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Cosmos: Universe clumpier than it is supposed to be

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Also, from Stephen Battersby (New ScientistJune 21, 2011), we learn: , “Largest cosmic structures ‘too big’ for theories”:

We know that the universe was smooth just after its birth. Measurements of the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB), the light emitted 370,000 years after the big bang, reveal only very slight variations in density from place to place. Gravity then took hold and amplified these variations into today’s galaxies and galaxy clusters, which in turn are arranged into big strings and knots called superclusters, with relatively empty voids in between.

On even larger scales, though, cosmological models say that the expansion of the universe should trump the clumping effect of gravity. That means there should be very little structure on scales larger than a few hundred million light years across.

But the universe, it seems, did not get the memo.

Researchers are finding more structure than they expected: “This is a challenging result for the standard cosmological models, … .”

Put a note in its file, Stephen. This is the second offence in one month – UD News.

Comments
So the universe is less like cream and more like cottage cheese?Mung
June 30, 2011
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correction; not from what any theoretical model predicted.bornagain77
June 29, 2011
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Well we 'know' the beginning of the universe was 'smooth' primarily from what we directly observe of the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (CMBR), not from what any theoretical model. CMBR - image http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:WMAP_2010.png =============== As well, this overall picture of the early universe from the CMBR is fairly strong in empirics: notes; As well as the universe having a transcendent beginning, thus confirming the Theistic postulation in Genesis 1:1, the following recent discovery of a 'Dark Age' for the early universe uncannily matches up with the Bible passage in Job 38:4-11. For the first 400,000 years of our universe’s expansion, the universe was a seething maelstrom of energy and sub-atomic particles. This maelstrom was so hot, that sub-atomic particles trying to form into atoms would have been blasted apart instantly, and so dense, light could not travel more than a short distance before being absorbed. If you could somehow live long enough to look around in such conditions, you would see nothing but brilliant white light in all directions. When the cosmos was about 400,000 years old, it had cooled to about the temperature of the surface of the sun. The last light from the "Big Bang" shone forth at that time. This "light" is still detectable today as the Cosmic Background Radiation. This 400,000 year old “baby” universe entered into a period of darkness. When the dark age of the universe began, the cosmos was a formless sea of particles. By the time the dark age ended, a couple of hundred million years later, the universe lit up again by the light of some of the galaxies and stars that had been formed during this dark era. It was during the dark age of the universe that the heavier chemical elements necessary for life, carbon, oxygen, nitrogen and most of the rest, were first forged, by nuclear fusion inside the stars, out of the universe’s primordial hydrogen and helium. It was also during this dark period of the universe the great structures of the modern universe were first forged. Super-clusters, of thousands of galaxies stretching across millions of light years, had their foundations laid in the dark age of the universe. During this time the infamous “missing dark matter”, was exerting more gravity in some areas than in other areas; drawing in hydrogen and helium gas, causing the formation of mega-stars. These mega-stars were massive, weighing in at 20 to more than 100 times the mass of the sun. The crushing pressure at their cores made them burn through their fuel in only a million years. It was here, in these short lived mega-stars under these crushing pressures, the chemical elements necessary for life were first forged out of the hydrogen and helium. The reason astronomers can’t see the light from these first mega-stars, during this dark era of the universe’s early history, is because the mega-stars were shrouded in thick clouds of hydrogen and helium gas. These thick clouds prevented the mega-stars from spreading their light through the cosmos as they forged the elements necessary for future life to exist on earth. After about 200 million years, the end of the dark age came to the cosmos. The universe was finally expansive enough to allow the dispersion of the thick hydrogen and helium “clouds”. With the continued expansion of the universe, the light, of normal stars and dwarf galaxies, was finally able to shine through the thick clouds of hydrogen and helium gas, bringing the dark age to a close. (How The Stars Were Born - Michael D. Lemonick) http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1376229-2,00.html Job 38:4-11 “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched a line upon it? To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? Or who shut in the sea with doors, when it burst forth and issued from the womb; When I made the clouds its garment, and thick darkness its swaddling band; When I fixed my limit for it, and set bars and doors; When I said, ‘This far you may come but no farther, and here your proud waves must stop!" History of The Universe Timeline- Graph Image http://www.astronomynotes.com/cosmolgy/CMB_Timeline.jpg As a sidelight to this, every class of elements that exists on the periodic table of elements is necessary for complex carbon-based life to exist on earth. The three most abundant elements in the human body, Oxygen, Carbon, Hydrogen, 'just so happen' to be the most abundant elements in the universe, save for helium which is inert. A truly amazing coincidence that strongly implies 'the universe had us in mind all along'. Even uranium the last naturally occurring element on the period table of elements is necessary for life. The heat generated by the decay of uranium is necessary to keep a molten core in the earth for an extended period of time, which is necessary for the magnetic field surrounding the earth, which in turn protects organic life from the harmful charged particles of the sun. As well, uranium decay provides the heat for tectonic activity and the turnover of the earth's crustal rocks, which is necessary to keep a proper mixture of minerals and nutrients available on the surface of the earth, which is necessary for long term life on earth. (Denton; Nature's Destiny). These following articles and videos give a bit deeper insight into the crucial role that individual elements play in allowing life: The Elements: Forged in Stars - video http://www.metacafe.com/watch/4003861 Michael Denton - We Are Stardust - Uncanny Balance Of The Elements - Fred Hoyle Atheist to Deist/Theist - video http://www.metacafe.com/watch/4003877 The Role of Elements in Life Processes http://www.mii.org/periodic/LifeElement.php Periodic Table - Interactive web page for each element http://www.mii.org/periodic/MiiPeriodicChart.htmbornagain77
June 29, 2011
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"This is a challenging result for the standard cosmological models" What will be truly challenging devastating to the standard model is if the higgs boson goes undetected. Fermilab struck out. Now it is up to CERN. They cite that they expect that the Higgs Boson will or will not signal by the end of 2012. What is interesting is the shelf life. Physicists will drop kick the standard model in it's face if the Biggs is not found by 2012. This, as Hawking says, is when it will get interesting. Naturally, not all physicists are thrilled about the possible impending collapse of the standard model. Besides the discoveries of dark energy and the dark matter oddity, the standard model is the pinnacle accomplishment of physics in the last quarter century. Michio anticipates the pain, demonstrated here with his typical shocking vulgarity lol: Michio Kaku: "...if we do not find the Hoson Biggs we are in deep doo doo..." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNWCwB2XKjUjunkdnaforlife
June 29, 2011
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We know that the universe was smooth just after its birth. Maybe this sums up a lot of what's wrong with modern science and science journalist. "We know that.." Not, 'According to this popular theory..' All the reasonable qualifiers get stripped away.nullasalus
June 29, 2011
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Actually, despite their casting about, Dark Matter fits all the criteria they have listed. i.e. there is more Dark Matter, which already did not fit into the General relativity framework, than they anticipated.bornagain77
June 29, 2011
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We know that the universe was smooth just after its birth.
I hear it was smooth as baby's bottom.Mung
June 29, 2011
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Historically, "What everybody knows is true" is a vast collection of information whose truth status varies. If one thinks one could improve on a model - it's certainly possible. And more interesting than iterating What Everybody Knows ...News
June 29, 2011
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The universe was already fairly 'clumpy' as George Smoot points out at the 10:50 minute mark of this video: George Smoot: The design of the universe - video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c64Aia4XE1Y =============== Journey Through The Universe - George Smoot - Frank Turek - video remix http://www.metacafe.com/watch/3993965/bornagain77
June 29, 2011
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Interesting, put what is the relevance of this article to ID ?Graham
June 29, 2011
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I love hearing about models being serious challenged. It's often where the most exciting science is being done. I understand that some scientists are even drawn to fields that are controversial, reasoning that's where the most exciting discoveries are to be made. Otherwise you are competing against many other people all looking into similar things and so you have less chance to make a big splash.WilliamRoache
June 29, 2011
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