Recall part 2 of Elegant Universe. We often use metaphor or models to explain things (theories, concepts, processes) to each other. What metaphors/models did you see in the video? Here are some I saw:
* the fabric & marble metaphor for gravity
* billiard table
* elevator
* billiard balls in the past, now perhaps strings
* Quantum Cafe
* Game of catch to illustrate the messenger particles
* Standard Model
* stringed instruments which vibrate to create notes
* 4 dimensions represented as a location at an apartment at a particular time
* extra dimensions represented as curled up (like ants moving clockwise and counterclockwise)
* curled up dimensions represented as shapes of air moving in an instrument creating notes
Could you pick one or two of these and explain how the metaphor/model works? This is a bit trickier than it might appear.
For extra credit you can read "Metaphor in Science" from A Companion to the Philosophy of Science edited by W. H. Newton-Smith. It is on reference in the library. Then you can discuss one of the metaphors/models above (or another from something else in the course) in terms of one of the theories in the Metaphor chapter. Due before Thanksgiving.
The metaphor that I recall from the video was the one with the elevator. The elevator went up to like floor 100 or something, when the narrator got off the elevator there was the solar system. This represented electromagnitivity. Electromagnitivity operates with objects on a larger scale, like Earth orbiting around the sun. When the narrator got off the elevator on the zero floor, this represented quantum mechanic. With quantum mechanics things are super small and invisible to the naked eye. This went along with string theory. The elevator represents how science is trying to connect the really large abstract ideas with the tiny object to create a new picture. But the issue is finding that connection to prove the theory right.
ReplyDeleteI think I understood the theory better when he was explaining it with the elevator as well. Having it explained that way put it into perspective that on a large scale, the strings are not as violent but on the quantum mechanic side the strings were quite active. This made me somewhat believe that string theory could be true based on the descriptions with the elevator and the visuals the movie provided!
DeleteThe elevator showed that those theories were very far apart but stood together as a whole. The string theory is what is used to connect those theories. The visual was very easy to understand and gave us a general idea of how distantly connected quantum mechanics and electromagnetism were.
DeleteQuantum Cafe - From what I understood, this concept dealt with the idea that there are multiple versions of reality happening in different simultaneous universes. The underlying theme seemed to be that whatever could happen would happen; however, it could take place in one or more of the various universes - It is unpredictable from the vantage point of the cafe because from there you can see multiple universes. An example was given where he asks for an orange juice, and the bartender says that she will try. Someone would get an orange juice, but there was no guarantee that it would be the person in the current universe / reality that we were following.
ReplyDeleteBilliard Table - This concept was interesting because took the concept of a flat surface and made it 3D. It showed that when an item like a bowling ball is placed on the field, it sinks in due to its mass. Because of this imprint, when other items such as Billiard Balls are added to the table, they are sucked into its orbit. Much like when you place a coin in a donation machine, and it spins around multiple times.
I also found the billiard table example interesting. The idea that just because an object has more mass, it can influence the objects that surround it is pretty amazing. This can help others to understand the orbits of the planets around the earth and could possibly explain more about related theories such as the big bang theory which can help us to better understand the origins of the universe.
DeleteThe visual of the quantum cafe gave me a larger misunderstanding of the multiverse theory. I read about a theory of parallel universes based on the string theory. It was that each different possible dimension (for the 4th dimension) meant another dimension exactly like ours parallel to us. After watching the multiple universe video from earlier in the semester, he gave me the idea that for each candidate shape for the 4th dimension is a different shape for each separate universe and that each separate universe would have a different amount of dark energy.Different amounts of dark energy means gravity would differ in each separate dimension. It just confused me how dimensions could be parallel or the same yet have a different amount of dark energy (repelling force). More repelling force would entail a different gravity. The whole multiple or parallel dimension theories confuse me and the visual confused me even more.
DeleteThe Billiard table really put the theory into perspective for me too because of the way it used 3D to explain how the planets laid on the fabric and pulled the moons toward it causing them to revolve which explained how gravity worked. And I really like the example you gave with the quarter orbiting around a donation machine. This gives a very visible explanation of what they are trying to demonstrate in this film.
DeleteThe metaphor I think I could explain the best was the Billiard table metaphor. Just like Tommy says above, you can imagine the table as more then what meets the eye. From looking at a pool table in a video the flat surface appears to be 2-D, but it was shown to be 3-D. If you were to place an object with a greater amount of mass on the surface it pulls the surface down with it. Along with the surface being pulled down, all of the other objects on the surface of the table that weigh less then the object with greater mass. This creates a suction effect that draws in the lighter objects to be sucked into its orbit.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Austin and Tommy. The Billiard table metaphor is the one that sticks out the most to me. I believe this one stands out to me the most because they were explaining a very abstract topic, but then when they compared it to the billiard table, something I can personally relate to and picture in my head it made more sense how it all works. Once they placed the bowling ball on the table, it makes the fabric go down which makes the other billiard balls on the table get brought into the bowling balls 'orbit' due to the high mass of the bowling ball.
DeleteI really did like the billiards metaphor to because visually i could see the bowling ball pushing the surface down creating a slant in the table that would create a suction or pull the smaller balls towards the bigger object. i never thought of it that way and it was nice to see the orbit explained in a way that was familiar and easy to understand. I never really though of space as a fabric that all objects lie on so it was nice to see how objects could be pulled into orbit by bigger object because of the bend in the fabric.
DeleteThe game of catch that is used to explain the use of messenger particles in that messenger particles are represented by the two people that are throwing the ball and the ball represents the message that is being conveyed between the two particles.
ReplyDeleteThe Quantum Cafe is used to explain the rudiments of Quantum Mechanics. By using the Quantum Cafe, the narrator explains that when you go into a normal bar or cafe, there are possibilities that will happen and possibilities that will not happen. There is a possibility that when you order a drink, the server will mistake what you ordered and you will have to send the drink back to finally get the beverage you prefer. In Quantum Mechanics, all of the possibilities occur simultaneously. There basically are no possibilities because it is known that everything will happen at the same time.
I also liked the game o catch as well. It made it really easy to understand how messenger particles travel between to particles. The people represented the particles and the ball represented the message.
DeleteI thought the concept of Quantom Mechanics was interesting as well. It seemed like it was describing Murphy's Law where everything that can happen will happen. This is an interesting concept to think about, but it seems like it would be extremely hard to prove with relative certainty.
DeleteI liked the quantum cafe metaphor to help explain quantum mechanics and the multiple possibilitys of reality happening simultaneously. Through one action of ordering a drink there are multiple possibilitys or versions of reality that can occur, through quantum mechanics all the versions of reality are showed at the same time displaying multime dimensions or versions of reality.
ReplyDeleteThe extra dimensions displayed by the ant on the cable wire helped me to better understand how we can possibly view string theory. From a far a cable wire looks like on wire, but from an ants perspective on the wire the cable looks much larger with details not observable from a far. These multiple perspectives of a single object display the ants perspective of the cable wire being large with multiple wire strung together rotating clockwise. If we could some how observe a single curled up string in string theory we would have a much better understanding of how these strings work or vibrate or if the string theory is even true.
I think this one was very interesting as well. I wasn't too sure how to word my explanation but i think you did a good job doing that for me. quantum mechanics is a subject that I dont really understand but i think that it is extremely interesting to try to learn about and try to understand, even though i probably never will.
DeleteThe one that i would be able to explain best would be the billiards metaphor. This metaphor makes it easier to understand the concept of mass. The video showed us in 3-D how when you place something that is large and has a lot of mass it brings the flat surface down with it. Because of the larger item bringing down the flat surface, when you place anything else on that surface those items are also going to get pulled down. The bigger item brings the smaller items into its orbit.
ReplyDeleteGame of catch to illustrate the messenger particles- the atoms are so small, but when they are bonded they become strong. There are four forces that interact with matter. When they are "thrown" they start from one side of a particle and then go to the other side. They are stopped when it gets to the other "person" or particle. the messenger particles can then be sent back.
ReplyDeleteOne theory I saw was when Brian Green came out the elevator. There was multiple realities involved when he arrived. With all the theories we have a world that is very confusing. He says that space and time are so distorted that you cannot tell the difference. Left and right also up and down are so messed up that you could not tell the difference. Clockwise and counterclockwise are also backwards so it makes everything confusing. Before and after even gets messed up and you can't tell the difference. When we gets out of the elevator he steps out to our right and mentions that you can not tell if he arrived there first or even the left side first.
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ReplyDeleteBilliard Table: This use of imagery really helped me picture how the Earth and other planets and moons orbit around an object. The way they explained it was that think of a bowling ball on a velvet pool table surface and how it would cause it to sink and stretch and make a crater like indentation in the surface. This would cause the lighter smaller objects like a billiard ball, which refers to the smaller planets, would be sucked down into the larger planets orbit. This really helps people like me who have to see something and imagine it instead of reading about it in a textbook understand how it works. Also the relation to the everyday objects like the bowling ball and pool table also helps me.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you here Blake. I am a visual learner and when someone can explain something visually and in a productive way, I tend to understand more. The different masses and sizes of the objects painted a vivid picture for me when comparing to planets and our universe.
DeleteI would agree with both Jensen and Blake here, there are a tremendous amount of visual learners in the world and the easiest way to understand something is by visually seeing something happen and have it explained to you as well while you're watching.
DeleteLike what Blake said above I believe the Billiard Table is the easiest for me to explain. When looking at the example they used in the video it showed a bowling ball being placed on a flat or 2D surface. Then it made it look 3D, when this was made 3D it showed the weight or mass of the bowling ball in how it sinks on the table. When placing other balls such as billiard balls around the area it showed that the billiard balls did not move because of the mass of the bowling ball. Just like if I was to stand in the middle of a trampoline and I had some smaller sized people stand around the outside of the trampoline it would be hard for them to bounce off of the trampoline.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Blake and Ot that the billiard table make it a lot easier for me to comprehend and understand. I also liked the bowling call example you mentioned. I think it is much easier to understand these types of things when they are put into a perspective that most people would understand and can relate to. It made sense to be how the billiard balls would not more because of the bowling ball being so much heavier than them, like the sun is so much heavier than the planets.
DeleteThe metaphor for the elevator was interesting to me because it was kind of like taking into a different realm. I know when the elevator went down it took you to the atomic level of how things work, and when you went up it looked at the bigger objects like the solar system.
ReplyDeleteI think the billards table was the one that was the easiest one to understand for me because i have talked about something like this in my astronomy class as well. The large heavy bowling ball being placed in the middle of a 3 dimensional surface makes that surface sink and when smaller objects start to get pulled in my the bowling ball it causes them to go into orbit. we talked about the speed you need to reach to reach orbit around the earth and i think that this metaphor helped me understand this a little more in depth.
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