There's no point talking about how many gnomes are impeded in the above.How did the Milky Way form?
… snip …
The Milky Way probably started life like any other galaxy — as a tiny clump of matter that had slightly greater density than the cosmic average. This clump was made almost entirely of dark matter, the form of matter that does not interact with light. Because that tiny clump had a little more density than average, it had a slightly stronger gravitational pull compared with its surroundings. That greater pull enabled it to attract more dark matter into the clump, which gave it even more gravity, which attracted even more dark matter, and so on, according to "The Milky Way: An Autobiography of Our Galaxy" (Grand Central, 2022) by astrophysicist Moiya McTier.
But the infant Milky Way was not alone. It was surrounded by several neighboring clumps of dark matter. Eventually those first dark matter clumps grew large enough to pull in normal matter, which collected into dense pockets and formed the first stars. Those clumps remain today within and around the Milky Way and are known as globular clusters. They contain the oldest stars in the galaxy, with some that are almost 13 billion years old, according to the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
Hardly anyone seems to care.
All that matters is how beautifully the gnomes are presented.
And the journey to believing in them.
People want to be entertained … to be distracted from reality.
Like this:
https://adventuresbythebook.com/event/m ... r-8-18-22/
Curious about the history and evolution of our universe, as well as humanity’s understanding of it? It all began some thirteen billion years ago, when clouds of gas scattered through the universe’s primordial plasma could not keep their metaphorical hands off of each other.
Now, after all this time, the fascinating autobiography of our galaxy is ready to reveal itself, with a little help from astrophysicist and folklorist Dr. Moiya McTier, who presents a summary of human astronomical knowledge thus far that is unquestionably out of this world in her new book, The Milky Way: an Autobiography of Our Galaxy.
So grab a glass of out-of-this-world wine (courtesy of the folks at Melier) to pair with a bit of irreverent sass, aloof wisdom, and surprising vulnerability, to enjoy while you chat live with Dr. Moiya McTier, “folklorist to the stars, astrophysicist to the folks,” in conversation with Melier Co-Founder and CEO Greg McBeth, to discuss Dr. McTier’s new book.
Like this …
https://www.bookbrowse.com/reviews/inde ... -milky-way
Book Summary
Astrophysicist and folklorist Dr. Moiya McTier channels the Milky Way in this approachable and utterly fascinating autobiography of the titular galaxy, detailing what humans have discovered about everything from its formation to its eventual death, and what more there is to learn about this galaxy we call home.
After a few billion years of bearing witness to life on Earth, of watching one hundred billion humans go about their day-to-day lives, of feeling unbelievably lonely, and of hearing its own story told by others, the Milky Way would like a chance to speak for itself. All one hundred billion stars and fifty undecillion tons of gas of it. It all began some thirteen billion years ago, when clouds of gas scattered through the universe's primordial plasma just could not keep their metaphorical hands off each other. They succumbed to their gravitational attraction, and the galaxy we know as the Milky Way was born. Since then, the galaxy has watched as dark energy pushed away its first friends, as humans mythologized its name and purpose, and as galactic archaeologists have worked to determine its true age (rude). The Milky Way has absorbed supermassive (an actual technical term) black holes, made enemies of a few galactic neighbors, and mourned the deaths of countless stars. Our home galaxy has even fallen in love. After all this time, the Milky Way finally feels that it's amassed enough experience for the juicy tell-all we've all been waiting for. Its fascinating autobiography recounts the history and future of the universe in accessible but scientific detail, presenting a summary of human astronomical knowledge thus far that is unquestionably out of this world.
What matters is *science communicator* Moiya McTier who is art of the astrophysics cottage industry around the gnomes.
She really wants you to talk about HER.
Just take a look at her website …
https://www.moiyamctier.com/about
She’s the modern astrophysicist. Promoting herself every way possible.I grew up in a log cabin in the middle of the woods in rural Pennsylvania. I didn't have TV, a heating system, or running water. My chores included carrying buckets of water from our outdoor pump and chopping firewood to fuel our wood-burning stove. The nearest confederate flag was flying much closer than the nearest Black person. It was an interesting place and way to grow up.
Now I have 4 Ivy League degrees and work my dream job as a full-time science communicator in New York City.
And don’t forget she's black, a girl and queer.
(That's not me saying pointing that out, by the way, but her … https://www.moiyamctier.com .)
I do like this honest statement on her website, though … “I see mythology and astronomy as two sides of the same coin.”
SO DO I. Just for different reasons.
If only she was on our side. She's a master of propaganda. The best propaganda always comes from true believers.
That's the purpose of astrophysics educations these days at Ivy League schools ... to pump out true believers.
Just like they do in so many other scientific areas with agendas.