Hawking, Time, & Light Cones & Three Dimensional Skill Sets, Air Traffic Control, Light Waves & Particles
24th 69th 70th 71st 84th pages, Light Cones & Three Dimensional Skill Sets, Air Traffic Control, Light Waves & Particles
These discussions commemorate the passing of Professor Stephen William Hawking, age 76, on ‘pi day’ 2018, late of Cambridge, England. They are extracts of a letter sent in 2003 to the Professor reviewing portions of his book, A Brief History of Time.
Connecticut
January, 2003
Stephen Hawking, Professor
c/o Centre for Mathematical Sciences
University of Cambridge
Wilberforce Road
Cambridge CB30WA England
<s.w.hawking@damtp.cam.ac.uk
A Brief History of Time, 1988 Bantam Books, Dell
Professor Hawking,
You observe (pg. 24) the difficulty in perceiving a threedimensional grid or figure, as you prepare to add the fourth dimension of time.
Such a skill is required of air traffic controllers, in thatthey must mentally sort in 4 dimensions, 3 in space, and 4th in time, in order to separate aircraft and control their air space. This seems to be difficult skill in that there are many thousands who apply for these jobs, but only dozens and hundreds who can safely train to accomplish this task. Aircraft are in the atmosphere, moving forward and traveling hundreds of miles an hour. Their approach speed (i.e. flying opposite directions toward each other) is double their directional speed. Their future locations must be anticipated based on their present locations and speeds. If the same location at the same time is identified, instructions are given to the pilots to make adjustments (i.e. fly up and right, fly down and left) so that two aircraft do not seek to occupy the same space time position.
25th page LIGHT CONE
You observe (pg. 25) the concept of using light cones to divide past and future, to divide space and time into three regions, the past, the future and the unassigned. The future cone is light which is traveling toward us, and although it has not yet arrived, we expect to observe it in some future point. The past cone is light which is traveling away from us, having already been experienced in some past point.
Joseph Smith, in 1842, noted: “The great Jehovah, contemplated the whole of the events connected with the earth, pertaining to the plan of salvation, before it rolled into existence, or ever “the morning stars sangtogether” for joy; the PAST, the PRESENT, and the FUTURE were and are, with Him, one eternal “now;” . . . (Teachings of the ProphetJoseph Smith, pg. 220)
I propose that perhaps, one of the abilities, or traits, of Godhood, is to have, know, understand, observe, and even control, the past, present, and future, as with Him, one eternal “now.” Although the prophet Joseph Smith did not use the term light cone, your description, and the existence of these time descriptions sound pretty similar to me.
In fiction, the concept of “past, present, and future” being immediately available was also recognized by Dickens’ (i.e. “A Christmas Carol”), when the Ghosts of Christmas’ past, present and future visit Scrooge. Wasn’t past and future also the concept of myth for Janus[1], the Roman and Greek pagan god whose name gave us January, a two headed God looking to the past and future. I understand the Fates[2] were imagined with a similar ability, to look into the future and the past. More recently, at least in the past century, H.G. Wells Time Machine, and the movies Back to the Future, have plots based on time travel. The 1946 movie by Frank Capra, starring Jimmy Stewart, “A Wonderful Life, has a sub-plot which compared pasts and presents’ with and without George Bailey. One Superman[3] movie had Superman flying again rotation, and with the earth traveling or rotating backward, reversing time, and then setting the earth’s rotation forward, so as to relive a moment and save Lois Lane from imminent death.
PIA15909 M100 spiral galaxy blue
69th 70th 71st 84th LIGHT WAVES AND PARTICLES
You observe (p. 69) virtual particles have characteristics of wave of light. However, the eye doesn’t seem to get full of these particles, although seeing every day.
In reconciling the forces, (p. 71) we might consider the electro magnetic force, the property of iron to align with themagnetic field. Because we have not found other elements obeying the magnetic field, we assume this is unique to iron. But let’s ask why this property seems to be missing in all the other elements? Or, are there forces to which different elements will align or respond? Perhaps we haven’t distinguished these unknown forces among the different elements?
You discuss forces (p. 70). Should you add love, always attractive, and hate, always repulsive? What of the force that intelligences have for communal living. People want to be around other people. Birds of a feather flock together. I noticed at an exhibit in the American Museum of Natural History, such a question was posed to Einstein, and to which he answered.
You observe (p. 84) that as mass increases, so does density, and new elements form. You have as an example a mass of 100 times ten to the sixth power (100 million) tons per cubic inch of matter. But, our experience is that heavier elements become unstable, and radioactive, and cease to exist, apparently wanting to exist at a lower nuclear weight. This pressure, heavy element, and atom splitting is the principle of the atomic bomb, which implodes and then explodes, releasing energy. Why doesn’t this apply to the density issue? Or, why doesn’t the 100 million tons per cubic inch matter become unstable before it reaches such density and release its energy (i.e. explode)?
Under what circumstances do the mass of elements reach singularity? Or, can density you suggest be achieved, and maintained, at extreme temperatures, hot or cold?
Cosmic images
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/spaceimages/wallpaper.php
[1] Roman religion and myth, Janus (/ˈdʒeɪnəs/; Latin: Ianus, pronounced [ˈjaːnus]) is the god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, doorways, passages, and endings. He is usually depicted as having two faces, since he looks to the future and to the past
[2] the three goddesses who preside over the birth and life of humans. Each person’s destiny was thought of as a thread spun, measured, and cut by the three Fates, Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos.
[3] Superman (the movie) 1978.
Professor Hawking’s mother was Scottish. His grandfather was James Walker born Glasgow and son of Archibald Walker Jr. and Janet Audrey Margaret Morris. Archibald was the son of Archibald Walker Sr. and Isobel McIntyre Ewing. Janet was the daughter of William John Morris and Margaret McGregor. Hawking’s mother’s mother was Elisabeth Agnes “Nancy” Stevenson Law, born Glasgow, and daughter of Andrew Law and Agnes Stevenson. Agnes was the daughter of Robert Stevenson who was married 6 August 1852 in Melrose, Roxburgh, Scotland to Isabella Hyslop.
Stephen William Hawking, born 8 January, 1942 in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, U.K. Deceased: 14 March, 2018 ‘pi day, 3.14,’ in Cambridge, England, U.K.
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