Let’s say I want to give a kid a 5-minute intro to the way matter is arranged in the known universe. Can you help me fill in the gaps in my understanding to make it a smoother progression? Not the details, just the terms.
Here’s what I know (feel free correct and/or supplement me at any time):
[ol]
[li] Strings (???)[/li][li] Elementary particles (quarks, etc.)[/li][li] Subatomic particles (electrons, etc.)[/li][li] Atoms[/li][li] Elements[/li][li] Compounds[/li][li] A variety of dust and gases[/li][li] Interstellar clouds of concentrated dust, plasma, and gas that become:[/li][list=a]
[li] Nebulae[/li][li] Stars[/li][li] Planets[/li][li] Space debris (there’s gotta be a better name for that) like asteroids, meteors, etc.[/li][/ol]
[li] Solar/star systems[/li][li] Galaxies[/li][li] Universe[/li][li] Other/parallel universes, multiverses (???)[/li][/list]
Are there any slick animations that let you “zoom out” from the micro to the macro? Is there a scientific term for this progression?
Elements shouldn’t be a step, really. Some elements are bi-molecular in their natural state, but some aren’t. I think you’re looking for the word ‘molecules’, here.
To answer my own question, there’s a 1996 video called Cosmic Voyage (or view it on Hulu) that does this same thing in a much longer, higher-def IMAX/BluRay format. It’s narrated by God Himself.
There’s an interactive website somewhere (that was posted on the Dope at one time) that is similar to the videos posted, but interactive. I’ll look for it.
I was thinking of that same website - actually, I was thinking of it over the weekend and thought about starting a thread asking if anyone remembers the link. Weird. It seems like I remember it was hosted by a camera company.
Made by Charles and Ray Eames, quite the renaissance couple. They did a lot of design work with molded wood shapes (an Eames chair can be seen in the back of the living room on Frasier), modern architecture, a presentation for an American exhibition in Moscow in the 50’s, a pavilion at the 1964 World’s Fair, and a museum exhibit on mathematics (those last two for IBM).
There are four copies of their Mathematica exhibit. The Pacific Science Center (in Seattle) had one when I was a kid, and there’s a copy at the Boston Museum of Science now, too.
Seems to me you ought to stick dark matter in there down around elementary particles or stars, and again between galaxies and Universe. 83% of the total mass of the universe deserves some small mention nowadays. It’s not uniformly distributed within galaxies, nor within clusters of galaxies.
I think 5 and 6 (elements and compounds) can be collapsed into “Molecules”
Also… while nebulae are composed of very small molecules or clumps of dust and gas, I don’t really feel like I’d put them in that order. Nebulae are larger than our solar system, often by several orders of magnitude.
Perhaps you could add a step for inter-molecular bonds and structures? That way, you can explain how compounds become cells, which in turn make something like wood and bone that seem so strong.
I’d also leave 1 and 12 off, seeing as they’re pretty speculative, but that’s just my preference.
