2006-04-22: Cosmic Inflation

[Robert]

The next chat session is scheduled for this coming Saturday, April 22nd, at 3:00pm Central Standard Time (CST) or GMT-6.

The topic is ...

Cosmic Inflation

Cosmic Inflation, or Inflationary Theory, proposes that the universe passed through a phase of exponential expansion, known as the inflationary epoch, that was driven by a negative pressure vacuum energy density.

Inflation resolves several problems in the big bang cosmology, some are listed below:

1. Flatness Problem
2. Horizon Problem
3. Monopole Problem

In 1998 a discovery was made that the expansion of the universe is accelerating. Dark energy has been named as the cause of this effect, but very little is know of this mysterious dark energy. In fact, no theoretical model yet accounts for or explains the presence of dark energy in the predicted amount (about 70%).

References

1. Inflation for Beginners.
2. Video of Dr. Alan H. Guth describing the theory of inflation.
3. Dark Energy, by Answers.com.

Timezone Information

You can use the timezone converter to convert to your local time. Once there, enter the day and time as specified above, then select US/Central in the "From Time Zone" column and your own location in the "To Time Zone" column, then click Convert. Be sure and unclick the "Use Current Date/Time" option. This will give you the time of the chat meeting in your own local time.

Some other areas:

Texas, U.S. - Saturday, 3:00pm
California, U.S. - Saturday, 1:00pm
India - Sunday, 1:30am
London - Saturday, 9:00pm
Madrid, Spain - Saturday, 10:00pm
Melbourne, Australia - Sunday, 6:00am
New Zealand - Sunday, 8:00am
Sweden - Saturday, 10:00pm
Canada, Eastern - Saturday, 4:00pm
Pakistan - Sunday, 1:00am

Let's meet in the Flash Chatroom. Hope to see you there! It's optional, but you're encouraged to select the appropriate option in the poll so we know who's coming.

[mkirkpatrick]

Great topic Robert I will do my best to be there.It seems like ages since the last one,the trouble with inflation though Robert is that the bubble will burst?


kind regards michael

[HappytheStripper]

I will definitly be there .... thanks Robert (8am - lol a bit early for a sunday)
so if I fall asleep at the keyboard .......................... hehehe

[HappytheStripper]

Great topic Robert I will do my best to be there.It seems like ages since the last one,the trouble with inflation though Robert is that the bubble will burst?


kind regards michael

Lmao Michael ... this so reminds me of the NZ dollar ... It recently burst ... now it has no value at all ...

[Robert]

I will definitly be there .... thanks Robert (8am - lol a bit early for a sunday)
so if I fall asleep at the keyboard .......................... hehehe

Uhhh, Mrs. Happy. I just redid my calculations and updated the times. It looks like Australia will be 6am and not 8am. But the good news (for some) is that India is 1:30am rather than 2:30am.

[Robert]

You're fine Mrs. Happy; still 8am for NZ. In my weary moments last night I thought you were in Australia, even though I know you're in New Zealand. Please forgive me

[Robert]

I may not be at the chat today, or at least not the whole 2 hours, due to obligations from my day job. I'll need to go into the office today to work on a project that I hope to complete by end of May. It's cutting into my ToeQuest time a little bit (but only a little) so I apologize for that, but thats where I earn my money to support ToeQuest. Can't live on ToeQuest alone.