This article comments on the expansion principle, and how that affects our perceptions of the universe in comparison to perceptions made hundreds of millions of years from now.
When we think of space, we usually think of the massive expanse of stars and gasses that forms the Milky Way, and the immense sea of distant galaxies almost unimaginably far from our own. One may be inclined to think that this will always be the case, since the universe is so big the idea that it can change in some substantial way seems absurd. The truth is that hundreds of millions of years from now, the night sky, as observed by humans or any other forms of life, will be fundamentally and irreversibly different.
It’s well known and documented that the universe is expanding at a rapid pace, and that the gravity that binds the galaxies together means that most of the new space is being created in between galaxies. Modern theories and studies have been targeted at determining just what this expansion entails, whether it will stop or continue, and what will happen when the universe ‘finishes’ expanding, if that does happen. Regardless of the nature of expansion, we know that the universe is expanding at a rate that could be considered rapid, and that some stellar bodies appear slightly smaller to earthbound observers as the years pass.
Scientists have begun considering the question of what future life forms or future generations of humans will see when they observe the night sky. Although the universe as we know it will look largely the same for the rest of earth’s existence, and even that of the sun, hundreds of millions of years from now, the galaxies apart from our own will be so far away that their light won’t be detectable from our galaxy, by any means. This means that in the future, any sentient life forms, human or otherwise, will not be left with the impression that the universe is composed of billions upon billions of galaxies.
The truth of the matter is that this window of a few billion years in which humanity happened to come in to existence is unique in a fundamental way. Although the length of time in which we have to observe the current universe is a considerable one, the realization that the knowledge we’ve taken as being universally available will not always be there. This new perspective on astronomy will undoubtedly hold weight in years to come, as scientists have already begun questioning the ethics of studying space, and whether or not the fact that this knowledge is limited burdens humankind with any obligation to document it while it lasts.
x
will be notified of your question.
Your question will also be posted as a public question in the Knoji forums, so be sure to phrase it as a general question that anyone could answer. Personal questions and private messages should be sent using the Message Me feature instead.
Confirm your recommendation
x
By making this recommendation, you are confirming that you would recommend Jacob Funk to people you know as an expert in the topic Astronomy.
Confirm and recommendCancel
You have used your question credit for today. Please wait until midnight today for your question credits to renew.
x
To maintain a high standard for new discussions started, each Knoji member is limited to a certain number of questions each day. Use your questions wisely, ask quality questions and you'll get quality answers.
Credits refresh at midnight US Central time, at which time you'll receive your next day's allotment of credits.
Oops, you haven't confirmed your email yet
x
We've sent an email to your registration email address. You'll need to click the link in that email before you can post stuff on Knoji.
Didn't get the email? First, try checking your spam inbox. If you can't find it, click here and we'll resend your confirmation link.
Please confirm your email address
xWe've sent a confirmation link to your email address. Please check your email and click the link to confirm to your account.
Didn't get the email? First, try checking your spam inbox. If you can't find it, click here and we'll resend your confirmation link.
Great! Here's a preview of your question.
x
We've sent a confirmation link to your registration email address. Please click this link to confirm your email.
Your question will not be posted publicly until you confirm your email.
Didn't get the email? First, try checking your spam inbox. If you can't find it, click here and we'll resend your confirmation link.
Your confirmation email has been resent
x
Please check your email (check your spam inbox too) and click on the link provided to confirm your account with Knoji.
You have received 0 answer votes on Knoji
x
When people like the answers you provide, they make a public acknowledgement by placing a vote for your answer. The more votes you accumulate on Knoji, the higher you move up in rank. Increased rank gives you increased capabilities, more perks and more expert cred around the site.
Answer questions nowLearn more about user levels
Oops, you're out of question credits for today!
x
We limit the number of questions members can ask on Knoji each day in order to improve the quality of questions and answers. Your question credits will reset each day at midnight US Central time, so come back then to ask more questions!
Contributors on Knoji are awarded Levels as they establish themselves as experts within the community. There are three ways in which users can increase their level, via writing articles or via answering questions, or both.
Level
Article Track
Answer Track
Combined Track
Abilities
Member
-
-
-
Can publish articles, ask and answer questions
Contributor
Successfully publish first article
Must earn +50 votes
Publish first article OR +50 answer votes
Eligible for revenue sharing. Access to Dashboard.
Expert
Must publish 10 consecutive articles
Must earn +200 votes
10 articles OR +200 answer votes
Self-publish and edit past articles. Increased compensation rate.
Guide
Must earn +500 recommendations
Must earn +1,000 votes
+250 article recommendations AND +500 answer votes
Increased earnings rate. Greater number of votes.
Authority
Must earn +1,000 recommendations
Must earn +5,000 votes
+500 article recommendations AND +2,500 answer votes
Increased earnings rate. Greater number of votes & question credits.
Pro
Must earn +5,000 recommendations
Must earn +10,000 votes
+2,500 article recommendations AND +5,000 answer votes
Increased earnings rate. Greater number of votes.
Master
Must earn +10,000 recommendations
Must earn +50,000 votes
+5,000 article recommendations AND +25,000 answer votes
Your primary job as an Ambassador is to kick off thoughtful discussion threads around products, services. Your discussions can be on any topic in Knoji's category system. Here are some examples of the types of discussions you'll be starting:
Requests for recommendations for any type of product or service, examples:
People on Knoji ask questions seeking recommendations for products and services. We encourage our community members to answer questions whenever you can make a useful recommendation towards any request.
When pointing to specific products, please link to specific product pages on Amazon.com or Walmart.com
UPDATE: Ambassadors earn bonuses for answering questions, however - only answers which include products links (as described above) will earn bonuses.
You should include screenshots of the products you recommend (Ambassadors: you earn increased rewards when doing this)
Try to recommend products that you've had personal experience with. If not, it is acceptable to recommend products or options based on thorough research you do online.
People on Knoji ask questions seeking recommendations for products and services. We encourage our community members to answer questions whenever you can make a useful recommendation towards any request.
When pointing to specific products, please link to specific product pages on Amazon.com or Walmart.com (Ambassadors: You earn increased rewards when doing this)
You should include screenshots of the products you recommend (Ambassadors: you earn increased rewards when doing this)
Try to recommend products that you've had personal experience with. If not, it is acceptable to recommend products or options based on thorough research you do online.
Asking questions
On Knoji, you can ask any question about any consumer or shopping-related topic. Many questions involve requests for recommendations for any type of product or service, examples:
x
To qualify as a working coupon, the link or code must provide a discount above and beyond what's freely available by default on the vendor's site.
To check this, first click the link and check that the coupon can be applied and does provide the discount described. Then, in a different browser, open the vendor's site (without using the Knoji link) and check whether that same discount is available to any user by default. If it's not, and the coupon works, then you've found a qualified coupon and can verify it and get your earnings. If not, you can verify that it does not work (explain why this is) and you'll earn a smaller credit.
Don't waste your time verifying invalid coupons! Before you receive payment, all your verifications will be reviewed, and if they are invalid, you earnings will be deleted. Verify only valid coupons in order to receive payment for this project.
Good article......tweeted!