Threshold 1

Questions that the Modern Origin story is unable to answer:

What happened before the Big Bang?

What caused the Big Bang to happen?

What really is dark matter and dark energy?

What will happen at the end of the universe?

How does cosmology "see" into the past?

Cosmology sees into the past by observing light and radiation that has traveled across the universe since the Big Bang. Light takes time to travel. So by observing distant objects, cosmologists can look back in time. The CMBR is a key tool for looking into the universes early moments.

Role of technology in scientific origin story

The development of telescopes and spectrometers have enabled scientists to observe and study the universe in greater detail. and understanding things like redshift, CMBR, and the formation of galaxies.

How is the "Big Bang" one of the prevailing theories of modern science

The Big Bang is a widely accepted model that explains the universe's phenomenas. The Big Bang theory explains the orgins of the universe, its expansion, and development over time.

Concise story about one of the few moments after the Big Bang.

1.) Big bang: Universe begins as a hot, dense singularity.

2.) Expansion of the universe

3.) Quarks, protons, neutrons: Formation of particles

4.) First atomic nuclei: Hydrogen and helium form.

5.) CMBR released

Plasma universe: Early universe was a hot plasma of particles and radiation.

Energy

the ability to do work, it comes in in different forms

Four fundamental forces

1.) Gravity

2.) Strong nuclear force

3.) Electromagnetism

4.) Weak nuclear force

Dark Energy

a mysterious force that appears to be causing the expansion of the universe to accelerate

Matter and Anti-matter

Matter- Consits of particles like protons, neutrons, and electrons

Anti-matter- Opposite of matter with opposite charge.

Quarks

Particles that make up protons and neutrons.

Electrons

Subatomic particles with a negative charge

Protons

positively charged subatomic particles

Neutrons

subatomic particles with no charge

Dark matter

A form of energy that doesn't emit light but has mass and interacts gravitationally with visible matter.

Plasma Universe

Early stages of the universe, shortly after the Big Bang. It was hot and dense, consisting of free particles of electrons, protons, and photons.

Three "extreme" characteristics of the early universe

Dense

Hot

Expanding rapidly

Mini threshold (380K yrs later)

Edwin Hubble

Discovered redshift in light from other galaxies, providing evidence that the universe is expanding.

George Gamow, Arno Penzias, Robert Wilson

Discovered the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (CMBR), supporting the idea of a hot, dense early universe.

Henrietta Leavitt

Discovered that Cepheid variables (a type of star) have a predictable relationship between their brightness and their period, allowing for the measurement of distances in space.

Light Years and the Extreme Deep Field

The measurement of distances in space using light years allows scientists to observe distant galaxies and stars, looking back in time to observe the early universe.

The Doppler Effect and Redshift (Edwin Hubble)

When light from distant galaxies shifts toward the red end of the spectrum, it indicates they are moving away, showing that the universe is expanding.

Spectroscopes and Absorption Lines

Spectroscopes allow scientists to study the light emitted by stars, identifying chemical compositions and movement.

Parallax Method

A technique used to measure the distance to nearby stars by observing their shift relative to distant stars as the Earth moves in its orbit.

Cepheid Variables and Luminosity

Cepheid variables' luminosity is used to calculate distances to galaxies, contributing to the measurement of the universe's scale.