More stars in the universe than grains of sand on all the beaches in the world...

Nymins · 13 Aug 2010 at 12:28

Tefal said:
You know how's is just a contraction of "how does" right?

Yea I know, just sounds funny to me everytime someone uses it in that way

Von Smallhausen · 13 Aug 2010 at 13:25

The statistic that always amazes me is that if you scale the cosmos down, and our Sun and Proxima Centauri were the size of grains of sand, they would be five miles apart.

Our insignificance in the grand scheme of things is as terrifying yet awe inspiring as Arthur C Clarke suggested.

Relentless81 · 13 Aug 2010 at 13:40

It genuinely freaks me out when I think about it

footman · 13 Aug 2010 at 14:19

"andy" said:
prove it ?

surely just a theory unless someone has seen and counted that many

As used in science, a theory is an explanation or model based on observation, experimentation, and reasoning.

It's not to be confused with the use of the word in general language.

mattyg · 13 Aug 2010 at 15:32

And If were are the only living creatures then its an awful waste of space

apatia77 · 13 Aug 2010 at 16:49

mattyg said:
And If were are the only living creatures then its an awful waste of space

So true, but even the closest Earth like planet is some crazy amount of light years away.

Star Wars and Star Trek etc will never be for real.

Check "The Universe with Stephen Hawking" 3 episode series, it's mind blowing.

Pumpkinstew · 13 Aug 2010 at 17:46

mattyg said:
And If were are the only living creatures then its an awful waste of space

Well the Universe is mostly vacuum (or very close to it) and if you were to drop a golf ball on the centre spot at Wembley Stadium and that represented an atomic nucleus the innermost electron orbits would be up in the back seats somewhere.
So even the tiny percentage of matter in the universe is mostly empty.

And the Universe is expanding.

Space is pretty much all there is.

genan · 13 Aug 2010 at 17:54

I think you'll find that the universe pretty much covers everything.

sven256 · 13 Aug 2010 at 18:01

Jokester said:
There's a good thread here:-

http://www.scienceforums.net/topic/14303-number-of-connections-in-the-brain/page__st__40?

that shows the maths and references estimates for neuron numbers (100billion) and average individual numbers of connections per neuron (7,000). The number of pathways that it throws up is bigger than the number of atoms in the universe

Someone uses 100billion and 3000 connections per individual and calculates 10^8432. There is estimated to be 10^80 atoms in the universe. Yes, not all of them are used, but they do exist.

There would be a lot more atoms in the universe than that, as those who do the figures and get those results, tend to only take into account stars.

This works out at a quick guide, but does not take into account space itself, which is not a total vacuum, planets, asteroids, giant dust clouds etc so the actual number tends to be a lot higher.

Quick edit: it still will not get to anything like 10^8432 though

doiks14 · 13 Aug 2010 at 18:45

I've had more fights than there are stars, planets and meteors throughout the whole universe.. that's more of an interesting non-sense, unfortunately It's not a fact

This subject makes me think how insignificant we are

thedoc46 · 13 Aug 2010 at 18:56

Pumpkinstew said:
Well the Universe is mostly vacuum (or very close to it) and if you were to drop a golf ball on the centre spot at Wembley Stadium and that represented an atomic nucleus the innermost electron orbits would be up in the back seats somewhere.
So even the tiny percentage of matter in the universe is mostly empty.

And the Universe is expanding.

Space is pretty much all there is.

Very true.. This also amazes me, as much as the infinite amount of stars that exist.

Edinho · 13 Aug 2010 at 19:31

It's all a lie the bible says so. It's true, yes it is, i'm telling ya.

SourChipmunk · 13 Aug 2010 at 20:09

PMKeates said:
Something everyone should watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wupToqz1e2g

Here are a couple more that just boggle the mind:

The original:

Newer:

MossyUK · 13 Aug 2010 at 21:55

absolutely awesome.

Spit · 13 Aug 2010 at 22:02

The universe must be teeming with life.

I always thought that the meaning of life was that life is a way of the universe to know itself.

Tefal · 13 Aug 2010 at 23:05

Spit said:
The universe must be teeming with life.

Not necessarily at the same time though.

OriginalJonty · 13 Aug 2010 at 23:13

Somewhere out there a Jedi fights a Sith lord and a Firefly class ship is carrying some unlawful merchandise.

dal · 14 Aug 2010 at 00:30

This stuff allways amazes me, it's hard to put this stuff into any kind of perspective but I allways remember what Bill Bryson said - If the Earth was shrunk down to the size of a garden pea pluto would be a mile and a half away.

thedoc46 · 14 Aug 2010 at 02:48

Here's another thing that amazes me.. If a black hole was to wonder into our solar system, one that's maybe 20miles in diameter. Well anyway if it came close enough, it would compress the entire planet to the size of a golf ball. Atoms having so much space between the nucleus and electons, it would compress the entire world / planet to the size of a golf ball... BUT IT'LL STILL WEIGH THE SAME as the entire planet.. Try picking up that golf ball infront of a lady !!!