PHYSCI 2.2 - Man and The Universe

• Is there an absolute truth about the universe?

  There is no absolute truth about the universe. It always changes based on mankind's discoveries.
• Factors explaining how there is NO Absolute Truth

  
  

  1. Limitations in Information
  2. Religion
  3. Popularity
• During ancient times, people believed that the Earth is flat
• paradigm shift


  a significant change in a standard set of knowledge
• geocentric model


  a model where the earth happens to be the center of the universe
• heliocentric model


  a model where the sun is the center of the universe
• Mayans description of a flat earth


  square, flat, stationary
• Norse people description of a flat earth

  tree
• Egyptians description of a flat earth


  the gods are laying on the flat surface of the earth (nakahiga)
• the altitude you must be at in order to see the curvature of the horizon

  35,000 feet

• where the gradual change in the concept of the shape of the earth started

  Thales
• Where Thales lives


  the small island of Miletus
• Thales had a notion that the Earth is like a disk floating on water
• Thales grew up near the pier, constantly seeing bodies of water and islands.
• Thales' idea had the concept of floatiness, now known as buoyancy
• the use of theories and hypothesis in explaining phenomena began with Thales
• Thales said that he was the precursor of science
• Thales believed that the primary element of the universe is water
• Anaximander had the notion that Earth is a cylinder and its surface is curved
• Anaximander is also from Miletus
• Anaximander described the earth as a cylinder with a hollow center
• Anaximander's cylindrical concept of the earth led to the concept of heaven and earth
• Anaximander first put the earth as the center of the universe.
• Anaximander believed that the primary element of the universe is fire
• The outermost part of Anaximader's model is the rim of fire
• Anaximander believes that everything that happens inside the universe is governed by that rim of fire
• Anaximander argues that all other elements are contained inside the rim of fire
• sundial


  used to tell time based on the shadow left by the sun
• Anaximander contributed the sundial to humanity, which was used to tell time through the shadows created by the sun.
• Pythagoras concept involved the concept of originating in a spherical earth through the north and south constellations, sinking ships, and lunar eclipse
• Pythagoras is famous in astronomy because he was the first to tell that the earth is round
• When travelling to Egypt, the Greeks noticed that the close you are to the equator, the closer the north star is to the horizon
• Pythagoras' first argument involved the North and South Constellations, arguing that if the earth is flat, the north star should have a fixed position. But, when they try to see it, the position of the North Star changes.
• The second argument involves the sinking ship. If the earth is flat, the a ship travelling away from an observer should become smaller and smaller until it disappears. However, the Greeks observed that the ship became smaller and then its hull disappeared first before the sail (body before the sail)If the earth is flat, the ship traveling away from an observer should become smaller and smaller until it disappears.
• The third argument involves Lunar Eclipses. Pythagoras observed that during an eclipse, the moon appears smaller at the beginning than at the end. This can only happen if the Earth is curved.
• According to scholars, there is NO absolute truth since it always changes based on the discovery of mankind
• Factors that there is no Absolute Truth in the universe


  • Limitations in Information
  • Religion
  • Popularity
• Limitations in Information


  Because of science and technology, we know and discover more about the universe, in contrast to the ancient times. Limited was what they could see/hear that could help them understand the things around them
• Religion


  People accept different truths which is dictated by their religion or faith
• Popularity


  Many philosophers/scholars explaining the different phenomena around them. The truth that they knew before, may not be true now. And the truths we know now, may not be true in the future. There is still much we don't know about the universe