Inquiring Minds


Questions About Physics


Physics of the universe
From the big bang to black holes, extra dimensions, space and time

  1. Centrifugal Force
    From smaller than atoms to larger than galaxies structures spin and in doing so the centrifugal force throws things outward. Might not the Universe as a whole be spinning on an axis and what we currently ascribe to a mysterious repulsive force be a centrifugal force throwing things outward? Thrown out rather than pushed or drawn?

  2. Motion in the Universe
    I have been attempting to calculate the speed at which an individual is traveling through the universe when standing 'still'. i.e., the rotation speed of the earth, the speed of the orbit of the earth around the sun, the solar system withing our galaxy, the galaxy...etc. Is there such a measurement or 'thing' as absolute STILL?

  3. Contemporary Big Bang Theories
    Some contemporary big bang theories begin with the entire universe packed into a very small, atom sized volume. Are the theories of the big bang and black holes at odds?

  4. Properties of Time
    Are scientists trying to distinguish time as a discrete quantity? I would like to know more about the properties of time.

  5. Black holes
    "If accelerators are capable of forming mini-black holes, are there potential dangers?"

  6. Cosmic rays
    "What are cosmic rays made of? If it is not known, what do the early reports say on the compostition of cosmic rays? Will this add/ refine/ or refute the Standard Model?"

  7. Expanding Universe
    "Is the distance between planets in our solar system increasing? Is the distance between galaxies increasing?"

  8. Empty Universe
    "Is it true that a completely empty universe, without any object, without any particle, a mere void, would be twodimensional?"

  9. Gravitons leaving black holes
    "Nothing is able to come out of a black hole, even light. It is believed that the gravitational force is transmitted by gravitrons. How do they come out of the black hole to attract objects outside?"

  10. Singularity at the center of black hole
    "I think I have an idea how to deal with the singularity of a black hole that contains the mass of an entire star (or other large-mass object)."

  11. Stretched by a Black Hole
    "What is the relation between the acceleration of a person's feet and the relation of its head while approaching a black hole? Would it explain why the person gets stretched?"

  12. Duplicating the Big Bang?
    "Are scientists trying to duplicate the big bang in upstate New York?"

  13. Connection of gravity and Higgs particles
    "The mass of particles is related to the Higgs boson. Yet mass is the origin of the gravitational force. Does this mean that there is a deeper connection between the Higgs particle and gravity?"

  14. Negative pressure in the universe
    "I recently read the article in FermiNews entitled "Depatment of (Missing) Energy" (FermiNews98-05-15). In the article a property called "negative presure" was discussed. Is this negative pressure the result of a particle that would be the opposite of a graviton?"

  15. Constraints on Big Bang theories from particle physics
    "Do the results of high energy particle physics experiments constrain theories about the Big Bang?"

  16. Rotation of Black Holes
    "Is the rotation of a black hole the only reason that things being pulled in form a disk instead of falling in from all directions?"

  17. Universe Density
    "It is known that if the universe's average density is less than a critical value, it will expand forever. If the density is higher than it, the expansion will stop at sometime and the universe will start to recollapse. Have any conclusion of this been made?"

  18. Red-shifted photons
    "Where does the energy of a red-shifted photon go?"

  19. Early Universe Question
    "Before the big bang, there was just random energy fluctuations in an empty void. Is it possible that there could have been just one dimension that, through the big bang, turned into the four distinct dimensions we now live in?"


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last modified 12/16/2003   physicsquestions@fnal.gov

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