News and Views on The Electric Universe
Thunderblog brings you a wide variety of articles from both professionals
and laypersons alike. We have assembled a large team of contributors to
broaden the outlook of Thunderbolts and to help our general readership to
understand some of the day to day issues as Electric Universe seeks its
place within the broader context of modern science.
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Recent articles
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It seems the toughest thing for scientists to grasp - that
a cherished paradigm like the big bang can be wrong. The
latest crisis was reported in Physorg.com on May 5th:
"Study
plunges standard Theory of Cosmology into Crisis."
The study of dwarf companion galaxies of the Milky Way support
the view that a "modified Newton dynamic" [MOND] must
be adopted. “This conclusion
has far-reaching consequences for fundamental physics in general,
and also for cosmological theories.” One of the
researchers involved said, “it
is conceivable that we have completely failed to comprehend the
actual physics underlying the force of gravity.”
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A number of astrophysical assumptions and deductions
have gone unchallenged for far too long. Rational, skeptical
scientists must occasionally take an introspective look at
their own discipline and excise any persistent errors. Let's
shall...
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The revelation that solar flare precursors (sigmoids) are
largely electrical in nature may yield an unexpected explanation
of a longstanding mystery at Venus. Can the electric theory derived
from the study of sigmoids also be applied to the double-eyed
vortices at Venus' poles, killing two birds with one stone?
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While many people are aware of the increasing role of
mathematical modeling in society in general, and science in
particular, very few have dared to question this situation.
The idea that mathematical models somehow reveal universal
truths, in both business and science, has been successfully
promoted, despite strong historical evidence to the contrary.
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We are told that gravity rules the cosmos. The story
of the big bang, the origin of galaxies and stars, and our
ultimate fate are founded on this belief. But the March 2009
Astronomy magazine carries the surprising headline, “Is
there something we don't know about gravity?” The
question should be, “why do we think that physicists know
anything about gravity beyond mathematical descriptions
of its observed effects?”
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The so-called "queen" of the sciences, cosmology, is founded
upon the myth that the weakest force in the universe - gravity - is
responsible for forming and shaping galaxies, stars and planets. But
even if this were true, gravity remains unexplained. How it works is
a mystery.
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“Will Mr. Isaac Newton Please Yield the Floor to Mr.
Isaac Asimov?” Sometimes art imitates life. Sometimes life
imitates art. In this case, a little science fiction is
written as though it is a lot of science fact. But will
discerning scientists stand for it?
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On March 16 Dr. Donald E. Scott gave a
presentation of electric universe concepts to a gathering at NASA's
Goddard Space Flight Center, which appeared to be well-received by
many of the attendees.
However there he met with pseudo-skeptic Dr. Tom Bridgman who had
offered a "critique" of Scott's book The Electric
Sky last year, and who, whilst 'personable' to Scott's face,
has since written further pseudo-criticism of Scott's presentation.
The following are a few excerpts from Scott's
rebuttal of Bridgman's original "critique".
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We recently received the outstanding news that Electric Universe theory
is to receive some acknowledgement from the International Year of Astronomy
2009 (IYA2009). In the UK on April 1, contemporary artist Paul Malone
is to give an hour-long powerpoint presentation titled "The Role of
Electricity in the Morphology of the Universe".
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As more and more money is being requested for scientific
experiments which are becoming more and more elaborate, it becomes
increasingly important to attempt to explain the basic theory behind
the work involved to those who, in the end, pay the bill - YOU -
the members of the general public.
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Tumultuous times like these encourage questioning of long-held
convictions. Our predicament seems the result of complacent reliance
on consensus and a failure of commonsense. But for adventurous, practical
souls it is a time of opportunity - a time ripe for change.
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Editor's note: I am delighted to take this opportunity to welcome
The Soupdragon to our regular editorial team.
Some people succeed in giving-up smoking in January,
but many quickly gravitate back to the habit after only days
or weeks. Sometimes when we feel stressed or uncertain it is
too easy to revert to old habits, in spite of the growing
evidence against what once went unquestioned by the majority.
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For those who haven't noticed, this year is "The
International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009)." The International
Year of Astronomy will involve 135 nations and thousands of events
around the world. It marks the celebration of the 400th anniversary
of the first use of an astronomical telescope by Galileo Galilei.
... However, astronomers have little to celebrate in 2009. They
have usurped the role of the church and cast out a modern-day Galileo!
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In the history of scientific discovery nothing has been more central to progress than the
value of successful predictions. Predictive success in the sciences does not just mean
the ability to anticipate a future discovery. It really signifies the degree to which all
relevant observations and quantified behavior become predictable when viewed in the
light of a defined theory.
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If there's something wrong with my car, I take it to a
mechanic. BUT if the problem looks to be electrical, he or she
will likely refer me straight to the nearest auto-electrician -
it's not rocket science, it simply makes sense to go to those
who have the right knowledge when looking for helpful answers -
and it's high time cosmologists looked to plasma physicists for
some of their answers, as the cosmologists seem to have things oh, so wrong...
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The cone nebula shows a star at the top of a conical-shaped dusty
plasma, festooned with lights. The image strikes an instinctive
chord—the mythical celestial world mountain around which the stars
revolve; the cosmic (Christmas) tree with lights; fireworks displays
against a night sky. Why? Because it reflects back to us our own
prehistory when a strange drama was taking place in the sky. The
Earth was enveloped in a towering polar auroral plasma, flashing
with light and with bright celestial bodies at its distant focus.
How do we know? Prehistoric mankind around the globe chiselled
representations of what they saw into solid rock. The effort
required was prodigious, the motivation extraordinary. Modern
astronomy seems unable to address the issue, offering instead a
comfortable myth of cosmic stability.
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Recently, we’ve seen yet another claim for the discovery
of a black hole and this one, like some of the earlier ones, refers
to the existence of such an object at the centre of our own galaxy.
The publication of these claims proceeds unhindered by so-called
scientific referees. Apart from appearing in the official scientific
literature, they are afforded enormous exposure in all areas of the
public media.
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Researchers exploring "the electric universe" say that
a comet with its sharply sculpted
surface may have much to tell us about the history of our solar system. Are comet
displays due to electrical discharge as they move through the electric field of the Sun? If
so, they may provide the best example of what happened to planets in the past.
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It is surprising how few people have heard of Nikola Tesla
considering his many fundamental achievements. He was an
inventor, physicist, and electrical engineer of unusual
intellectual brilliance. Of Serb descent, he worked mostly
in the US but, all too often, others have taken the credit
for this work.
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Given the vast, empty distances between
stars, it seems sensible to assume that the Sun and its family of
planets were born together. Scientists take for granted that gravity
is the only force operating in the universe to cause matter to coalesce
to form stars and planets. Astronomers observe dusty disks around some
nearby stars and assume that those disks are the ‘leftovers’ of matter
that formed the star. The observations appear to confirm the accepted
story of the planets forming from collisions and accretion of matter
in the proto-solar disk.
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To some, the title above might sound like
science fiction. But evidence has been accumulating
that tornadoes might easily be described as plasma
streams. What's more, tornadoes might be
preventable.
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Most people who take an interest in alternative scientific issues have heard
of the publication the Skeptical Inquirer (SI). Founded in the mid
1970's by Marcello Truzzi (also the co-founder of CSICOP), SI's purpose is to
attempt to debunk non-mainstream views of nature and science. Interestingly,
it was Truzzi who wanted to allow proponents of "paranormal" ideas
to occasionally contribute material to SI -- an opinion that resulted in a
no-confidence vote against Truzzi, and his subsequent resignation. Perhaps
this fiasco helped shape Truzzi's view of "pseudoskeptics" -- individuals
who, in Truzzi's words, “shout their objections
but don't take proper note of what is going on.”
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As anyone who has read my essays is probably aware, I am not the world's
greatest fan of institutionalized religion. Nevertheless, I was not overly
thrilled when I heard of Bill Maher's new movie "Religulous," an
acerbic, deliberately "offensive" documentary/exposé on the
world's religious institutions, and their billions of devotees. I have not
seen the movie, so I can't condemn it a priori (and this essay is not intended
as a critique of the film). But based on Maher's own comments throughout his
comedic career, I can't imagine that "Religulous" will do much good.
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