#Olbers’ paradox

[icarusredwings]

Logan: *Laying back on the roof and looking at the stars* ....It's much darker in Canada..

Wade, out of nowhere: Yeah, it's called Olber's paradox. He thought that if the universe was actually infinite like we originally thought then you could look up and every line of sight would land on a star, so given enough time, when we thought the universe has been around forever, theoretically you would see the sky set ablaze with nothing but stars.

Logan: ....

Wade: But since it obviously isnt, this led Olbers to decide that the universe actually isn't infinite and its infact continuously expanding. Ours is 13.8 million years old. And that ultimately is why the sky isn't constantly lit up with light... What do you think?

Logan, staring as if he's hottest man alive:... I was just going to say light pollution..

Wade: Oh! Yeah but it's more complicated then that it's actually because-

Logan: *kisses him*

[feral-ballad]

and I have to turn away because I can’t / bear to look because there’s something there writhing / in you that if considered for more than a pulse would open / me up it would open me up then undo me

Savannah Brown, from Closer Baby Closer; “Olber’s paradox”

[apod]

2024 June 28

Comet 13P/Olbers Image Credit & Copyright: Dan Bartlett`

Explanation: Not a paradox, Comet 13P/Olbers is returning to the inner Solar System after 68 years. The periodic, Halley-type comet will reach its next perihelion or closest approach to the Sun on June 30 and has become a target for binocular viewing low in planet Earth's northern hemisphere night skies. But this sharp telescopic image of 13P is composed of stacked exposures made on the night of June 25. It easily reveals shifting details in the bright comet's torn and tattered ion tail buffeted by the wind from an active Sun, along with a broad, fanned-out dust tail and slightly greenish coma. The frame spans over two degrees across a background of faint stars toward the constellation Lynx.

∞ Source: apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240628.html

[mysticstronomy]

IS SPACE DARK OR BRIGHT??

Blog#470

Saturday, January 11th, 2025.

Welcome back,

Space is dark. That much is obvious to anyone. But how dark?

Look up on a clear night in the middle of winter and all that appears to be surrounding the stars is inky blackness.

At the centre of our Solar System lies the Sun, which casts brilliant light and warmth onto the planets of the Solar System.

And, of course, there are all the other billions of stars whose light should surely be illuminating the night sky. Why hasn't their light reached us yet?

If the Universe is filled with billions and billions of stars, why isn't the night sky ablaze with starlight?

This is an age-old problem that astronomers refer to as Olbers' paradox, named after the German astronomer Heinrich Olbers.

Many earlier astronomers like Johannes Kepler also advanced the notion.

No-one has sufficiently answered the problem of Olbers' paradox.

It could be that stardust is obscuring star light from the human eye; perhaps the Universe is still too young for all the starlight to have reached us.

Or could it be that light from distant stars has been red-shifted by the expansion of the Universe?

But let's ignore Olbers' paradox for a moment.

How dark is outer space beyond the Solar System? Would two spaceships flying together in the deep, dark Universe be able to see each other?

It's difficult to know for sure, but there are some inferences that can be made.

One astronomer attempted to answer how dark space is by collating the brightnesses of known stars and galaxies, and in the answer converges at a visual magnitude of –6.5, or 0.3% as bright as a full Moon.

Obviously, this average brightness would not stay the same as you journey through the Galaxy: near the galactic centre, far more stars are packed closely together.

Now, whether two space ships could see each other solely by this dim starlight would depend on the shininess of the spacecraft (mirrored or matt black) and whether they carried a telescope on board.

But think how difficult it is to see anything on a dark, moonless night on Earth.

Ocean-going ships passing within just a few miles would struggle to see each other if it weren’t for their navigational lights.

Originally published on https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com

COMING UP!!

(Wednesday, January 15th, 2025)

"IS THERE OXYGEN IN SPACE??"

[ma-lark-ey]

AFTG & scientific ideas/paradoxes i connect them with no elaboration

Originally this post was going to be all scientific laws & then I remembered the Irresistible Paradox & went down a paradox rabbit hole. I simply think about how 90% of scientif law/theory/paradox is deeply poetic.

Firstly, the Monsters (+Jean) all apply to: Hedgehog's Dilemma (despite goodwill, intimacy cannot occur without substantial mutual harm) and I mean that with my full chest.

Neil: Newton's First Law of Motion (an object in motion will stay in motion) Bhartrhari's Paradox (the idea that something can be unnameable conflicts with the notion that it is named by calling it unnameable)

Andrew: (OBVIOUSLY) The Irresistible Paradox (an unmovable object meets an unstoppable force)

Aaron: Newton's Third Law of Motion (when two objects interact, they apply forces of equal magnitude in opposite directions)

Nicky: The Catch-22 (having a need for something that can never be acquired on the basis of needing it)

Kevin: Hess' Law (the total change of a complete course of a chemical reaction is independent of the sequence of steps taken)

Jean: Hagen-Poiseuille's Law (liquid left in a vacuum will always rise)

Renee: The Law of Microscopic Reversibility (any chemical reaction can be undone if given enough energy & time)

Jeremy: Olber's Paradox (why is the night sky dark if there's infinite amounts of bright stars covering it?)

Wymack: Yule-Simpson Effect (a trend that appears in a group of data will disappear when similar groups are combined, and reverse trends will begin to appear)

Honorable Mentions:

Ferme's Paradox (the probable existence of alien life despite the complete lack of concrete evidence) (Neil)

I also think ship of theseus is very Renee coded.

Jeaneil: The Conservation of Energy (isolated systems can be found to be symmetries in time) Andrew, Aaron, Nicky: The Prisoner's Dilemma (people might not cooperate despite it being in their best interest)

The Young Sun Paradox (the evidence of liquid water early on earth despite equal evidence that the sun should not have been able to melt the ice yet)

[uncontrolledfission]

Comet 13P/Olbers, 2024-06-28

Not a paradox, Comet 13P/Olbers is returning to the inner Solar System after 68 years. The periodic, Halley-type comet will reach its next perihelion or closest approach to the Sun on June 30 and has become a target for binocular viewing low in planet Earth's northern hemisphere night skies. But this sharp telescopic image of 13P is composed of stacked exposures made on the night of June 25. It easily reveals shifting details in the bright comet's torn and tattered ion tail buffeted by the wind from an active Sun, along with a broad, fanned-out dust tail and slightly greenish coma. The frame spans over two degrees across a background of faint stars toward the constellation Lynx.

Credits: NASA's 'Astronomy Picture Of The Day.'

[amateurphysicist]

did you know that the first person in history to explain why the night sky is black was american mystery writer edgar allan poe, amateur astronomer, who published a rambling poem about his observations and ended up solving the olbers' paradox

never underestimate urself

[thejugheadparadox]

loving reign of the paladin!! while patiently waiting for the next chapter do u have any jarchie fic recs the people are starving

HIIII thank you this is huge for me :) next chapter is about 2/3 done id say. she's on her way. thank u for reading.

okay im gonna keep this relatively minimal bc i dont honestly read that much fic + have a terrible memory for that which i have read + i am extremely fussy about the tone of riverdale fanfiction lol. however. when you really trawl it there is some really good stuff, and much of it is writer by prolific users boos (essentially a celebrity to me) or instead (ari changed world). none of this is to say that and the below are the only good fics out there, they definitely aren't theyre just some of my favs.

my obscene vanity and need for validation also oblige me to recommend my own ridiculous violently heartfelt screenplay jugheads weird fantasy. i still edit it once every couple of months

sad and short and by the most talented writer i know the wonderful grace from their beronica focused ww1 series: and each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds

multiple povs and fabulous riverdalean hijinks: archie's weird high school reunion by focacciabread

HE LIVED IN HIS FUCKING HOUSE. everybody moved on but me and frank stayed here. like jughead. stayed in that house.: nothing to be done by theflick

kept up with this one like it was new riverdale episodes. really good dialogue: i could write it better than you ever felt it by gloomyboygirl

very dense and intimate and funny and interesting: olber's paradox by kickedshins

just really well articulated. auguste gets it: robert frost was right by philcollins

a lot of the earlier stuff from around 2017/18 is not my vibe in terms of characterisation but i like this and this and this. really i just cant fathom teen jughead ever being able to truly articulate his feelings to himself. but i think those pull it off well

and finally im sorry for really enjoying this no im NOT. I'M NOT.

[marketfreshfics]

The Stratagem Strain - Part II

Plot summary: Arriving at Hogwarts for an advanced graduate program on the direct appointment of the Minister for Magic himself, Paisley Gallos anticipates a successful sixth year of classes. Unbeknownst to her, she is a pawn in a sinister ploy orchestrated long before the start of the school year.

Tags: violence | angst | blood | vampires | tragedy | forced proximity | regret | denial of feelings | NDEs | eventual smut | dark magic | accidental death | read on AO3

Save for the impromptu flying literature fiasco near the Charms classroom, involving one Hector Kibbings, one Lyle Dean and about twenty library books, Paisley’s fourth day of classes thus far was entirely, thankfully, ordinary. 

The castle exuded a snug dimness, its atmosphere coloured by the dreariness of the weather, a mood that seeped into the professors and their lessons despite the fresh start of term. Even Professor Hecat, for all her unorthodox vitality when teaching, insisted they spend the morning class penning refresher notes on hex deflection. Oblivious to respite, with her quill enchanted to carbon-copy the lecture, Paisley read up on her assignment for Transfiguration.

She immediately recognized the start of a routine, the familiar weight of academic expectation settling lofty and buoyant on her shoulders, much like her father’s treasured old raincoat. Lost in thought, Paisley absentmindedly traced the intricate patterns etched into her desk with her fingertips, scrawls and quill carvings from generations prior, as her mind drifted back to the past few days' events. There was a strange anticipation of it all: graduating early had never been a prospect on her radar, but the mere idea of the head start on life gave her goosebumps. 

But that was a long-term anticipation, a gentle flutter in her chest. Short-term, what she looked forward to most, aside from her trip to Hogsmeade after classes, was Astronomy. Not solely because it held her interest more than most of her studies, but because she could rely on captivating conversation with her tall, soft-spoken classmate.

“Hello Amit,” she greeted her first Hogwarts friend with a radiant grin. “Did you finish reading about the Olbers’ paradox?”

The young wizard practically beamed, pleating the corners of his dark eyes. “It was thrilling! I’d never considered such a theory, but it holds merit. Even if the universe constantly expands, it would explain why interstellar space still exists.” Warm hands withdrew the bound copy of Heinrich Wilhelm Olbers’ thesis from his foldover satchel, returning it to her; Paisley’s smile expressed fondness when she noticed the pages were still pristine, free of folds or creases, the spine still intact--a clear sign of his respect for such precious belongings.

Paisley thanked him, tucking away the text as she spoke. “It’s funny you mention that; I have a copy of Kepler’s considerations of this theory, which predate Olbers by a couple of centuries. If you enjoyed his theory of planetary motion, you’re bound to find this one fascinating.”

“Really?” Amit was just as starved for in-depth discussion, with the way he turned his whole body towards her as if to plant himself directly into their conversation. “Did you know he was a student of Brahe? Known for—“

“The Tychonic System,” Paisley finished his sentence, a modest, albeit proud tint to her cheeks. “Sorry… incredible, isn’t it? And when you consider Copernicus, we can keep going back—“

“Mister Thakkar, a moment? I require some assistance!” Professor Shah's interruption shattered their exchange, drawing their attention to the professor crouched over a domed gadget, reminiscent of a large, upside-down colander, attempting (unsuccessfully) to connect it to a prehistoric-looking telescope. 

Amit gave Paisley a kind, apologetic look, already eager to return to their shared interests as he went to aide the professor with setting up the massive star projection. Meanwhile, Paisley enchanted her quill to scrawl notes before Shah even provided the basis of the day’s lesson. She perched on the edge of her chair and leaned back, ankles crossed, reclining as she surveyed her classmates with innocent glances, trying some name association to recall who was, well, who. From her measured assumptions, most of them didn’t make appearances in her other classes, at least from the perspective of her short-term memory.

Eventually, her line of sight fell on the student seated next to Amit’s empty chair. A fellow Slytherin she recognized but couldn’t place, looking far too proper for their surroundings, with his mousy blonde hair immaculately coiffed, pomaded, prim. Even his school robes hinted at additional galleons in the lining, more meticulous care interwoven in the stitches…

Though his appearance first piqued her curiosity, the miniature galaxy on his desk thoroughly captivated her. It hovered above a small wooden frame set flat on the table, the scaled-down twilight a transparent watercolour, diluted indigo and dotted with endless twinkling stars, the cosmos slowly swirling in suspended motion. The wizard absent-mindedly swept his fingers side to side, as if his touch travelled through the Milky Way, constellations webbing to and fro as he landed on Sagittarius-

“I'm not privy to courtesies across the Atlantic, but staring is not encouraged here.”

Paisley’s head jarred at his sudden speech, and she blinked, stammering, face all hot-flashed. “Sorry, I-I was just admiring your star map. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“You won’t,” he replied flatly, still scrolling through the universe.

“Oh, did you build it yourself?”

His expression showed amusement. His head turned towards her, sloped, without established eye contact. “No, it’s how I get by in this class.”

A nudge born in her subconscious told her it wasn’t advantageous, but a necessity.

Seeking to understand further, Paisley took a closer look, noticing his distinct lack of pupils. His eyes were a remarkably bewildering hue, as if they argued between blue or green and eventually settled on a mutual agreement.

Not wanting to seem insensitive, Paisley took the opportunity to make light of the circumstance. “Rather poor sense of humour to make a visual-based learning class mandatory, in this case.”

The wizard huffed, a titter held captive in his throat. “You know, for a Ravenclaw, you make a terrible Slytherin.”

Recognition dawned on Paisley as she recalled seeing him at dinner the night before. She finally connected a place to a face; all she needed was a name. “You’re Sebastian’s friend.”

He nodded, slipping into practiced formality. “I’m Ominis, Ominis Gaunt.” 

“Paisley Gallos.” she introduced herself in return, feeling rather inadequate compared to his well-groomed confidence. The tailored uniform and lack of stray hairs didn’t help matters.

Ominis nodded. “Sebastian’s looking forward to your trip to Hogsmeade. Was prattling on about it during breakfast.”

“He was?” This surprised Paisley, given the brief conversation they had. Was there something she was not yet made aware of?

“I’d have thought that would be obvious,” Ominis stated matter of fact. “You’re a new fascination around her, of course, he’ll want to pick your brain.”

Fair. At least he couldn’t see her sapped expression. “Surely that will cease soon enough? I’m not fond of the attention.”

The responding headshake paired with an inward grin said otherwise, and Paisley sighed. “Suppose I was expecting too much.”

“I’m certain you’ll have no issue blending in, especially if you’re nose remains buried in books.”

Paisley arched an eyebrow, undecided if his tone was mocking, playful, or abrasive. Before she could manage a retort, Amit had returned to his seat, pulling out his chair. “Sorry about that! Professor Shah curses that fossil of a contraption, but with the inclement weather, we’ll have to make due…”

While Amit picked up where they left off, Paisley peered around him momentarily, watching as Ominis swirled his fingertips through the stars.

-----

“Ah, there you are.”

Sebastian leaned against the door to the courtyard, kicking a chipped edge of the cobblestone, steeped in the appearance of a parent coming to gather their child from school. “Thankfully the rain has relented.” He held a hand outside, a scant smatter of droplets collecting on his palm. “Well, mostly. Hope you don't mind getting a little wet.”

Oblivious to his amused expression and anticipation of her reaction, Paisley started out the door ahead of him, already walking at a brisk pace. “No issue whatsoever.” The fresh air felt good in her chest, tinged with the earthy aroma of petrichor. “Keep up now, otherwise I’ll get lost.”

The dirt path, worn down to smooth ruts by years of foot traffic, guided them toward the village ahead. As they sidestepped to make way for a thestral-pulled carriage, Paisley's gaze swept over Hogwarts in the distance, her expression awash with wonder. “Magnificent.”

Sebastian stopped alongside her to take in the sight as well. “It’s rather enchanting, isn’t it?” He crossed his arms, idly scuffing a pebble with his Oxford. “Certainly wish Anne were here to see it again. Merlin knows she misses it here.”

“Who’s that?”

They fell into stride again as he replied. “My twin sister. She's ill at the moment, but with any luck, she’ll be back at school sooner than you know.”

Paisley’s expression softened with sympathy. “I’m sorry to hear that.” She reached for lighter fare. “Is she in Slytherin as well?”

Sebastian nodded, his grin lax, but loving. “She is. Her, Ominis and I were quite the trio—always up to some mischief, most of which Anne orchestrated herself.”

“Really?” This surprised her, recalling Ominis’s austere demeanour. “But Ominis seems so…”

Sebastian reached back to tug on the hood of Paisley's cloak. "Ah, now you're judging a book by its cover," he teased. "You, one of the brighter minds in our year, falling for such a cliché?"

She stumbled over her words, giving the tells of embarrassment. “I-I mean—“

Sebastian's chuckle cut through the unease, his playful tone softened by genuine warmth. “Oh, come now! Keep that uptight, and you’ll become as petrified as the gargoyles.”

Her silent frown only made his laugh echo on. “So temperamental. Look, Ominis is my best friend, my oldest friend.” His words were sincere, even after following such teasing ones. “He’s a good egg, despite how marvellous his family is.” 

The telltale tone of sarcasm that capped off his remark was not lost on Paisley. “Are they dark wizards or something?” 

Sebastian fell out of step momentarily, as if he wasn’t anticipating the question. He attempted recovery with nonchalance, reminding himself that he recently met this student; he’d have to be careful with the secrets he shared, especially their phrasing. “Well, rumours are just that—rumours. But they’re a bunch of pureblood elitists, the whole lot of them. Loads of Slytherins are, but his father’s side traces back to Salazar himself, so there’s even more to contend on status.”

“That’s rather intense,” Paisley replied, combing back shoulder-dusting waves, damp from the occasional condensation. “I wasn’t aware that blood status was so relevant here.”

“You have no idea. Slytherin is the worst for it.” 

“How very fortunate that I'm muggle-born, then.”

Sebastian’s glance towards her was a wary blend of concern and fascination. His advice came with caution in tow. “Might be best to keep that information under wraps. You’re not from around here, so they probably won’t dig too deep on you, but don’t give them a reason to.” 

A lump formed in Paisley's throat as she wondered who exactly Sebastian was alluding to. Who were "they," and were they people she needed to avoid?

Why even bring up something like that in the first place?

Sebastian backtracked. “But yes, Ominis wants nothing to do with his family’s beliefs. He’s been staying with us in Feldcroft for a while now, having excommunicated them entirely, though he’s still receiving a stipend. Mostly because his family is so hellbent on appearances and status and prioritizing themselves, so they keep him clothed and ‘cared’ for, though they’re hardly caring, if you ask me.” 

“What does that mean?”

“There is… a lot of history there.” He struggled with his reply, meticulously choosing his words with precision. “History, that isn't my place to say. I’ve probably shared enough as it stands..”

With impeccable timing, they approached the entrance to Hogsmeade, dotted with clusters of witches and wizards in all manner of dress, eclectic to ragged. Crooked cottages leaned inwards and sideways, beckoning with their age-old charm, while a whimsical warmth enveloped Paisley's chest, infusing her with a sense of wonder. She couldn't help but admire the enchanting hamlet before her as if it were a scene stolen from a dream, delicately draped in the gentle mist of time itself.

“Seems all roads lead to Hogsmeade.”

“Beg your pardon?” Paisley cocked a brow.

Sebastian merely grabbed her arm, plucking her from an uncharacteristic stupor. “Tomes & Scrolls, correct?”

“Right, yes.”

——-

Although the (hefty) volume that Professor Fig arranged for pickup was already in her possession, Paisley acquired two more without hesitation. “Sure you don’t have any errands to run while you’re here?” She asked Sebastian, carting desired purchases stacked in her arms.

He shook his head, arms crossed, leaning against the railing as he peeked over his shoulder to survey the floor below. “I’ve scoured these shelves and then some,” he assured her. “Managed to evade Potions class and detention for this little excursion; Take your time.”

Scrutiny narrowed her hazel eyes. “What for? I thought you were striving for minimal detention.”

“It’s complete nonsense, really.” The annoyance rolled off Sebastian in droves as he dismissed Paisley’s comment. “There are… regulations that bar specific texts from circulation in the library. I believe that information should be readily accessible. Scribner, however, does not.”

“Are they dangerous?” Paisley ventured as she attempted to reach something from the shelf above, silently cursing her lack of height. Sebastian noticed her pitiful extension when she pushed up on her toes and, with ease, he intervened, effortlessly reaching over her head to grab the leatherbound copy of The Enchanted Elixir Compendium, plopping it on her growing stack. 

Her relieved sigh was met with a nod of acknowledgment before Sebastian resumed his casual stance against the railing. “Of course, dangerous books are bound to be allocated there. What matters, in my humble opinion, is that the danger lies not solely within the pages themselves but, rather, how one engages with their contents.”

“How very valiant of you.”

Sebastian grinned, impressed by Paisley’s selection of books thus far. “Some light reading?” He teased. 

“My mother was a teacher. Keeping well-versed comes second nature.”

"Likewise," the wizard chimed in. "Both my parents, actually—"

The sudden creak of the shop door swinging open interrupted them, startling Paisley. With a quick succession of thuds, her stack of books tumbled from her grasp to the floor.

"Dammit," she muttered under her breath, crouching down to retrieve them. Sebastian mirrored her actions, his helpful gesture met with an appreciative smile. As they straightened up, Paisley's gaze darted through the gaps in the wooden staircase rungs, fixating on the entrance of the shop.

A burly wizard sporting a bowler cap stared back at her, his sneer dripping with contempt. Before she could react, Sebastian rose to his feet, extending a hand to her. "You alright?" he inquired, sensing her sudden unease.

Paisley nodded, but as she glanced back towards the entrance, the man was nowhere to be found.

"Sorry, just... nothing. Thought I saw something," she dismissed, though a trace of uncertainty lingered in her voice.

-----

At the advice of Sebastian (and the mercy of her back), Paisley toted her armload of fresh books to the mail sorting to dispatch them to her dormitory via post. Once liberated from the weight, she emerged, savouring a deep breath.

The smell of milk chocolate and caramel swamped her throat, and she had to let out a brief cough to counter the sugary scent. Sebastian’s eyes were saucers. “Honeydukes, now.”

Before Paisley could interject, she was whisked away, captive to Sebastian's impromptu adventure. In hindsight, Professor Fig's decision to enlist Sebastian as her guide seemed more prescient than she had initially realized.

A riot of colour exploded from a nearby storefront, vibrant and shocking amidst the surrounding muted tones, a sore thumb of eye-popping saturation. The tantalizing aroma of confections grew stronger with each step, drawing them inexorably closer. "A candy shop?" Her question wasn’t one of confirmation, but surprise. “Last thing I’d expect to see here.”

Sebastian's response was cryptic yet assured: " Nothing compares to Honeydukes."

True to his word, the moment they crossed the threshold, Paisley felt as if she had been transported to an alternate reality—a fable where children might wander into enchanted forests and stumble upon the edible abode of a wicked hag. Before she could voice her bewilderment, Sebastian was already off, his cloak was billowing past her, brown hair all bouncing as he bounded towards the aisles in the back.

It provided an appropriate visual for the term ‘kid in a candy shop,’ prompting a wry smile from Paisley as she trailed after him, equally intrigued by the unexpected detour.

“Right, so you have to give these a try—” Sebastian practically tossed a box of bonbons at her, narrowly whizzing past her head before presenting another variety of treats. “Ah! Chocolate wands! Haven’t had these since I was in third year…”

Paisley snorted, deftly catching the confections as he lobbed them her way. “I don’t think I’ve consumed this much sugar in my entire life.”

“Need to catch up then,” He chimed, depositing another box of sweets in her folded arms, labelled Cauldron Cakes. “Have to put some meat on those bones; the castle gets plenty chilled during the winter, especially in the dungeons.”

She narrowly dodged his aimed pinch at her waist, accidentally dropping the box of cakes. “Sorry!” her sheepish tone aimed at the store clerk, whose expression claimed every ounce of annoyance that Paisley could detect.

“Excellent,” Sebastian was already strolling down another aisle, and with a quick-quipped “incoming!” Paisley sidestepped to grab the box of Every Flavour Beans as Sebastian grinned with mischief over the shelf at her. “You’ve got to try those, especially the dark-spotted ones.” She skimmed the flavour key on the back of the package and threw him a glare once she learned which ones were unmistakably pepper-flavoured. The box was promptly tossed back over the aisle towards Sebastian, who caught it before it could hit the floor.

It was at that moment that Paisley caught sight of a familiar bowler hat, traversing down the aisle opposite hers.

She bristled immediately, a chill of suspicion, of worry cooling her blood. 

His narrow-set eyes were wild when they glanced at her, and immediately Paisley moved, rounding the aisle to join Sebastian again. There was an urgency in her voice when she prompted him. “Have all you need?” 

Her tone was not lost on him, despite his scrunched brow of confusion. “Uhh, yeah, yeah of course…”

Almost predictably, the thickset wizard was suddenly nowhere to be found.

The pair paid for their pluckings, and Sebastian stuffed them into his robes as they left the shop.

“Well, now that that’s all settled,” Sebastian brushed a speck of dandruff from his robe, “I’d say we have just enough time to enjoy a butterbeer, on me.”

“What’s butterbeer?”

Sebastian’s overreaction was nearly comical. “I’m sorry, did you just ask me what butterbeer is?”

Paisley shrugged. “Perhaps you're a bit slow on the uptick, but I’m not exactly from around here.”

The range of his responding eyeroll impressed her. She didn't miss a beat as he led the way, passing by a gilded clothing shop. “Keep it up; you may find a thought or two in the back of your skull.”

“Oh, what’s that, Pais? You’d like to buy us a round, instead? Feeling charitable, hmm?”

Paisley swatted him before he could bring the hood of her robe over her head.

-----

“Well?”

Sebastian's voice lilted in expectation as he leaned in slightly, his gaze locking onto Paisley's every nuance. She found herself under scrutiny before she even took a sip of the amber beverage.

“It’s…” She combed for the proper terms. “Reminiscent of butterscotch? Though it's very similar in flavour to the crème caramels my mother used to make.”

Satisfied with her response, Sebastian drank before studying her more in-depth. “Must be quite the whirlwind, stepping into this world?”

Paisley nodded with exaggeration. “Thrilling, though it's all a bit more overwhelming than I initially thought.” She shifted in her seat, thanking the kind barkeep who delivered the platter of sandwiches they’d ordered. “When I started at Ilvermorny, it felt like, like an extension of what I knew, you know? Different land, yes, but not a different universe. It wasn’t such a shift to acclimate.”

“I can imagine.” He paused to wipe butterbeer foam from the corner of his mouth. “Do you miss it, your old school?” A complicated smile claimed her, bittersweet in its lack of depth. “Yes. Well, yes and no. I got plenty teased by classmates who didn’t appreciate my… academic fervour.”

“Bullied for your grades?” He seemed genuinely surprised by this. “Rather immature, if you ask me. ‘Round here, you’re more likely to be ragged on for failing studies. Granted, if someone wants to tease you, they’ll find a way…”

The slow swing of the tavern door diverted attention from their chat, Paisley's gaze fixating on the wizard wearing a bowler hat making an entrance. She felt a familiar knot of discomfort form in her stomach, and she couldn't help but voice her concern to Sebastian.

“Who is that man?” 

Sebastian lacked subtlety then, craning his head past the wooden beam to follow her line of sight. “Ah, that’s Harlow. Local thug, one of Rookwood’s goons.”

Paisley frowned, creased between eyebrows. “He’s turned up everywhere we have. Tombs & Scrolls, Honeydukes, and now here? Doesn’t that strike you as odd?” 

“Not something to fret about.” Her worry was dismissed with a quick head shake, but Sebastian explained before invalidation rooted in her gut. “Rookwood doesn’t dedicate much time terrorizing students, let alone Harlow. Unless you’re involved in some clandestine extra-curricular activity that I’m not aware of?”

“Not yet, at least.” 

He snorted, though persisted in assuaging her concerns. “Probably a coincidence. Everyone loves Honeydukes. Criminals can have a sweet tooth, too.”

“...And at Tomes & Scrolls?”

“It would shock me if he could read, for one thing.” Sebastian took a bite of sandwich, continuing through chews. “Maybe he fancied a bedtime story? Something to settle Rookwood in for rest after a long day of pilfering and purloining?”

Despite his attempts to quell her suspicions, Paisley was firmly planted in nervousness, chewing her thumbnail as she watched the foam dissipate from the dredges of her butterbeer. Perhaps it was that wariness ingrained in most women, saturating her mind and all correlations in anxiety, her senses on high alert. It annoyed her that Sebastian was blissfully ignorant of such a feeling.

To her relief, Harlow didn’t linger, having barely stepped beyond the threshold, departing almost as swiftly as he had arrived, accompanied by an equally smarmy wizard who was all legs and elbows.

“Am I right, or am I right? ” 

Sebastian’s smart-ass brand of reassurance was met with a deadpan glare. He raked a hand through his hair, sending it in a different direction than it was heading previously. "Look, if you're uneasy about it, we can always use the Floo to get back to the castle. I'm sure I've got some powder tucked away in my robes somewhere…”

-----

The rain had stopped completely as the duo exited The Three Broomsticks, the sunset obscured by thick but commonplace overcast, blocking out more light than usual for just past the dinner hour.

“There’s a public-access flame nearby,” Sebastian announced, striding around the tavern's corner, his hand fumbling within the inner recesses of his robes. "I'm pretty sure I've got enough powder for both of us. Always prepared for these eventualities."

“Right,” Paisley replied automatically, her attention stolen by a nearby group of witches and wizards, engrossed in animated discussion. 

“What in Merlin’s name?”

Sebastian’s exclamation caught her attention, and Paisley pulled herself to join him, immediately comprehending the cause for astonishment.

Before them was a flat, stone plaque, crowned by a stone-carved bust of Ignatia Wildsmith with a cloth gag bound tightly around her mouth. Paisley felt along the knot, attempting to pull it off, but it was an impossible effort; the muffling accessory was enchanted to be an integral feature of the carving itself. Her fingers grasped futilely at the edges, the stone damp from the rain, but even with the slip, she couldn't dislodge it.

“The Floo flame, it’s…” Sebastian frowned. “It’s been bewitched.” 

Paisley was on high alert before. Now, she was downright afraid. Thankfully, when she looked at Sebastian this time, his apprehension mirrored hers. “Come,” he uttered, taking her by the hand this time, the chill of fear now shared between them. “There’s another near Honeydukes.”

Intuition whispered to Paisley, confirming her suspicions when they discovered the second flame was extinguished as well, the inventor of Floo powder gagged from speaking, unable to name any guilty parties. Observers were keen to the sudden disappearance of transport to and from Hogsmeade, as small gatherings began to form around the out-of-place waypoints. “I’ll have Officer Singer investigate right away!” the cafe attendant shouted, vanishing inside to no doubt issue an urgent request via owl. 

“Sebastian,” Paisley spoke up, wary, voice cracking. “Someone doesn’t want us to leave Hogsmeade.”

He nodded, expression grim. “Not quickly, at least. I suggest we head back via the main road. It’s a short walk, and there’s always foot traffic.” 

With adrenaline coursing through her veins, Paisley needed little persuasion.

The students ducked out from the crowds, connecting to the road that led back to Hogwarts. As Paisley fell into step with her new friend, she peered over her shoulder towards the village, letting relief steep her nerves as she exhaled. 

Only in the safety and embrace of hindsight did their predicament become painfully clear.

They weren’t trapped in Hogsmeade. 

They were pigeonholed out of it.

[atheostic]

Sh!t Theists Say

“How do you know the Big Bang happened if you weren’t there to see it?”

-----

1. By that logic, unless you were there at the beginning of the universe you can’t claim to know how the universe was created either.

2. We don’t need to have personally witnessed an event to know it has occurred or how it has occurred. 

That is, we can use evidence to piece together what happened.

We may not be able to ever be 100% certain of what happened, but we can still make reasonable educated guesses based on the evidence.

We can also test our hypotheses about what happened by making predictions about what we should expect to see if the hypotheses are right and/or by providing evidence that contradicts the hypotheses.

In the case of the Big Bang, we know it happened because we have evidence that backs it up.

Some of the most compelling evidence includes:

The Hubble Expansion - “The vast majority of galaxies are moving away from us, and the velocity of their recession is proportional to their distance from us,” with the ones further away moving faster, and the ones closest moving slower, just as we would expect to see if the Big Bang had occurred.

How do we know that galaxies are moving away from us?

Because of the Doppler Effect & Redshift - “The further from us a star is the more its light is red-shifted. This tells us that distant galaxies are moving away from us, and that the further a galaxy is the faster it is moving away.”

The Doppler effect is basically what causes ambulance sirens to sound different when they’re approaching you vs when they’re near you vs when they’re driving away. Light gets affected by movement just like sound does, which means we can measure if stars/galaxies are moving and in what general rough direction (away or toward us).

This, for example, is the spectrum of Helium in our sun:

And this is how the spectrum of helium looks like in a distant star:

Because of how light behaves under the Doppler effect, the shift towards the red end of the spectrum tells us that the star is moving away from us.

Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) radiation - “The “blackbody” nature of the CMB is exactly that expected from an initial (Big Bang) “fireball” of radiation.” 

Before we had the tech to test it out, scientists predicted that CMB radiation existed and how it should look if the Big Bang had indeed happened. And sure enough, when we developed the tech to detect the CMB...

...It looked exactly as predicted.

Predicted and observed abundances of light elements - Element abundance predictions based on the creation of light atomic nuclei (eg. Deuterium, which stars can only destroy, not create) during the first few minutes of the Big Bang agree extremely well with those observed. 

Helium, for example, should be about 25% of the total mass of the Universe according to the Big Bang model.

Guess what the content of helium we have observed in stars and gas clouds is.

Quasars - “We see a lot of quasars in the distant cosmos, which means these objects were very common billions of years ago. But there are hardly any quasars in our local, up-to-date neighbourhood. And they’re common enough in the far-away (that is, young) universe that we should see a lot more in our vicinity. The simple conclusion: The universe was different in its past than it is today.”

Olbers’ Paradox - “The sky should be ablaze with the combined light of a multitude of stars. That means either the universe is not infinite in size or it’s not infinite in time. Or maybe it’s neither.”

[evil-jennifer-hamilton-wb]

(Non-exaustive) List of irl things i've inadvertently canonized

The Scientific American????? There is no America and the story takes place in Korea could I not have looked up any other magazine?

LINE. It's a joint Japanese and Korean thing, I guess Naver exists despite Korea mainland not existing?

Twitter, Tumblr, Discord, Google, etc... These should be interpreted as being something slighly different in universe. I just hate it when things that need the framing of a given social media site make some fake but similar name ie. Chiper instead of Twitter or Shaker for Tumblr or something like that.

Heinrich Wilhelm Matthias Olbers. When else do I have a chance to use my knowledge of Olbers' paradox? Germany may or may not exist but i'm fine with this one.

The like 15 characters named Roberts. This is clearly the only white guy name I can think of, and is used to refer to 3 separate people so far in canon material. English names should not exist because english does not exist.

Terraria. They're gonna get to hardmode soon! Hyeon's a summoner btw.

Otherside Picnic. The Alter 『Sorawo』, member of The Lost Earth system, is an introject of the Otherside Picnic character. This was a terrible idea in retrospect because I still have not yet read Otherside picnic (Any day now surely!), and so I can't use that character without knowing the source for the introject.

[rammgender]

[ID: Two flags with eleven equal horizontal stripes, which are very dark gray, extremely dark gray, extremely dark blue, extremely dark indigo, black, dark red, light red-orange, light orange, light yellow, white, and light blue. In the middle of the second flag is a light yellow icon of three five-pointed stars of varying sizes. /End ID.]

olberdoxian

olberdoxian (ohl-bur-dox-ee-un) - a gender related to olber's paradox, an astronomical argument that the darkness of the night sky is contradictory to the assumption of an infinitely large universe filled with an infinite number of stars. more information here (link)

term 2 for day 5 of @gender-mailman's 1466 followers event! theme - contradictory

[carlsaganlunatic]

Why is the night sky dark? According to the steady state model of a universe that is infinite and eternally filled with luminous objects, every line of sight from Earth must intersect some light source. The familiar night sky where constellations trace the horizon would thus cease to exist. Instead, in a steady state universe, there would be no night at all. In cosmology, this is Olber’s paradox, named after the German astronomer who first posed the question of a dark night sky. This particular paradox has been resolved by the discovery of universal expansion. As the universe expands at an accelerating rate, the light of faraway stars and galaxies is prevented from reaching us, allowing the night sky to remain mostly dark, just freckled with points of light. Like the night sky of Olber's paradox, my horizons are perpetually expanding through the irreconcilable paradoxes of my life.

I first learned about Olber’s paradox in a lecture for my Origin and Development of the Cosmos physics class at Stanford University as a rising junior in summer 2017. The paradox seems absurd to me now given that such fundamental facts about the universe such as expansion are so ingrained in my learning. But, the concept behind paradoxes in general remains with me today as a driving force in my understanding of the world, or should I say misunderstanding. Another fascinating paradox I have studied is the Fermi paradox: the contradiction between the lack of evidence for alien civilizations and the statistical Drake equation that predicts a high probability of them in existence. Also, this past summer in my Stars and Stellar Evolution class at Oregon State University, I studied the black hole information paradox: the controversy where black holes seemingly “consume” information when matter falls into their singularity. This violates the infamous quantum mechanical law of conservation of energy, further stressing the need for a unified theory of quantum gravity, but I digress.

When considering astronomical dilemmas such as these, the catch 22’s of my own life are illuminated as quagmires in my self-perception. I am an aspiring astrophysicist with an all-consuming passion for space, yet science is not my religion. I enthusiastically produce derivatives in calculus class while simultaneously clutching several of my meditation crystals that I use to channel the energies of the spiritual realm. My peers have come to know me as the yoga-loving astronomy nerd. It is confusing how I can balance a passion for studying general relativity and hobbies such as kundalini meditation. I have an adept math brain yet somehow maintain a romantic view of reality.

In the past two years of high school, desperately attempting to reconcile my clashing interests into an overarching sense of identity, I’ve come to an epiphany. Paradoxes don’t need to be resolved. The beauty of the field of astronomy is the never-ending horizon of unknowns waiting to be explored. In a universe teeming with questions and mystery, I have come to be comfortable with paradoxes. Why do we accept the normalcy of physical laws and facts in a world so complex? It now makes a lot more sense to me to have contradictions to mirror this complexity of the cosmos. My sense of self is defined by paradoxes, and I eagerly accept this. A passion for complexity leads me into a life full of adventure on a path towards understanding that may never be fully reached. Astronomy to me is not the quest for answers, but rather the search for more questions, forever expanding the capacity for comprehension, and so too the universe. Terence McKenna said, “Weird is the compass heading,” and I am in full agreement. I can be an astronomer and an idealist. I can be all of the paradoxes in the expanding universe. Unlike Olber, I don’t need to pinpoint why the night sky is dark; I just need the boldness to pose the question.

[rainbowgod666]

Haha olbers paradox goes brrt

fucker! we wanted to trek those

[mysticstronomy]

WHY IS THE SPACE BLACK??

Blog#306

Saturday, June 17th, 2023

Welcome back,

Look up at the night sky with your own eyes, or marvel at images of the universe online, and you'll see the same thing: the inky, abysmal blackness of space, punctuated by bright stars, planets or spacecraft. But why is it black? Why isn't space colorful, like the blue daytime sky on Earth?

Surprisingly, the answer has little to do with a lack of light.

"You would think that since there are billions of stars in our galaxy, billions of galaxies in the universe and other objects, such as planets, that reflect light, that when we look up at the sky at night, it would be extremely bright," Tenley Hutchinson-Smith, a graduate student of astronomy and astrophysics at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC), told Live Science in an email. "But instead, it's actually really dark."

Hutchinson-Smith said this contradiction, known in physics and astronomy circles as Olbers' paradox, can be explained by the theory of space-time expansion — the idea that "because our universe is expanding faster than the speed of light … the light from distant galaxies might be stretching and turning into infrared waves, microwaves and radio waves, which are not detectable by our human eyes."

And because they are undetectable, they appear dark (black) to the naked eye.

That said, a 2021 study in The Astrophysical Journal suggests that space may not be as black as scientists originally thought. Through NASA's New Horizons mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt, researchers have been able to see space without light interference from Earth or the sun.

The team sifted through images taken by the spacecraft and subtracted all light from known stars, the Milky Way and possible galaxies, as well as any light that might have leaked in from camera quirks. The background light of the universe, they found, was still twice as bright as predicted.

The reasons for the additional brightness, which remain unknown, will be the focus of future studies. Until then, one thing seems likely: Space could very well be more "charcoal" than pitch-black.

Originally published on big livescience.com

COMING UP!!

(Wednesday, June 21st, 2023)

"WHY IS DARK MATTER SO IMPORTANT??"

[marklakshmanan]

“You don’t really understand something unless you can explain it to your grandmother.”

This quote usually attributed to Albert Einstein, is appropriate to describe this wonderful book by Dr. Joanne Baker. In 50 short chapters she describes 50 physics ideas in elegant, simple prose without resorting to complex equations. I highly recommend this book to both scientists and non-scientists as this is one of the best popular science books I have read in a decade. Please read it and share it with a good friend.

I have two very minor criticisms. In chapter 13 Daniel Bernoulli is first incorrectly identified as Dutch and then later correctly identified as Swiss. Second Dr. Baker uses the acronyms MACHO (MAssive Compact Halo Object) and WIMP (Weakly Interacting Massive Particle) in chapter 47 at first without giving what the acronyms mean until 2 pages later. I wonder if she did this on purpose to engage the reader in the age of Google search.

In chapter 12 she describes chaos theory very well and its importance to forecasting weather. Olbers’ paradox which is “why is the night sky dark” is first explained as to why this is a paradox and then the paradox is explained in chapter 43. Finally in the two concluding chapters she explores two subjects which transcends physics to include philosophy. Chapter 49 explores Fermi’s paradox which is why given the age and vastness of the universe, we have not been in contact with any alien civilization. The last chapter explores the anthropic principle which is the idea that the universe is set up in a way that allows sentient life to exist, and that the universe must be this way for us to be able to observe it. Two very thought provoking chapters.