Diary (May 4, 2020)

Online diary of Karl Jones for Monday May 4, 2020.

Diary

Cosmic Uncertainty

"We found a hint that that number of the fine structure constant was different in certain regions of the universe. Not just as a function of time, but actually also in direction in the universe, which is really quite odd if it's correct ... but that's what we found."

- John Webb, University New South Wales

Makes me think about Uncertainty ... first the uncertainty that drives scientists to experiment ... then, eventually, the Uncertainty of the limits of our perception, scaled to extremes in space and time ... touch the nuclei of atoms, receive starlight from the Big Bang ... does the Uncertainty come from us mortal fleshy things, or does Uncertainty inhere in Creation?

• Comment @ Facebook
• New findings suggest laws of nature 'downright weird,' not as constant as previously thought - Lachlan Gilbert, University of New South (April 27, 2020)Wales
• Fine-structure constant (nonfiction)

To be a primate is to be highly uncertain, that's for sure

To be a primate is to be highly uncertain, that's for sure.

Fiction cross-reference

• Gnomon algorithm
• Gnomon Chronicles

Nonfiction cross-reference

• Karl Jones (nonfiction)