And, if this weren't bad enough, they're constantly discovering things that push the borders of what even "they" consider to be big. Don't get me started on dark matter.
But really, what's bigger than stellar objects and the galaxies they float in? The universe itself is an estimated 93 billion light years across, which comes out to 8.798 X 10^26 meters. That's 879,800,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, which is still a piddling number compared with stuff like the number of atoms in the observable universe, which comes out to 10^80.
If your brain hasn't melted yet, perhaps these two headlines will finish the job:
Scientists baffled by gangantuan black hole
A black hole in the middle of galaxy NGC 1277 with a mass equal to seventeen billion suns.
Quasar sends energy blast 2 trillion times more powerful than sun
Pretty self explanatory.
Sizzle pop much?
In a world self-absorbed with tiny dreams, we should be doing more to grasp the enormity of the universe we live in. People are currently vying for a shot at the Powerball jackpot, at $5.5 X 10^8 dollars (:psh:), and--if this absolute quantity weren't small enough--their dreams are smaller still...
- Start an internet cafe.
- Buy a car.
- Pay for their children's education.
It makes me sad to live in a world where most people have ambitions in the 10^6 range. Even if they caught that 10^8 monster by the tail, they wouldn't know what to do with it. I shudder to think what would happen if a 10^26 goliath or a 10^80 colossus fell into their lap.
Honestly, at that scale, thinking in multiples doesn't do much good. One-hundred Lamborghini's isn't going to make in dent in numbers like that, even supposing you could drive them all at the same time.
And--speaking of big numbers--perhaps I should mention that the odds of winning that jackpot are one in 1.75 X 10^8. But then--most people actually putting money into this aren't going to comprehend the ramifications of those odds. That's sad.
Until next time,
- Daniel
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