“Hey, Daddy, did you know that in five or six million years the Sun is going to explode.”
“It’s five or six billion years, with a ‘b.'”
“Right, in five or six billion years, the Sun’s going to explode.”
“Well, a star like our Sun won’t really explode. It’ll swell up really big, probably swallow the Earth, and then kind of… go out.”
“Right, and then it would be dark all the time. So we’d need to build a really big lamp.”
“Well, in five or six billion years, maybe we’d just build a new star.”
“How would we do that?”
“Well, you know, you just get a really big bunch of hydrogen together.”
“Oh, right, and gravity pulls it in and it heats up and then makes a star.”
“Exactly.”
“Yeah. so, that’s why we have scientists. Scientists who are, like, working on how to make stars, and make them really big. So we can make a new star when the Sun goes out.”
“In five or six billion years, sure.”
“That’s a good idea. That’s a better idea than building a big lamp. Because a big lamp would need a really big light bulb, and light bulbs burn out. A star is better than a lamp.”
“Right.”
“So, if the Sun goes out, what will happen to all the people?”
“What people?”
“You know… people. I mean, I know I won’t still be alive. And you definitely won’t still be alive. But what will happen to, you know, the other people?”
“Well, before the Sun goes out, it will swell up really big. We’re not exactly sure how big, but probably about the size of the Earth’s orbit, so the sun will burn up the Earth before it goes out.”
“But what will happen to the other planets?”
“Well, the Sun will get about big enough to swallow the Earth, but I don’t think it’ll get Mars. And Jupiter and Saturn and Uranus and Neptune will stay just where they are.”
“Oh.”
“But, you know, by that time, there might be people living on Jupiter, and they’d be fine.”
“How could you live on Jupiter? It’s a gas giant. They’d just fall right into it.”
“Sure, but you could build floating cities, or something.”
“Oh, right. But you’d need to send the builders first. To make the city. And also some girls.”
“What?”
“Girls are the ones who have the babies, right? So you would need to send some girls to Jupiter with the builders, to have babies so there would be more people.”
“Yeah, but some of the builders would be girls, right? I mean, girls like to build stuff, right?”
“Well, obviously. I build stuff, and I want to be a builder who, like, uses science to build things. And make them better and stuff.”
“That’s a good plan, honey. You do that.”
“Yeah, and then when the Sun goes out, we can make a new star, for the people living on Jupiter.”
“Sure. Of course, by that time, people might be living on other planets around other stars.”
“Oh, right. So maybe we could just, you know, grab one of those. Or maybe one will just come along and take the place of the Sun after it goes out.”
“Maybe.”
“You know, because space has a way of doing things.”
“Yes it does, honey, yes it does.”
from ScienceBlogs http://ift.tt/1GToUJ1
“Hey, Daddy, did you know that in five or six million years the Sun is going to explode.”
“It’s five or six billion years, with a ‘b.'”
“Right, in five or six billion years, the Sun’s going to explode.”
“Well, a star like our Sun won’t really explode. It’ll swell up really big, probably swallow the Earth, and then kind of… go out.”
“Right, and then it would be dark all the time. So we’d need to build a really big lamp.”
“Well, in five or six billion years, maybe we’d just build a new star.”
“How would we do that?”
“Well, you know, you just get a really big bunch of hydrogen together.”
“Oh, right, and gravity pulls it in and it heats up and then makes a star.”
“Exactly.”
“Yeah. so, that’s why we have scientists. Scientists who are, like, working on how to make stars, and make them really big. So we can make a new star when the Sun goes out.”
“In five or six billion years, sure.”
“That’s a good idea. That’s a better idea than building a big lamp. Because a big lamp would need a really big light bulb, and light bulbs burn out. A star is better than a lamp.”
“Right.”
“So, if the Sun goes out, what will happen to all the people?”
“What people?”
“You know… people. I mean, I know I won’t still be alive. And you definitely won’t still be alive. But what will happen to, you know, the other people?”
“Well, before the Sun goes out, it will swell up really big. We’re not exactly sure how big, but probably about the size of the Earth’s orbit, so the sun will burn up the Earth before it goes out.”
“But what will happen to the other planets?”
“Well, the Sun will get about big enough to swallow the Earth, but I don’t think it’ll get Mars. And Jupiter and Saturn and Uranus and Neptune will stay just where they are.”
“Oh.”
“But, you know, by that time, there might be people living on Jupiter, and they’d be fine.”
“How could you live on Jupiter? It’s a gas giant. They’d just fall right into it.”
“Sure, but you could build floating cities, or something.”
“Oh, right. But you’d need to send the builders first. To make the city. And also some girls.”
“What?”
“Girls are the ones who have the babies, right? So you would need to send some girls to Jupiter with the builders, to have babies so there would be more people.”
“Yeah, but some of the builders would be girls, right? I mean, girls like to build stuff, right?”
“Well, obviously. I build stuff, and I want to be a builder who, like, uses science to build things. And make them better and stuff.”
“That’s a good plan, honey. You do that.”
“Yeah, and then when the Sun goes out, we can make a new star, for the people living on Jupiter.”
“Sure. Of course, by that time, people might be living on other planets around other stars.”
“Oh, right. So maybe we could just, you know, grab one of those. Or maybe one will just come along and take the place of the Sun after it goes out.”
“Maybe.”
“You know, because space has a way of doing things.”
“Yes it does, honey, yes it does.”
from ScienceBlogs http://ift.tt/1GToUJ1
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire