Something to Think About Around the Campfire

[rightstar76]

Here's something to think about the next time you're sitting by the campfire looking up at the night sky. I found this on another board.

So what are people's thoughts on this?

A New Clue to Explain Human Existence

Physicists at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory are reporting that they have stumbled onto a new clue that could help unravel one of the biggest mysteries of cosmology: why the universe is composed of matter and not its evil-twin opposite, antimatter. If confirmed, the finding portends fundamental discoveries at the new Large Hadron Collider outside Geneva, as well as a possible explanation for our own existence.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/18/scien ... messcience" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[rlown]

Looking up, on a dark night, with the Milky Way blazing, I never get past the question, "what kind of fishbowl is this universe in?"

[Timberline]

Hey guys, this looks like the start of a great thread.
After numerous nights beside a comforting campfire (or not, but still outside) under blazing infinities of stars, I came to the decision that the only possible response was to wave "hello" back.

[hikerduane]

It's mind bogleling, space goes to infinity. What else may be out there? I try not to think about it.

[rightstar76]

Speaking of the night sky...A few months ago I got a fortune cookie that said "An alien of some sort will be appearing to you shortly!" I taped it to my computer monitor. That was the best fortune cookie I ever got.

I haven't seen one yet. But one night a few years back I was camped out on Mehrten Creek by the High Sierra Trail. I was all by myself and all of a sudden the forest lit up. My heart started beating real fast. Oh no, I thought, is this for real? The aliens have come. Oh oh. Images of abduction came to mind. Then I saw a meteorite streaking across the sky.

Thank goodness, I thought. Just a piece of cosmic matter burning in the atmosphere. Nothing more to worry about. The stars were out again. Lots of them. I went back to sleep. No aliens.

Per the article, I guess it's comforting to know that the universe may not be disappearing, at least not anytime soon.