Can You See the Universe in Powers of 10?

  • Thread starter enigma
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In summary, the conversation is about a website called "Powers of Ten" that is based on a short film with the same name. The website and film both explore the concept of scale by zooming in and out from a sleeping man's hand to the galactic strings and back again. The conversation participants express their fascination and admiration for the concept and mention other similar movies and books they have seen.
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  • #2
Pretty neat viewing, Enigma.
I never saw the movie, but liked how one could get lost within largeness or smallness.
 
  • #3
What movie?
 
  • #4
There is a short film called "Powers of Ten".

It has the same basic idea as the website, except it started out looking at a sleeping man's hand in a park in Chicago. It then zoomed out one power of ten every ten seconds all the way out to the galactic strings. It then turned around and zoomed back in at one power of ten per second until it was looking at the guys hand again. Once there, it zoomed in all the way down to protons/quarks at one power of ten/ten seconds.
 
  • #5
cool :) going to hang that website in the lab
 
  • #6
Hehe i love these kinds of movies...There was a book a long long time ago our teacher showed us that had it zooming in all the time..yeah..
 

1. What is the concept behind exploring the powers of 10?

The concept behind exploring the powers of 10 is to understand the relationship between different quantities in the universe and how they change as we move up or down the scale of powers of 10. This allows us to better comprehend the vastness and complexity of the universe and how everything is interconnected.

2. How is the powers of 10 scale used in science?

The powers of 10 scale is used in science to represent extremely large or small quantities that would be difficult to express in standard form. It allows us to easily compare and visualize the differences between these quantities and make complex concepts more understandable.

3. What are some real world examples of the powers of 10?

Some real world examples of the powers of 10 include the size of atoms (10^-10 meters) compared to the size of the universe (10^26 meters), the number of cells in the human body (10^13) compared to the number of stars in the Milky Way (10^11), and the amount of time it takes for light to travel from the Sun to Earth (10^8 minutes) compared to the age of the universe (10^17 seconds).

4. Why is it important to understand the powers of 10?

Understanding the powers of 10 is important because it helps us comprehend the vastness and complexity of the universe and allows us to make comparisons between different quantities. It also helps us understand the interconnections between different scales and how everything in the universe is related.

5. How can exploring the powers of 10 be applied in our daily lives?

Exploring the powers of 10 can be applied in our daily lives by helping us understand and make sense of the world around us. It can also be used in various fields such as engineering, medicine, and technology to better understand and solve complex problems. Additionally, understanding the powers of 10 can also lead to a better appreciation and awe for the vastness and intricacies of the universe.

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