Kaku in Austin

One Comment

1. ken says:

   March 3, 2005 at 9:51 am

   I agree with Kevin, there is no scientific proof the universe is expanding and a lot of bad science that says it is.

   Here is a quote from Barry Setterfield (one of my favorite scientists):

   Is The Universe Static Or Expanding?

   Summarising The Interpretations

   In summary, it might be stated that there are three main interpretations of the redshift data. The first is the Doppler shift argument whereby the galaxies themselves are moving through static space-time. Misner, Thorne and Wheeler point out that this concept has the problem of how galaxies could be accelerated to near the speed of light without disruption. Another, albeit minority, interpretation is that the Einstein effect gives redshifts that result from gravitational forces. Misner, Thorne and Wheeler also dismiss this possibility since objects with gravitational redshifts greater than z = 0.5 are unstable against collapse. Finally, there is the expansion of space-time under the Friedmann equations, which fail to give results in accord with observation unless an important proviso is imposed. However, that proviso, based on the assumption that gravitational forces prevent cosmological expansion occurring from the scale of galaxies downward, does not seem to stand up to simple analysis using Newtonian mechanics. In addition, the cosmological expansion factor R in the Friedmann equations has never had its existence verified, and it has never actually been measured. It may simply be a mathematical abstraction. Despite these results, it would appear to be important to have some observational evidence from an entirely independent line of enquiry that might settle the issue once and for all. It is at this point that the work of William Tifft at Steward Observatory in Tucson, Arizona comes into focus.

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