What is the connection between hurricanes, spiral galaxies, and sunflowers?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion explores the intriguing similarities between hurricanes, spiral galaxies, and sunflowers, focusing on their structural patterns and potential connections to physics and nature. Participants touch on concepts from astronomy, physics, and mathematics, particularly in relation to atomic structure and natural phenomena.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes the visual similarities between hurricanes and spiral galaxies, suggesting a connection in their structures.
  • Another participant mentions the analogy between the solar system's eight planets and the eight electrons of an oxygen atom, proposing this as an interesting coincidence related to life on Earth.
  • A participant emphasizes the importance of updating one's understanding of atomic structure beyond traditional models, referencing modern physics and quantum mechanics.
  • There is a suggestion that quantum mechanics has significantly influenced modern technology, although this is presented as a historical note rather than a consensus view.
  • Links to resources, including images of natural patterns and mathematical concepts like the Fibonacci sequence, are shared to enrich the discussion.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a mix of curiosity and differing levels of understanding regarding modern physics and its implications. While some acknowledge the need for updated knowledge, there is no clear consensus on the connections between the discussed phenomena.

Contextual Notes

Some participants reference outdated models of atomic structure, indicating a potential gap in understanding current scientific perspectives. The discussion also includes links to external resources, which may not be universally accepted or interpreted in the same way by all participants.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may interest those curious about the intersections of nature, astronomy, and physics, as well as individuals looking to explore modern scientific concepts and their historical context.

astroscout
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Nature,Astronomy and Physics have facinated me for years but I had no idea they were eerily similar in other ways.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/822/k7xi.jpg/

Nature produces hurricanes that in satellite photos look eerily similar to those of spiral galaxies photographed by the Hubble space telescope.


http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/10/4fh5.jpg/

Physics uses a model of our solar system to help explain the structure of an Atom but what is very interesting about this is that the oxygen Atom has 8 electrons and our solar system has 8 major planets. I know this is only a coincidence but isn't oxygen one of the main givers of life here on Earth?
 
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Are you planning on studying more physics? Your fascination is a good place to start. It's important for you to study a bit more soon, to get past the basic/old concepts, and learn more about reality.

We no longer think in terms of hard ball electrons orbiting the nucleus, and how much it looks like a planetary system. The reality is quite different:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atom

Are you in high school, or maybe starting community college? There are many opportunities to learn about modern physics. And the more that you learn, the more you will find amazing (and more correct) things. :smile:
 
Thanks for your input berkeman. I am 56 yrs old so my knowledge is "old school". Its good to know that we now have new ways of explaining the structure of an atom. I will do some more reading on this thanks for your info.
 
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astroscout said:
Thanks for your input berkeman. I am 56 yrs old so my knowledge is "old school". Its good to know that we now have new ways of explaining the structure of an atom. I will do some more reading on this thanks for your info.

The new way of understanding the atom is called Quantum Mechanics. It makes some shocking claims for those who have never heard of it before. It may seem crazy when you first read about it, but we've been using it for nearly 100 years now and the amount of evidence for it is simply staggering. Practically every piece of modern technology, from computers to plastics to lasers, owes its existence to Quantum Mechanics.

See here for more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Introduction_to_quantum_mechanics
 
astroscout said:
Thanks for your input berkeman. I am 56 yrs old so my knowledge is "old school". Its good to know that we now have new ways of explaining the structure of an atom. I will do some more reading on this thanks for your info.

A book for the layman that covers a great over view of current thought is _A Universe From Nothing_ by Lawrence M. Krauss.
 
Thanks Rusty...
 

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