len Hart, The Existentialist Cowboy

This is a "big deal" for at least two reasons. Alpha Centauri is the closest star system in the sky. Because of that it’s very bright, and because it's very bright, it is well studied.  It has been the object of "planet searches" for decades. At one time and for awhile some toyed with the idea that the small red dwarf Proxima could boast a planet. Alas --if it has a planet, it may be too small or far out to be detected.

The signal from the planet is very weak; it was only located because its gravity tugs on the star. The effect of the "tug" is detectable and measurable: it's a wobble! Predictably, a massive star tugs harder on the star it orbits, smaller planets less so. The "wobbles" are very nearly imperceptible. In the case of stars, the "wobble" almost always means: planet! In the case of planets of "low mass" the doppler shift is less apparent! Don't Forget the Aiens!


Relatively speaking, the "system" is in our "backyard"! Additionally, the stars seem very much like our own old Sol --the Sun. UFO aficionados have said that this is the most obvious location of "aliens" that some believe have already visited earth. Some believe that one expedition crashed in the planes of Southeastern New Mexico in the 1940's.


Some writers have said that "... we are very close to finding a planet with the same mass as Earth." It is also said that these planets may have water, being its star but not too far. Liquid water may very well equal life. It is one thing to find planets of the "correct mass". It is quite another to find planets having both ideal position vis a vis "their" star as well as having the "right mass".


Several writers, scientists, astro-physicians have said that it is only a matter of time before the first life sustaining planet other than Earth may be discovered. red dwarf Proxima could boast a planet. Alas --if it has a planet, it may be too small or far out to be detected.