Space, Time and Black holes!

I am sure that anyone and everyone who is a science freak would have at sometime of one's life fantasized about these three aforementioned,very elusive quantities . And I am more than doubly sure that a greater science freak would have read 'A Brief History of Time'-By Stephen Hawkins . Though it is really out of bounds ( w.r.t understanding)for the laity, it definitely gives a profound insight into Black Holes and the intimate relation it shares with both time and space.

For the sake of the uninitiated , and for later benifit( ie where i shall discuss my own opinions),let me first outline the basics required of this dicussion. (For those who already know this, please bear with me). The universe, as we all know, has around about 10 to the power 11 galaxies, and it is stipulated that each of these galaxies consists of around about the same number of stars. Now these stars can be classified into 7 groups in accordance to their size ( i dont exactly remember the classification but it goes like G,K,L...). Our Sun comes in the medium size range. Now as the size differs, so does the way of 'dying' of these stars. Stars die due to the converstion of hydrogen atoms into heavier elements through fusion. Black holes are formed when particularly large stars 'die' ( which occurs by way of enlargement and culminating in a supernova explosion).These black holes then become the centre of an extraordinarily strong gravitation force.So strong that even light cannot escape. Often such points in space are also called ' Singularity'. Secondly Surrounding each black hole is a region called ' event horizon'( which can simply be explained as the point of no return for light!)As has been explained by various scientists : To get a fair idea about a black hole, consider a perfectly elastic rubber sheet. Now if a ball is placed at the centre of this sheet, it keeps on sinking( for want of a more suitable word) in the sheet, theoretically, if it is perfectly elastic, the ball should sink till infinity.

Now comes the interesting part. Einstien praposed time to be the fourth dimension. As in, the motion of an object can be perfectly described by its position at a particular instant and the time it takes to reach there . Now if we had marked the rubber sheet with a grid ( one axis as position and another axis as time) we would find that at the point where the ball was kept, the grid converges to one point. To better understand the point, i can rephrase it as ,all position points meet at the same time and all time becomes one!! And with this remarkable observation, you will find a number of open avenues viz: time travel, worm tunnels, and the existance of multiverse and its origin.

From here on i leave behind what are the facts, to what i believe ( ie my thoughts and opinions related to the topic). There is an ongoing discussion between the members of the scientific community about the nature of universe and the origin. Some believe that universe started with a big bang( out of seemingly ... nothing), others believe in an expanding and contracting universe. I , find myself more inclined to the later theory... however there still exists a basic question, where did all this matter come from??

Well here it goes...after reading i've come to the conclusion that probably the universe doesnt exist as a singular quantity . What if say the universe ( which is of course by name singular) is not actually singular, but a multiverse( let us take a dual universe system for sake of simplicity). Confused? Ok lets take two balloons , and connect them at their spouts! now suppose one of them is full of air and the other is empty. If we consider the reaction force of air as negligible, in the presence of an initial driving force, the balloons will expand and contract alternatively( with some time period of oscillation). While one expands, the other contracts! Now suppose these two balloons were two different universii. The situation becomes interesting doesnt it? Two universii co- existing in a symbiotic expand-contract relationship.However this does not explain how the mass initially got there.

To make it more interesting... what if the two balloons were the same universe but in completely different times? like for example:I am somehow sharing information with my future self/ past self!! To be more elucidatory, what if right now our universe is getting mass from itself in another time? and thus expanding, while its other self is contracting! There can be many such selves in various times, expanding or contracting.Since universe is contracting and expanding, there will be a time when the mass is zero( after end of contraction) but it is still connected to its other self, which at this instant will start pouring into the empty verse!! ( Big bang!!)

Expanding this line of thought, with time as a running parameter between all these universii( i call them universii as they are still singular in thier repective time frames), there can be infinite number of universii, each separated from the other by time instants( very small fraction of seconds) just like there can be infinite points on a circle. I compare them with a circle as this activity of the universii has to be cyclic, with the lowest point as big bang, and the highest point as the direct opp. of big bang!

Now you may ask how these universii are connected. Through black holes and worm tunnels of course! It is postulated that once something enters event horizon, the mass is destroyed and it becomes pure energy spiralling around the black holes( like in a whirlpool). However what happens if some of the energy falls into the singularity itself? How can we lose information? something has to be conserved! Now using my line of thought, what if say black holes form ends of worm tunnels? like ends of a pipe. Something entering from one end has to exit from the other end. Now if these two ends can be assumed to be in different times..... I suppose u can draw out where im leading to. We hit upon the medium of transfer between two universe. Something is amiss isnt it? How can the black hole emit energy/mass? well every black hole also has a life cycle( as has already been proved by scientists). One half ,it absorbs and the other half it emits.Also there are white holes which are exact opposites of black holes and pulsars and quasars.or it could just difuse out at the other end forming a cosmic cloud. When this cloud becomes massive enough it is turned into a star!!! And since all time becomes one ( as i have already explained how) at black hole, the mass entering at this instant could reappear instantaneously at the other side at a completely different time!!! Hence one more fascinating prospect.... Time travel!!

Whew... i Dont know how many got through what ive said. However, all this may sophomoric and can even be totally wrong . What matters is this is what i thought could be possible and here ive shared it with you.

Haircut?

Is it already time for another haircut? I find myself musing while indulging in a long overdue shave! Hmm... yes the locks really have grown out of the acceptable praportions behind my ears and on the back of my head. Well i think this calls for expenditure of another precious Rs 25( an expenditure I can definitely do without in times when the only things that come out of my pockets are buterflies) I can think of an infinite number of avenues that I'd rather spend this 25 bucks on. But haircut it will have to be, or risk looking like one particular friend of mine( who makes no secret of the fact that he might be related to some sub species of grizzly bear).You get the gist of it I suppose.

So an hour later i find myself ( a knack i am getting an expert at) trudging along this newly laid road, full of potholes, towards Sunshine Parlour ( my usual haircut salon). In India the roads are never new unless there are a few potholes. Pothole less roads are just not the in- thing!! OK Why did I chose sunshine one might ask. Its probably because it charges the least of all the salons in the area, or probably because it is the least congested whenever I go.Anyways where was I? ah.. yes i was trudging towards SP. I entered and the chap promptly made me sit on the nearest chair. I must say these chairs are really comfortable things. Coupled with the monotonous click- clicking and slice- slicing of the scissors it REALLY puts you in some sort of a reverie. Its nothing but you and your thoughts in utter solitude for 15 whole minutes. So I was really getting comfy, when this not-so-comfy thought struck... why am I getting this haircut done? why cant I let it grow? Didnt I so diligently take care of it for the past three weeks? Oiling it, shampooing and grooming it so it is lusturous? why let it all go waste suddenly now? I remember only two days ago I was in this supermart trying to choose the best brand of shampoo for my hair. I swear it is a mind boggling business. 6 different brands of shampoo, with 10 different compositions, in 3 different sizes for 7 different hair textures!! i might as well spend the rest of my life trying each one and publish which suits my hair best. Add to it conditioners and oil!! its a difficult job you know. And here I was ... getting a hair cut.

I wonder what is of more pith and moment? The length of the hair or the style? I asked this to the chap who was click -clicking behind me ,and his " jo bhi aap bolo saab! " did not seem to be the real answer to my query. Hence i continued in my rusings. Think of it... it seems sine qua non for rock stars to have long hair, soldiers invariably have v. short hair, punks get spikes done or some other-worldly hair do, and hippies?? well forget about them...You'll know one when you see one. We live in an a society where each and every individual is distinctly divided into a family name( surname), a middle name and a first name! Tell me, is it essential to know all this or for that matter, his religion and caste to judge the character of the person, where a simple glance at his hair style would suffice?

It his amazing how mundane things in life become so complicated when you really look into it. For me ( and I suppose for most of man- kind, which is different from woman -kind) a hair cut is generally taken for granted.

However it is jarring to note the difference of perspectives of the two sexes ,over an issue as commonplace as a haircut. As the chap siezes to 'click-clicking' and switces to shaving with his razor, I am reminded of this conversation.

*Woman1: Oh! You got a haircut! That's so cute!
Woman2: Do you think so? I wasn't sure when she gave me the mirror. I mean, you don't think it's too fluffy looking?
Woman1: Oh God, no! No, it's perfect. I'd love to get my hair cut like that, but I think my face is too wide. I'm pretty much stuck with this stuff I think.
Woman2: Are you serious? I think your face is adorable. And you could easily get one of those layer cuts -- I think that would look so cute. I was actually going to do that except that I was afraid it would accent my long neck.
Woman1: Oh, that's funny! I would love to have your neck! Anything to take attention away from this two-by-four I have for a shoulder line.
Woman2: Are you kidding? I know girls that would love to have your shoulders. Everything drapes so well on you. I mean, look at my arms -- see how short they are? If I had your shoulders I could get clothes to fit me so much easier . . .

Man1: Haircut?
Man2: Yup ***

I am jolted out of this reverie by a raspy voice: " saab ho gaya! Pacchees rupaya hua saab!" and as i complete the payment I cant stop thinking that this was 15 minutes well spent!

The Gravity of the Situation!!

Ahh.. here goes! I wonder when my fascination with space and with galactic entities found its roots. It must have been the day my friend- Ajit and I took a peek into his big book and saw the Earth for the first time, that beautiful blue-green ball embraced in a sea of stars and a big fiery ball to its left..( I was too young that time to identify it as earth… I probably thought it to be the most wonderful football beside someone’s fireplace) It was only after later ruminations that I realized it as the ground we live on. During those days of most ignorant bliss, I actually thought the ground was flat. And every jaunt to the sea side made me wonder how the water keeps replenishing itself when it should theoretically fall of the earth's edges( rain was definitely a probable solution… but all the more unsatisfactory).
Slowly as this imperceptible quantity called time passed by, through my schooling years, I came across this bloke called Newton. (which was probably in sixth grade) It seems that he was sleeping under an apple tree one day when this ripe red forbidden fruit falls on his head.. BONK !!( I say that was one source of fitful laughter. Imagine a white haired man, in tights , being hit on the head by a tree he was sleeping under) and voi-la the next moment he solves this great mystery .It seems that all along the earth was round and everything was pulled towards its main big mass because of some force called gravity . That’s why apples fell on heads! Hmmm… why apples though? Why not oranges? or coconuts? I am sure, even in those times everything fell. You see something falling everyday. Rocks, rain, Columbia …..everything! I suppose it was the impact. It must have addled his brains. Tell me which sane person would come up with such an obscure explanation? Personally I stuck to my theory:-Firstly it all depends on the big-ness of the person, the bigger the person is, the harder it is to jump. Which explains why the chap next door cant jump. Short and simple! Secondly, if you are strong and jump hard enough , you can always reach the stars, I mean look at hanuman! he did it right?
Anyways as I told u , I was ignorant. Again this imperceptible quantity called time passed by. I was 12th grade now. By this time I had read all about the force field surrounding every mass. An attractive power that draws u to itself! (beautiful people must have a stock full of gravity field). Why God Why?? Why did thou not bless me with copious gravity?? OK after a fair bit of profanities I move on. Suddenly this one fine morning, I find myself cuddled up with this big red book( my life is full of big books!I think it is their greater share of gravity that attracts me to them) called Elements of Physics by Halliday- Resnick, when I come across a term - Gravitons!! Hmm that struck a chord somewhere!! I know electrons, protons etc. They are responsible for electric fields aren't they? What the heck were gravitons? So I indulged further in the reading of the big red B! And this indulging business confirmed my worst fears. Here I was feeling really contended and warmed up with the force theory of gravity, postulated by a few greats( principal--ly that white haired bloke with addled brains), and these new sctientists ( physicists they call themselves) come up with a grossly new theory; of gravity made of gravitons! Akin to electricity made of electrons! Imagine being pulled by miniscule particles along a path with invisible spindles towards some unknown quantity. Calculate the possibilities. Do you realise how many gravitons might be pulling you at this very moment in a gamut of directions bordering upon infinity? I feel stretched already!
Damn it I say! Why cant we just leave things be? Why should everything be studied so extensively as to destroy the very divinity of these phenomena. Why cant we not live in a world where red is red, and big books are big books instead of a particularly well arranged structure of organic molecules? I wonder where this will lead us to next. 10 years down the lane I might find my 5 year old son grappling with terms and phenomena that he cannot fathom. Do you realise the Gravity of the situation? Or should i say the Gravitons of the situation!