Slog

News & Arts

Line Out

Music & the City
at Night

« The Morning News | Slog Election Coverage »

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Science Almost All of the Universe Is Dark

Posted by Charles Mudede on Wed, Nov 4, 2009 at 8:13 AM

Just 5% of everything is normal:

A detailed picture of the seeds of structures in the universe has been unveiled by an international team co-led by Sarah Church of the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, jointly located at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University, and by Walter Gear, of Cardiff University in the United Kingdom. These measurements of the cosmic microwave background — a faintly glowing relic of the hot, dense, young universe — put limits on proposed alternatives to the standard model of cosmology and provide further support for the standard cosmological model, confirming that dark matter and dark energy make up 95% of everything in existence, while ordinary matter makes up just 5%

Such discoveries, discoveries that decenter and belittle humans, gives us a terrific sense of what Terry Eagleton calls "the sublime negative." To use Martin Rees words: "The distinctive details of our universe, and of everything in it (ourselves included), seem to be the outcome of what might be called an accident."

From the accident of the universe, the sublime negativity itself, we get this other accidental universe, the accident of Miss Universe 2009:

Even her dress is a universe.

Comments (15) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment

...an accident?

or something intentional? That's equally as plausible.

Posted by raindrop on November 4, 2009 at 8:40 AM

not today, Charles...

Posted by Go Outside and Play on November 4, 2009 at 8:46 AM

It looks clear to me that God chose both humanity and this fine specimen.

Posted by Josiah on November 4, 2009 at 8:46 AM

ps
miss universe seems a little flat compared to miss bootylicious from yesterday

Posted by keep it up on November 4, 2009 at 8:47 AM

I appreciate the photo, but that's not the winner. She's
here.

Posted by bigyaz on November 4, 2009 at 8:57 AM

Charles post template:

Marx was smarter than God.
Physics is scary.
BOOBIES.

Just post this over and over again, Charles. Save us all some time.

Posted by Judah

on November 4, 2009 at 8:59 AM

curves? I think not.

Posted by Rotten666 on November 4, 2009 at 9:01 AM

BIGYAZ R U A SPOKESPERSONE 4 DAT NEW CAFFIENE + BIRF CONTROL THANG YAZ? RECOMMEND.

SNOOKERED GO INSANE, I WUZ FLY TILL I FOUND IT, LIGHTS UP AND ON.

Posted by LaRiiiiM0RrrHAwtiiii696969

on November 4, 2009 at 9:02 AM

@5, i will make the correction.

Posted by Charles Mudede on November 4, 2009 at 9:06 AM

5
oh my

Posted by there is a god on November 4, 2009 at 9:14 AM

More T&A *Yawn*

But I do appreciate the phallic symbol in the background.

Posted by Confluence on November 4, 2009 at 9:16 AM

Intent is a human concept.

Posted by Vince on November 4, 2009 at 9:19 AM

please link a hot lady picture to underline the theme of every post you make.

Posted by Max Solomon on November 4, 2009 at 11:17 AM

Can the straight female staffers please start posting sexy photos of Logan from Project Runway or Tim Riggins from Friday Night Lights so we can get some equality up in here? If Dan Savage supports sexualization of straight men, he can actually do something to show it.

I know Mudede only uses these sexy photos to get people to actually write something nice to him, but come on...

Posted by More hot men, please... on November 4, 2009 at 11:51 AM