Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Webb telescope - first images

That's quite correct Heinz. I ofter hear the objection that faster than light travel is impossible so how can the Universe be expanding faster than light? Because it's the fabric of the Universe expanding. Within the Universe nothing can travel faster than light except the expansion of space-time itself. Mind expanding stuff - if you'll pardon the pun.

It's mind boggling to think of the future rise of some intelligent species in the Universe when all celestial objects have receded immense distances from each other. They will live in a dark Universe - never becoming aware of the stars. They will believe there is nothing. We are fortunate to be born in the years of light.

Haha, sometimes it helps one or the other to get interesting thoughts.

I tend to lie awake at night thinking of this stuff. Particularly if I have spent a few hours glued to my telescope.

Regarding your additional text, David. I am convinced that our ancestors would never have acquired such a reflected self-image if they had not started to observe the stars. No matter where in the world, the stars have always moved and intellectually stimulated people...even if they did not yet know that stars are suns. But think of all the calendars, constellations, the observation that some objects "wander" (planets) and all others do not. In a "dark" age we as mankind would not have been so busy. Thank God our ancestors were not so distracted by electric light, etc. They had the time for observations which they passed on over generations. To close the circle, we would never have the motivation and curiosity and thirst for knowledge to build a James Webb telescope today if our ancestors had not observed the stars.

Absolutely- that's a good insight, Heinz. I think you are right and human curiosity and the search for knowledge and understanding started when our distant ancestors looked at the night sky and wondered what all those beautiful twinkling points of light were. And the Sun - the giver of life, light and warmth. What was that? No wonder they made them into gods and heroes. Would a future intelligent species have the same stimuli if they lived in a dark Universe? I wonder. I can recommend a really brilliant short science fiction story by Isaac Asimov about this. Its called Nightfall and its widely regarded as one of the greatest Sci-Fi short stories. The ending is superb and a bit of a shocker - I won't give it away (unless you really want me to).

No, please don't tell. I know Asimov but not this short story. Thanks for the recommendation!

Very wise. Save it up for a rainy day.

Have you also heard of the Black Widowers?

Tales of the Black Widowers, Bob? Yes, if I'm correct its a collection of detective stories by Asimov. I have not read it though as I'm more of a Sci-Fi nerd than a detective one.

Think I've read Nightfall, many years ago