PLUS: click here for a new 2011 page of political letters - just begun. Who knows whether it'll develop or remain as it stands?
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On 4th Oct last year after watching an episode of 'The Sky At Night' in which viewers were invited to email in questions on astronomy/cosmology that would be addressed in a series of live programmes early in the new year, I sent the following:
Two questions:
First, if the speed of light cannot be exceeded then what is the relative speed of separation of two objects we observe in opposite directions from Earth to be receding at more than half the speed of light? Surely, there is in fact no limit to the speed at which anything can move: the limits apply ONLY to an observer and their ability to measure relative to anything but themselves.
Second, why has no-one postulated that if all the matter in the known universe is spreading at a reducing rate, then it must eventually stop and begin to retract, eventually forming black-holes, finally just two enormous ones which if colliding at great enough speed would not become a single black-hole but would explode to form a new universe?
Conversely, if the universe is spreading at an increasing rate, then from where does the force causing this emanate?
Needless to say, neither of these questions came-up in the Jan-2011 programmes. They were very fine programmes too - for kids. The answers to those questions, though, are obvious. The reason I knew they wouldn't be addressed is that to answer them would challenge current 'scientific-establishment' thought.
First, the proposition of there being no limit to the speed at which something can move relative to something else is an obvious fact that contradicts the 'experts' who prefer the absurd idea that only what we can observe is true. To be fair Martin Rees, the only participant there with more than half-a-brain, addressed this tangentially in pointing out that it would indeed be theoretically possible to visit the Andromeda galaxy (at 2-million light-years distant) and return within a lifetime - just so long as the traveller was prepared to accept that during the trip > 2-million years would have elapsed for Earth.
Second, the logical consequence of a slowing expansion of the universe - or of a previous universe - has not (for reasons kept to themselves) been examined by the 'experts' - presumably they're unable to follow the logic? And if the expanding universe is (inexplicably) not slowing, then no-one feels able to speculate on the source or nature of the energy causing this - hence, avoidance of the question. Though again, Martin Rees stepped in to mention current uncertainty about the mysterious nature of so-called 'dark matter' and, as postulated by Stephen Hawking, of how there was perhaps a mechanism through which black holes can 'evaporate' (both discussed in my little discourse on 'Space' under the subtitle 'Key Understandings') .
End of story - so far!
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Addendum. email received 10.10.11:
Dear Phil
Earlier this year you submitted a question via the BBC’s online website, for a special 700th television edition of the Sky at Night. Your question was put to Patrick Moore, and a panel of invited guests on the programme, and the programme was broadcast in March 2011.
BBC Worldwide would now like to include some of the viewers questions and relevant answers in a book with the working title of ‘THE SKY AT NIGHT ANSWERS FROM ACROSS THE UNIVERSE’ that will be available to purchase from high street outlets in early 2012. All questions chosen to be included will be credited to the individual who submitted them.
If, as we hope, you would like to see your question included in the book please sign , name and date the form attached and email it back to me at gemma.wootton@bbc.co.uk
If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact me.
I look forward to your response.<<Sky At Night Consent form.doc>>
Gemma Wootton
Production Coordinator
BBC Birmingham| MAILBOX | Wharfside St| Birmingham | B1 1RF
T: +44 121 567 6502 | E: gemma.wootton@bbc.co.uk
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Dear Phil
Earlier this year you submitted a question via the BBC’s online website, for a special 700th television edition of the Sky at Night. The question was put to Patrick Moore and a panel of invited guests on the programme and the programme was broadcast in March 2011.
BBC Worldwide would now like to include some of the viewers questions and relevant answers in a book with the working title of ‘THE SKY AT NIGHT ANSWERS FROM ACROSS THE UNIVERSE’ that will be available to purchase from high street outlets in early 2012. All questions chosen to be included will be credited to the individual who submitted them.
If, as we hope, you would like to see your question included in the book please sign and return one copy of this letter agreement to the above address. If you do not wish your question to be included please let me know as soon as possible.
Yours sincerely
Jane Fletcher
Sky at Night Series Producer
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I hereby grant all rights in all media in my question, throughout the World in perpetuity. I acknowledge that I will receive a credit in the ‘THE SKY AT NIGHT ANSWERS FROM ACROSS THE UNIVERSE’ book for my contribution and accept this as full and valuable consideration for the above grant of rights.I hereby waive all my moral rights or droit moral as author of the question including without limitation any rights under sections 77 and 80 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
Signed……………………………………………..Date……………………………
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