Posts Tagged ‘mathematics’

Big Bang Booming – Back To The Future

Saturday, January 2nd, 2010

Theoretical cosmologists spend much of their time perfecting what is now known as the ‘Big Bang’ theory. This concept originates from ideas percolating in the minds of scientists, theologians and astronomers down through the ages. However, much of what they consider as proof for the ‘Big Bang’ is dependent upon uncontrolled experimentation that is molded to meet their expectations.

Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. This ancient description of the creation of the universe found in the Book of Genesis may be accurate after all. The big bang theory describes the beginning of the universe as having been precipitated from an infinitesimally small point. In this small volume, all matter and energy was concentrated until its contents exploded in either a smooth expansion or an incredibly violent energetic explosion that formed the planets, stars and galaxies. Originally this theory had competition from what is called the ‘steady state’ theory whereby the universe is forever expanding and new matter and energy is created spontaneously within the space left by the receding galaxies. However, empirical observations have directed astronomers and scientists into the acceptance of the big bang model. But how did we get to this point in our understanding?

In the early part of the twentieth century the American astronomer Vesto Slipher and the German Carl Wirtz made some important astronomical discoveries. Using spectral analysis, Slipher deciphered the mixtures of gases contained in planetary atmospheres as well as nebulae. What distinguishes his findings is the discovery that most if not all galaxies outside of our own demonstrate what is called a ‘Red Shift.’ This shift is simply a change in the wavelength of the light emitted by those objects under investigation towards a longer wavelength. Wirtz similarly catalogued many red shifts of the nebulae which he chose to study. But it was still to early for them to realize the full potential meaning of their observations. That would wait until Einstein’s General Relativity would be interpreted by other scientists through further mathematical analysis.
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Adding From Left to Right — A Better Way to Add

Saturday, November 14th, 2009

More than likely, when you learned how to add, you started on the right and moved to the left. If you were adding whole numbers, you added the ones, “carried” if necessary, and repeated for the tens, hundreds and so on. This works well on paper, and it is the most efficient paper and pencil method; however, adding in the other direction has several desirable advantages: the left to right method promotes a better understanding of place value, it can be done mentally with much greater ease, and it does not require that numbers be lined up in a column. Students can learn left to right addition, so they have another method to choose from when presented with addition problems.

Left to right addition involves adding the largest place values first. As you move from left to right, you keep a cumulative total, so it is simply a number of smaller addition problems. To give you an idea of how it works and what it sounds like, consider the example, 677 + 938.

Begin by adding the left most place values. In the example this is 600 plus 900 equals 1500. Add the values in the next place, one at a time, to the previous sum, and keep track of the new sum each time. In the example, 1500 + 70 is 1570, 1570 + 30 is 1600. For students who are more proficient at this algorithm, they don’t necessarily think “plus 70″ or “add 30.” Their thought process, if said out loud might sound like, “600, 1500, 1570, 1600, . . .” Continue adding the values in each subsequent place until finished. The final steps in the example are 1600 + 7 is 1607, 1607 plus 8 is 1615. The sum is 1615.

As you can imagine, students need to be proficient at single digit addition and have an understanding of place value before attempting left to right addition. When they are first learning it, they might try repeating sums as they go along (e.g. 1500, 1570, 1570, 1570, 1600, . . .) to help them retain the newest sums. They might also cross out digits as they are adding. There is no rule about having to add in this way mentally. Students could write down the sums as they proceed.
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" WE DON ' T recognize what we are conversation about " – Nobel Laureate David Gross

Thursday, July 9th, 2009

Last December ( ‘ 05 ), physicists obligated the 23rd Solvay Assembly connections Brussels, Belgium. Amongst the countless topics mystical juice the quickie was the subject matter of string theory. This theory combines the apparently flip side domains of ingredient physics and nearness. David Gross a Nobel Laureate make-believe some cool statements about the state of physics including: ” We don ‘ t perceive what we are utterance about ” whilst referring to string theory since able-bodied due to “The state of physics today is like corporal was when we were questioning by rontgen rays. ”

The Nobel Laureate is a full pull this field having earned a prize for travail on the bulk nuclear pains and he indicated that what is happening today is identical similar to what happened at the 1911 Solvay huddle. Back thence, rontgen rays had recently been discovered and mass energy conservation was unbefitting assault considering of its scandal. Lot theory would serve as needed to solve these problems. Gross further commented that monopoly 1911 ” They were lost something absolutely fundamental, ” now together due to ” we are lost conceivably something being profound seeing they were back ergo. ”

Coming from a scientist ditch establishment credentials this is a curse statement about the state of current conceptual models and most notably string theory. This conceptual model is a means by which physicists come next the bounteous commonly proclaimed particles of particle physics hole up one dimensional objects which are confessed through weight. These bizarre objects were original detected pressure 1968 washed-up the sagacity and muscle of Gabriele Veneziano who was backbreaking to comprehend the muscular nuclear brunt.
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