With the cosmos being so huge, we actually don't know the full range of what is in deep space, it goes without saying that the study of cosmology is extremely bewildering in the field of science. Everyone seems to have a theory about why the universe is the way it is, from scientists to physicists to your average space nerd.
Super fluid space time simulation theory and the big splat are just a few of the theories that have emerged, and these theories are not only crazy but literally out of this world. We'll look at some of the most outlandishly weird beliefs about the universe in today's article.
Planets Gone Wild
Charles Fourier was not just a well-known left-wing political theorist, but he was also a strange cosmological theorizer. He had an interesting theory on why the planets remain round the sun, and spoiler alert: it has nothing to do with gravity.
He honestly believed that it was love and passion that kept these planets so close together. Charles suggested that the planets, moons, and stars be thought of as living animals with senses similar to our own: sight, touch, and taste.
They all appear to be highly passionate and in love with one other, and he even claimed that the eclipses were caused by the sun and the moon sharing a conjugal embrace.
He went on to say that they even reproduce in the same way as mammals do. The planets' piles are in fact their genitals. The planet's male genitals were in the north, and the planet's female genitals were in the south.
Each planet emits an odour in order to attract the attention of other planets and stars. This odour, he claims, is what causes the planet to revolve the sun and the satellites to orbit their home planet like lovesick puppies.
Of course, the hypothesis is not widely accepted in the field of cosmology because it is just too strange even for space. However, it's a fascinating take on trying to comprehend the solar system.
Life in a simulation
The vast majority of hypotheses about the cosmos and space come from renowned physicists, scientists, and even astronomers, but here's one from a philosopher. Who says philosophers can't be correct in their own theories?
There is a theory that our entire universe may not be what it appears to be. The idea of simulation theory is credited to oxford university philosopher nick bostrom.
In his paper, aptly titled Are you Living in a Computer Simulation, Bostrom proposed that we might be virtual beings living in a computer simulation, and that if that is the case, the simulation would most likely create perceptions of reality on demand rather than simulate all of reality all of the time.
It is similar to a video game that only renders the elements of a scene that the player can see. Hollywood has jumped on this concept and expanded on it with films such as The Matrix.
The most enduring aspect of the Matrix series is the provocative question it poses regarding the true nature of reality: what if everything we see and feel in life is only a simulation?
Though the theory may appear to be a little far-fetched, it is actually fairly popular, and many philosophers take it seriously. On the other hand, the scientific community does not accept this explanation, and until a true test of scientific theory can be conducted, it will remain in the realm of science fiction.
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World Ice Theory
In 1913 Hanzorbiger, a renegade Austrian astronomer, presented the intriguing claim that the Milky Way is totally formed of ice . He didn't believe in stars, and he said that there are a series of gigantic planet-sized ice chunks drifting through space, encircling our solar system in an unbreakable white ring.
The few real suns that exist beyond this white ring shine through this frozen barrier, causing light to reflect off the huge ice crystals.
This is what he claimed gave us the illusion of bright stars in the sky. He was enthusiastic about his hypothesis, even after being shown photos of the Milky Way by several scientists, but his response was simple: it was all a hoax. When mathematical problems to his idea were raised, he flatly refuted them, even claiming mathematics to be a bunch of lies.
His theory was known as the world of ice theory, according to which there was once a super sun orbited by a massive ice planet, and when the planet plummeted into the super sun, it melted and raced forth lumps of rock and fire that eventually formed into what we now know as the planets of our solar system.
Of course, there is plenty of evidence today to disprove this theory, but you'd be astonished to learn that many people accepted it at the time, including none other than Adolf Hitler.
Faces On Mars
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| pic credit: Wekipedia |
You may have seen the strange image of a group of human-like faces taken from the surface of Mars. The original photograph was shot in greyscale on the planet by NASA's Viking One orbiter in 1976. Of course, some people quickly assumed that there must be aliens on Mars because no one else could have left those face-like marks on the surface.
After the publishing of this photo, there was a widespread idea that aliens really exist and are continuously leaving evidence and proof of their existence, but we humans haven't been quick enough to notice.
People started calling the image the face on Mars because it looks strikingly like a face from that angle, and conspiracy theorist Richard Hoagland even went so far as to suggest it was most likely a face. The photograph of the region known as Cydonia provided the proof that everyone needed to think that there must be life on other planets.
He hypothesised that an ancient culture inhabited Mars, and that the face was simply evidence of the alien city on Cedonia. While humanity continues to search for new habitable planets beyond Earth, the greatest choice being Mars, it appears that the aliens were well ahead of us.
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| pic credit: esa.int |
Unfortunately, when NASA released coloured photographs showing the faces to be nothing more than an illusion generated by small hills, this idea was immediately refuted. However, many people, including Hoagland, still believe that NASA doctored the images and doesn't want us to know the truth.
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The Goldilocks Enigma
Remember Goldilocks from the Three Bears and how, after sampling the three bowls of porridge, she discovered the delightful bowl that was just right for her, neither too hot nor too cold? There is a theory that the universe was named after it because, like goldilocks, earth appears to be the planet that is just right for sustaining life.
Some may argue that there are other close contenders such as mars, Jupiter's moons, or even venus, but nothing compares to planet earth in terms of temperature, landscape, abundance of water, and distance from the sun.
The anthropic principle is what scientists name it, but in his book, Paul Davies calls it the goldilocks mystery, referring to the fact that all of the physical rules that govern the universe are just ideal for the development of life.
This is something that science can't seem to explain, with many people claiming that religion and god are involved. Intelligent design is another theory that claims there is a higher intellect that chose to create the universe in the way it is.
Ultimate Superfluid
According to one new idea, space-time is a super-fluid substance that flows with no friction. They claim that space-time can be regarded as a superfluid made up of fundamental objects that we have yet to uncover.
Particles would flow through space-time like waves in the water, and the rules of fluid mechanics would be in effect, since waves lose energy as they pass through a medium, which is what would happen if photons went through this super fluid space-time.
The crab nebula, a supernova remnant at a distance of 6500 light years from Earth, generates high-energy x-ray and gamma-ray light, which should have evaporated by the time it reaches our observatories due to the liquid nature of space-time, but measurements to date have found no such effect. If space-time turns out to be a liquid, it will be a very special liquid indeed.
Though the theory is implausible, if it is confirmed that space-time is a superfluid in which photons of different energies and speeds evaporate over time, it could mean that relativity does not apply in all cases, and we can only envision theoretical scientists going insane.
The space-time superfluid theory now has few adherents, although Einstein didn't have many supporters in the beginning.
Secret Planet X
According to the planet x theory, our solar system may contain a gigantic unidentified planet. Despite the fact that scientists have yet to prove the existence of the planet, some experts believe there is an elusive planet in our solar system with a massive orbit and a powerful magnetic pole that can and will effect life on Earth. Do you think it's a little suspicious? It should, after all.
Those who believe it exists refer to irregular weather patterns and seismic activity on the planet as proof. Some even suggest that the planet x effect is preparing the world for a looming pole shift, which might result in another ice age or devastating earthquakes.
Number of scholars also claim that the different government bodies that are aware of it are requiring observatories to keep a watchful eye on the planet in order to avoid panic, and that data concerning it will only be released when they deem it an inescapable threat.
Even amateur astronomers and stargazers nowadays are making some interesting discoveries with their telescopes, and there is nothing that would have kept them quiet if they spotted a gigantic anomaly such as planet x, astronomers quickly debunked this one, saying that if there really was a secret supergiant planet, there is no way that it would remain hidden.
The Death Star
Saturn is known for its numerous satellites, but one of its more well-known moons, Lapidus, is the subject of a fascinating idea. Lapidus is being compared to the infamous death star,sounds a bit like Star War. This is because it resembles the infamous death star from the franchise, complete with a massive crater that matches the fictitious weapon's super laser focus lens.
With its highly strong laser, the planet-killing machine death star can destroy entire worlds, and humans can't help but let their imaginations go wild. In fact, an article was produced saying that Lapidus is a big articulate object constructed by aliens, rather than a moon.
In the photo, obtained by NASA's Cassini spacecraft in 2004, you can discern a line across the satellite's equator that mimics the equatorial trench around the death star, which houses the mythical one's combat stations, engines, thrusters, and docking bays.
That is not the case with Saturn's moon, as the line is made up of plain old rock and ice, with little in the way of alien technology and weaponry. Cassini has done multiple moon flybys and has not been hit by any lasers, so this theory is a little far-fetched, even if it would have been a good one.
The Big Splat
One day, the entire globe will turn black and become a vast nothingness of, well, nothing. This may appear to be a sad concept at first, but in the universe, what appears to be the end is actually the beginning of a new universe.
According to one hypothesis, everything in the universe is just one enormous repeated cycle, and when the world goes dark and void, a brand new cosmos will emerge.
This hypothesis connects to the brain world theory, implying that this is what happens when one cold and empty brain collides with another, and that given enough time, it will eventually do so.
Neil Tureck and Paul Steinhardt, cosmologists, believe that such a collision would release a vast quantity of energy, enough to create a new universe. The epirotic theory, which was only recently called the big splat by physicist Michio Kaku, is what they're calling it.
There's no way of knowing if this hypothesis is correct or when it might happen, whether it's a cleverly crafted simulation or a cosmic love affair. Let's take in all of the wonders of the universe as they are, so tell us about the wackiest hypothesis you've ever heard about the universe.