30 Comments
User's avatar
Leila Motaei's avatar

So what you’re saying is we did actually jump timelines. There’s something comforting in that.

Expand full comment
Greg Lippincott's avatar

Love it! Totally agree with everything you said. We can feel these things taking place, even if we can’t name them, or know what is causing them.

Expand full comment
Delia Wozniak's avatar

I would appreciate a less philosophical and more scientific discussion of what is currently being measured, how science explains it, if at all yet!

Since 1998 we know that the universe expands at an accelerating rate! Scientists measured the brightness of certain supernovae (Type 1a), which have known, constant brightness! They were aghast to learn that these supernovae were moving away. From us at an accelerating rate! Scientists used the concept of “dark energy” to explain this accelerating expansion of the universe!

This discovery is known as Hubble’s Law!

What exactly was the discovery?

Have the measurements been duplicated scientifically?

I’ll look into and report back!

Expand full comment
Closer to the Edge's avatar

Google DESI

Expand full comment
Melinda K Zarate's avatar

I am feeling this!

Expand full comment
Sandra K's avatar

Earth Vader will make an appearance.

Expand full comment
Delia Wozniak's avatar

Correction: Reporting back on the potential “weakening of Dark Matter, the invisible force causing the accelerating expansion of the Universe!

Ok! Matter causes the universe to contract thru the force of gravity!

More matter equals more contraction!

Scientists do not think, as of now, that the StandsModel of the Universe’s behavior needs radical changes!

However, in layman’s terms ( as I most certainly am -very lay indeed - scientists expect to “tweak” their formulas!

My outlandish guess is “there’s more matter somewhere….?”

Could be hidden in early stages in hydrogen gas, supernovae or, drum roll here, dark matter!

Ha!

Merlin’s Hat, maybe ?

Expand full comment
John Skipp's avatar

I'm no quantum historian, but I think it's good to remember that:

a) we're not just kicking off a new century of changes (even more profound than the difference between 1901 and 2001), but

b) we're also just tickling the beginning of a new THOUSAND-YEAR CYCLE. Which, as I understand it, means that

c) SHIT'S GONNA GO CRAZY FOR A WHILE, as we settle into this new millennium. Pretty sure it always does.

I don't say that to mitigate the dark matter changes. Just upping the contextual voltage a little, as we twirl together into the deeper unknown. THANKS!!!

Expand full comment
Light from the Veranda's avatar

Humans likely adopted a base-10 system because of the ten fingers on our hands. As for millennia start dates, they’re arbitrary markers imposed by human convention, shaped by historical and religious traditions. The numbering of years is just a habit, a way of making sense of time. The universe doesn’t care.

Expand full comment
John Skipp's avatar

FAIR ENOUGH! I mean, I don't think the numbers are in on the universe's vote, but I'm guessing it has different sets of priorities. That said: since we're the species actively losing its shit -- largely based on our historical and religious traditions -- I'm gonna stick with the math as stated. AT LEAST TILL THAT NEXT HIT OF ACID KICKS IN!

Expand full comment
Kathy Sokola's avatar

Love the analogy!

Expand full comment
Judy Wagner's avatar

How hard, if not impossible, it is to use words, to name, to describe what we know only because we feel it.

Expand full comment
Barbara Casey's avatar

Viewing Life from the perspective of eternity. Looking forward to seeing where you go with this theme.

Expand full comment
gerald f dobbertin's avatar

To say the universe is expanding is absurd because it is self contradictory. Cosmologists have come upon a great deal they do not understand. So they invent fantasies to account for their lack of knowledge. This is not new. Read about the ridiculous models the ancient Greeks, Romans, Egyptians and others dreamed up in their efforts to explain what they could not; and you shall see what I am getting at.

Assuming humans have a long future on this planet; how do you suppose future thinkers will view our behavior and our understanding of events in which we now find ourselves?

Expand full comment
Maggie Bennett's avatar

They’ll think that dark matter infected this evil regime’s brains. SOMETHING sure did.

Expand full comment
Maia Ettinger's avatar

It really helps to take a step back. This was always going to happen, and however painful this moment is, its ultimate outcome is unknown.

Expand full comment
Sandra K's avatar

Ugh! I meant Darth Vader will be making an appearance. 🫣

Expand full comment
Delia Wozniak's avatar

Dark Energy is weakening, slowing down the accelerating expansion! Therefore, there’s more matter somewhere - probably!

Expand full comment
Delia Wozniak's avatar

Report back on the

Expand full comment
Rick Wilson's avatar

Sorry, that was too woo-woo for me.

Expand full comment
Closer to the Edge's avatar

Woo-woo?

Expand full comment
Rick Wilson's avatar

unconventional beliefs regarded as having little or no scientific basis, especially those relating to spirituality, mysticism, or alternative medicine.

"some kind of metaphysical woo-woo"

Expand full comment
Closer to the Edge's avatar

DESI seems very scientific, no?

Expand full comment
Debbie's avatar

Dark matter, light matter, sextillion with 18 zeros, gravity, jumping timelines, the thousand year cycles, woo woo, and how many universes? This is spectacular because we truly don’t know. Yes, we can have empirical and scientific evidence that is critically and humanly important such as the measles mumps rubella vaccine after 2 doses is 97%effective against measles, 86% effective against mumps, and 97% effective against rubella. And dark matter may be expanding or contracting what we know about our universe. What I know is that there are times, like now, where I feel and know that there is a great disruption in the universe.

Expand full comment