Sky & Telescope Essays - Physical Cosmology, Astrophysics

Sky & Telescope Patrick Sullivan 2nd hour Astronomy Mr. Wessling Magazine Report Sky & Telescope The Future of the Universe The magazine Sky & Telescope is a very helpful magazine for beginning and amateur astronomers. The magazine contains information on new star clusters, constellations, galaxies, and even possible new planets. It gives a more in-depth look at what's going on outside our galaxy. This magazine is also helpful in showing astronomers new ways to look at stars. Certain articles can help with finding focal points, which elements of the spectrum to use to view certain stars, and how to get the best photo images as possible. Sky & Telescope also offers a wide range of different pictures for those who don't have telescopes. They always seem to find some of the best pictures to use in their magazine. Sky & Telescope has even reached the web, at www.skypub.com, where you can find the very latest in new galaxies and tools to help see these new constellations. It is also a good way to communicate with fellow astronomers and cosmologists. If you're having trouble finding out the latest missions in Space Exploration, you can go to Sky & Telescope to find out. There is a monthly article on the latest missions and findings, for those who are interested. The article I researched explained the possible Future of the Universe. At the beginning, it explains the different possible types of universe: flat, closed, and open. A closed universe, caused theoretically by the Big Bang Theory, will make the universe collapse on itself over a period of time. An open universe can keep expanding, because there are no barriers to make it collapse on itself like a closed universe. The flat universe may keep expanding, but it will be at such a slow rate that it will seem to approach a standstill. The article is explained more easily through a cosmic time line. The age of the universe starts with the Big Bang then moves to the Inflation era, through new galaxies and clusters to the end of inflation. When the universe started, it was full of high potent energy and heat, so it had to expand. This in turn created new universes. The next era, the radiation-dominated era, was caused by the high energy and inflation. Over time, the radiation decreased from the mass of the universe, and stars were created. This brought the Stelliferous era. This is when the Milky Way was formed along with many other galaxies. Next comes the Degenerate and Black Hole era. These are the eras where the planets are pulled out of their orbits, stars are turned into white dwarfs, and the black holes turn the universe inside out. Most galaxies will be crushed, and the only things left will be the black holes. After time passes, the black holes will evaporate, leaving nothing but empty space. Bibliography Bibliography Adams, Fred C., and Laughlin, Gregory. Sky & Telescope. August 1998, pages 32-39. Sky Publishing Corporation, 1998. Science Essays

Definition and Examples of Sorites in Rhetoric

Definition and Examples of Sorites in Rhetoric In logic, sorites is a  chain of categorical syllogisms or enthymemes in which the intermediate conclusions have been omitted. Plural: sorites. Adjective: soritical. Also known as  chain argument, climbing argument, little-by-little argument, and polysyllogism. In Shakespeares Use of the Arts of Language (1947), Sister Miriam Joseph notes that a sorites normally involves repetition of the last word of each sentence or clause at the beginning of the next, a figure which the rhetoricians called climax or gradation, because it marks the degrees or steps in the argument. Etymology:  From the Greek, heap​Pronunciation:  suh-RITE-eez Examples and Observations Here is an example [of sorites]: All bloodhounds are dogs.All dogs are mammals.No fish are mammals.Therefore, no fish are bloodhounds. The first two premises validly imply the intermediate conclusion All bloodhounds are mammals. If this intermediate conclusion is then treated as a premise and put together with the third premise, the final conclusion follows validly. The sorites is thus composed of two valid categorical syllogisms and is therefore valid. The rule in evaluating a sorites is based on the idea that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. If any of the component syllogisms in a sorites is invalid, the entire sorites is invalid.(Patrick J. Hurley, A Concise Introduction to Logic, 11th ed. Wadsworth, 2012)   St. Paul uses a causal sorites in the form of a gradatio when he wants to show the interlocking consequences that follow from a falsification of Christs resurrection: Now if Christ be preached that He rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection from the dead? But if there be no resurrection from the dead, then is Christ not risen: and if Christ be not risen, then is our teaching vain, and [if our preaching is vain] your faith is also vain (I Cor. 15:12-14).We might unfold this sorites into the following syllogisms: 1. Christ was dead / The dead never rise / Therefore Christ did not rise; 2. That Christ did rise is not true / We preach that Christ is risen / Therefore we preach what is not true. 3. Preaching what is not true is preaching in vain / We preach what is not true / Therefore we preach in vain. 4. Our preaching is vain / Your faith comes from our preaching / Therefore your faith is vain. St. Paul, of course, made his premises hypothetical to show their disastrous consequences and then to contradict them firmly: But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead (I Cor. 15:20).(Jeanne Fahnestock, Rhetorical Figures in Science. Oxford University Press, 1999)   The Sorites Paradox While the sorites conundrum can be presented as a series of puzzling questions it can be, and was, presented as a paradoxical argument having logical structure. The following argument form of the sorites was common: 1 grain of wheat does not make a heap.If 1 grain of wheat does not make a heap then 2 grains of wheat do not.If 2 grains of wheat do not make a heap then 3 grains do not...._____∠´ 10,000 grains of wheat do not make a heap. The argument certainly seems to be valid, employing only modus ponens and cut (enabling the chaining together of each sub-argument involving a single modus ponens inference.) These rules of inference are endorsed by both Stoic logic and modern classical logic, amongst others.Moreover its premises appear true. . . .The difference of one grain would seem to be too small to make any difference to the application of the predicate; it is a difference so negligible as to make no apparent difference to the truth-values of the respective antecedents and consequents. Yet the conclusion seems false.(Dominic Hyde, The Sorites Paradox. Vagueness: A Guide, ed. by Giuseppina Ronzitti. Springer, 2011)​ The Sad Sorites, by Maid Marion The Sorites looked at the PremissWith a tear in his wistful eye,And softly whispered a Major TermTo a Fallacy standing by.O sweet it were to wanderAlong the sad sea sand,With a coyly blushing PredicateClasping thy willing hand!O happy are the Mood and Tense,If such indeed there be,Who thus Per Accidens may roamBeside the briny sea.Where never Connotation comes,Nor Denotation een.Where Enthymemes are things unknown,Dilemmas never seen.Or where the tree of PorphyryBears stately branches high,While far away we dimly seeA Paradox pass by.Perchance a Syllogism comes,In haste we see it flyHither, where peacefully it restsNor fears Dichotomy.Ah! would such joys were mine! AlasEmpiric they must be,Till hand in hand both Mood and TenseAre joined thus lovingly.(The Shotover Papers, Or, Echoes from Oxford, October 31, 1874)