Comments on: Exploring the universe from big to small: Powers of Ten

By: Large and Small | Dangerous Intersection

Large and Small | Dangerous Intersection — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 05:32:37 +0000

[...] previously posted on the magic of “Power of Ten,” a book that inspired me with images of things both very large and very small. Here’s [...]

By: grumpypilgrim

grumpypilgrim — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 23:07:11 +0000

This post reminds me of my college days as a physics major, when I made the mistake of taking astronomy and modern (20th century) physics in the same semester. In astro, I studied things that were incomprehensibly big (sizes of galaxies, masses of planets, ages of stars, etc.), then, in modern physics, I studied things that were incomprehensibly small (sizes of atoms, masses of neutrons, charges on electrons, etc.). Eventually, I stopped trying to comprehend the incomprehensible, and just tried to make sure I had the correct signs on the exponents I was using — e.g., so I didn’t accidentally use the mass of a star in an equation calling for the mass of a hydrogen atom.

By: gatomjp

gatomjp — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 20:24:33 +0000

Tired Scholar wrote:
“It was probably the single most influential work which affirmed my “belief” that there is no God. ”

Why?? Although I share your belief (which I do not put in quotation marks), why would this presentation affirm it? It certainly affirms the grandeur of the universe, but not necessarily its lack of a creator.

I continue to find your “belief” in science as self-righteous as the most closed-minded fundamentalist Christian’s unquestioning trust in the bible.

By: Dan Klarmann

Dan Klarmann — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 13:52:41 +0000

The original 1968 or the 1977 redone Charles and Ray Eames “Powers of Ten” videos are now legally available free online.
Their Official site with browseable images and lotsa back-story: http://www.powersof10.com

Simpsons Opening based on it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCfDRvDWid0

Quick Version Edited from Imax: http://youtube.com/watch?v=xmdIbp87KLg

Zoom out from Venice by 10’s, James Earl Jones, Korean subtitles: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8zrlOGKI2E

By: Tired Scholar

Tired Scholar — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 07:33:24 +0000

This sounds similar to a presentation I saw at the famous Rose planetarium in New York City. The presentation had Tom Hank’s voice as the narrator and was shown on “high definition” a new technology at the time. It was probably the single most influential work which affirmed my “belief” that there is no God. The vast size of the galaxy I had understood to some extent, but to the see our local cluster, then zoom out again to the supercluster, and then again, and thats just the “visible” Universe. Un-friggin believeable/incomprehendable bigggness, I almost wanna do a complete 360 and run back to God (mommy) now just thinking about it.