Science research

As I have grown older, I have come to appreciate science in ways I never could before. In high school, I couldn’t understand why Dr. Lay, my 12th grade Physics teacher, would be so excited by new scientific discovers. One time, he nearly passed out from excitement, while explaining to us the significance of some old, old lady’s remains. They were calling her “Lucy”. Later, I would come to realize how significant this archaeological discovery would be to the explanation of the evolution of mankind.

Recently, I have found myself as excited as Dr. Lay in a new scientific discovery. The discovery of Dark Energy has brought me in line with Dr. Lay’s passion for new discoveries. Science has unveiled a new form of energy. The Hubble Telescope observed this energy for the first time in 2003. As the telescope has traveled deeper into the galaxy, it has revealed this massive energy source. It has been identified as the dominate energy form in the universe. This energy is being referred to as Dark energy because of its absence of form. It is virtually undetectable.

The discovery of this energy has conflicted previous understanding of the universe. Previously, we believed that the Milky Way Galaxy and its planets were expanding further apart. In addition, the rate by which it was expanding was slowing down to a stop. It was formerly believed that the galaxy would eventually stop expanding and began to retract back towards the Sun. It was believed that the Sun’s gravitational pull would draw all the planets into its center.

These recent discoveries contradict this former belief. The universe is actually being impacted by this invisible force, being called Dark Energy. This force is actually pulling the galaxy further into the universe. It is overpowering the Sun’s gravitational pull and causing the planets to rocket faster to the furthest reaches of the universe.

To simplify this new theory, imagine holding a ball in your hand. Then you decide to use your body’s energy throw that ball into the air. You toss that ball with all your force up in the air. The ball speeds towards the sky. Eventually the ball slows down and begins to stop moving. The force of gravity works against the energy you invested in the ball. The expected result is the ball would fall back to the ground.

But imagine, tossing that ball up in the air. You wait for that ball to come back to you, but it doesn’t. It continues to move upward. It actually speeds up. Imagine that ball speeding at greater speeds up and out of sight into the most high of places of the atmosphere. This is how Dark Energy is affecting the planets in our galaxy.

Consider this concept for your own life. As families, we invest the balance of our energy in our children. We invest our money, time and values in these little balls of potential. As they reach the proper age, we propel them out into the world. They burst from our front doors into far away places; new cities and far away colleges. They land into their own families, into jobs and careers. As they enter into this world, they encounter gravitational like forces working against them. Forces like temptation, lust and laziness sometimes work to keep them grounded. In many cases, our children fall short of our expectations. In some cases these children return back home. Lord help us.

As parents, our resources are limited. We can only buy, teach, or tell our children so much. We have to give them something more powerful than the world’s forces to propel them to the higher heights we envision for them. Like the Dark Energy of the universe, we have to teach our children to submit to a greater power in and around us. There is an unseen force within all of us propelling us to the far reaches of our potential. As humans, we are stretching further out to unknown places and discovering new ideas, new possibilities, new forms of human energy and potential.

It is inevitable that we will, as mankind, continue to move towards our destiny. Much like the planets traveling their course into the far reaches of the universe, mankind is approaching an unknown destiny. In our travels, we are moving at greater speeds towards unseen wonders.

Now, I understand what Dr. Lay was trying to teach us. While we travel through this life, filled with questions and dilemmas, we have a way of understanding the challenges we face. Science helps us uncover the mysterious of the universe and our lives. Thanks Dr. Lay. I get it now.

By: Harlan Hodge

Tags: All The Planets, Archaeological Discovery, Belief, Dark Energy, Energy Source, Evolution Of Mankind, Excitement, Grade Physics, Gravitational Pull, Hubble Telescope, Invisible Force, Lucy, Massive Energy, Milky Way Galaxy, New Discoveries Science, Old Lady, Passion, Physics Teacher, Recent Discoveries, Scientific Discovery