Time again to reach into the “Ask Mr. Cosmology” mailbag and see what readers want to know about . . .
The Wonders of the Universe!
Q: Does the word “creation” imply a Creator?
Mr. Cosmology: No, thank God.
Q: What does Mr. Cosmology think of the theorists who argue for the anthropic principle?
Mr. Cosmology: They’re always so me, me, me.
Q: How would Mr. Cosmology describe the difference between HST and JWST?
Mr. Cosmology: Wait, are we back to the whole Scrabble thing from a previous Ask Mr. Cosmology mailbag? If so, then HST = 6 and JWST = 14. Which is roughly the same proportion as the difference in their mirror sizes (2.4 meters versus 6.5 meters). The Creator works in mysterious ways! (Even so, acronyms aren’t admissible in Scrabble tournament play.)
Q: How far is the horizon?
Mr. Cosmology: For a six-foot tall person, the horizon is about three miles away, so maybe an hour on foot. Or three minutes by car. Or five days on Southwest.
Q: When I reach the horizon, what will I see?
Mr. Cosmology: A horizon.
Q: Okay, when I reach that horizon, what will I see?
Mr. Cosmology: You’re not really getting the hang of this horizon business, are you?
Q: Why am I here?
Mr. Cosmology: You mean instead of beyond the horizon?
Q: No, I mean as in What is the meaning of life?
Mr. Cosmology: The astronomer Edwin Hubble once wrote, “The history of astronomy is a history of receding horizons.” To which the Creator replied, “The history of astronomers is a history of receding Edwin Hubbles.”
Q: So Mr. Cosmology does believe in a Creator?
Mr. Cosmology: Mr. Cosmology believes that we are all horizons, and that we are all receding (especially, for some of us, in the hairline department).