The Universe and the Big Bang Theory

We are often told that we have to study the past in order to understand the future. For example, the causes of past battles, wars, and rebellions need to be understood in order to prevent the same events from happening a century later. However, what about events on a much grander scale?

This image  shows one scientist's interpretation of how the universe began

The universe is literally everything. All people, planets, space, matter, and energy can be summed up with that one word. But how did it begin? Approximately 13.8 billion years ago in a period called the planck epoch, the universe was born. This number was determined by scientists who studied the earliest objects within the universe, and found out the rate at which they were expanding. There are many theories saying the universe expanded from a miniscule to immense size in a time period shorter than one second. 

The early universe is believed to have been filled with energy, which eventually changed into particles that turned into elements such as hydrogen and helium. Later on, these atoms went on to create stars and galaxies, where other elements were created. 

The Big Bang model conveys the idea that the universe has two major forces pulling it in different directions. The force of gravity pulling the universe in is challenged by the momentum of the forces causing it to expand. As of this moment, we are expanding and accelerating as a universe, so it can be concluded that the outward forces are stronger. The explanation as to why the universe is accelerating has no definite answer, but there are theories. One dubious explanation is that there is in fact no dark energy, and gravity does not work in the way that we believe. The other reason could be that even in space, particles of energy disappear and reappear, effectively creating energy. 

This image compares the expanding universe with a expanding loaf of bread, with the raisins representing the galaxies as they are pushed further apart by the force of heat

There are three possible outcomes for the universe in a few billion years. The expansion of the universe will either be infinite, turn into a contraction, or expand eternally, but extremely slowly. The outcome of the universe cannot yet be determined using current technology but will, in time, be known. 

Extremophiles in our Environment

     Hearing inspirational stories about fellow humans camping out on mountaintops  and hiking through deserts has left us to believe that we've got survival and adaptation down to a science. But have we really? If we were to consult our minuscule friends--of the bacteria variety--they'd probably laugh in our face. With fossils dating back to more than 3.5 billion years old, these prokaryotic organisms--more specifically, extremophiles--are the true definition of adaptation.

     Bacteria literally exist everywhere (perhaps not as much in Purell sanitizer bottles) and are the bane of our existence. From the early stages of childhood, we were always screamed at by our parents to wash our hands, brush our teeth, refer to the 5 second rule for dropped food, and cough into the crook of our elbows. But just how much bacteria were we fending off by dutifully following those instructions? The answer is, not enough. The typical human body is covered by so many of these unseen and unfelt creatures that if you were to remove them all, you'd have enough to fill up a large soup can!

     Here are some fascinating photos of extremophiles (organisms that thrive in extreme conditions).

Image Source

The photo above is of a thermophilic bacterium species. 

It thrives in heated environments, and can live in temperatures up to 100°C.

Can be found in heated regions such as hot springs. 

Image Source 

The Halobacillus Karajensis is a halophile, which is a extremophile that

grows optimally in NaCl concentrations. It can withstand conditions that

 are 10x saltier than seawater. 

Image Source

The Deinococcus Radiodurans shown above is a type of extremophile

 bacterium that can defy colossal amounts of radiation. They can

also survive drought conditions and lack of nutrients. 

     Life on an active volcano seems very inhospitable, but extremophiles have found a way to make it work. Recently, signs of [very small] life have been found on South American volcanoes. These microscopic organisms have to face challenges such as 56°C days, dry environments, ultraviolet radiation, and frigid conditions. The D. Radiodurans, as seen above, can withstand a 15,000 gray dose of radiation. In comparison, humans can only withstand 10.

     

     Activity has also been found in other intense environments, such as within Earth's crust below the ocean floor! These extremophiles live in a tremendous reservoir of hot water below ocean floors. 

     In addition, bacteria was discovered behind a layer of ice that was coating a lava tube that once flowed through the Cascade Mountains. These conditions are a less-extreme replica of life on Mars--ice-cold and bone-dry. The ice layer blocked out most of the oxygen and it was devoid of food source. However, the bacteria managed to thrive by living off the olivine deposits found in the basaltic lava tubes. 

     It's incredible how much life can thrive under these extreme environments. It's good to know that something is making use of these living conditions, because humans for now and the foreseeable future will not be able to. This raises the question, "are bacteria superior at adaptation?" According to these statistics, it would appear so. Perhaps one day, humans will also be able to survive in colder, drier, hotter and more radioactive environments. 

Significance of Lagrange Point L1

Lagrange Points are basically the parking lots of outer space--on a larger scale. The ideal goal here would be to fixate a satellite in a stable position, in order to study space. However, (much like a shark) a satellite must be in constant motion to stay up. But with all the activity and movement in space, how how will a mere satellite survive long enough to tell the tale? 

What if I told you there was a way to make that happen? 

You'd probably protest: 

But actually, you can! In short, in 1772, a mathematician and astronomer called Joseph-Louis Lagrange discovered the solution to the 3 body problem. 

J.L Lagrange portrays himself as a humble mortal as he
glumly stares at a unknown object.  

He found out that by placing satellites in strategic points, the satellites managed to stay out of harm's way whilst effectively returning information to enthusiastic astronomers! Obviously, he named this discovery after himself. (Read: Lagrange Points/L for short)

L1 To begin off, it is common knowledge that when an object is in closer proximity to the sun, it will move faster. 

If a spacecraft were to be placed in-between Earth and the Sun with an equal distance between the two, the pull of Earth's gravity can level out some of the Sun's, making the spacecraft move slower. This can be manipulated to the point where the spacecraft orbits the sun at approximately the same speed as earth, much like the photograph shown above. 

Now, the L1 is an a excellent position to observe both the sun and earth, as well as the space surrounding the two. The perks of maintaining this position in orbit are twofold; first, the spacecraft needs to orbit in order to stay up, and second, this greatly minimizes the possible collisions the spacecraft will have with miscellaneous things in the solar system. 

Works Cited: 

"What are Lagrange points?." European Space Agency. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2014. <http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Operatio

"Spacecraft in 'sync' with Earth orbit."European Space Agency. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2014. <http://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images

"How big is the Solar System?." BBC News. BBC, n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2014. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbc.com/future/bespoke/20140304-how-big-is-space-interactive/index.html>.