The Beginning of the Universe
 

We live in a changing universe, and few things are changing faster than our conception of it.

        - Timothy Ferris, "The Whole Shebang"
 

Missing or Incomplete citations receive zero credit.

1. Research!  Read one (or more) of the articles below, or find another article about the interplay and benefits of physics and astronomy research with health, business, or other non-science related areas. Record your thoughts in a short essay, including a properly formatted bibliographic citation.  What is your opinion of the need, and benefit, of such primary research?

Hughes, E.W. (2002). From High-Energy Physics to Medical Research . . . It Happens. Engineering and Science.  California Institute of Technology. Retrieved from http://calteches.library.caltech.edu/4063/1/Medical.pdf

Ellis County Museum (1993) Superconducting Super Collider Fact Sheet: Technical Spin-Offs.  Retrieved from http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~txecm/super_collider.htm   In the early 1990's, the US considered building what would have been the largest particle accelerators in the world, the "superconducting super collider."  Congress did not fund the SCSC.

Particle Detectives (1999) UCSC Review. University of California Santa Cruz. Retrieved from http://review.ucsc.edu/winter.99/particle_detectives.html

Ewert, C. (ed.) (2010) STFC's scientific, social and economic impact. Science and Technology Research Council.  Retrieved 5/08/11 from http://www.stfc.ac.uk/Business+and+Innovation/10618.aspx . There are a number of articles here you might read, including "A New View on the Universe," "Science Matters," and "Science addressing the grand challenges."

Schlein, L. (2004) CERN's New Particle Accelerator Promises Window on Big Bang. VOA. The Epoch Times. Retrieved from  http://www.theepochtimes.com/news/4-7-25/22578.html

Smith, C.H. Llewellyn (2006)  Benefits of Basic Science. CERN.  Retrieved from http://user.web.cern.ch/public/en/About/BasicScience3-en.html   Smith was a past director of CERN, the European Council for Nuclear Research.  CERN houses one of the largest particle colliders in the world and has led research in particle physics for years.

Thomson Gale (2005) Science in Dispute: Is the cost of high-energy laboratories justified? Thomson Corp. Retrieved from http://www.scienceclarified.com/dispute/Vol-2/Is-the-cost-of-high-energy-laboratories-justified.html This is long, but offers pro and con views about spending for large-scale colliders designed to probe the fundamental laws of nature.
 

2. Another Survey! Please ask at least two friends, family members, or colleagues to answer the following questions. First, answer these questions yourself, and record your own answers.  Then, ask 2-3 family members to complete the same questionnaire, and explain what the Big Bang is, and the evidence astronomers have discovered that supports the Big Bang Theory. Record in a short essay of at least 250 words:

(a) who you gave the survey to,

(b) what level of school they have completed,

(c) their answers, verbatim

(d) their reactions when you explained the correct answer to the first question.

To help you with the last question below (#4), you should read some of the papers shared in the resource list above before doing the survey.

1. What is the Big Bang?
    
2. Astronomers have established strong observational and theoretical evidence that the Universe had a beginning. Is it important for us, as humans, to investigate this? Why or why not?
    
3. If investigation of the beginnings of the universe requires spending public tax monies, are you still supportive of that effort?
    
4. If you learned that investigation of the beginnings of the universe has led to scientific advancements in the identification and treatments of cancer and other diseases, as "spin-offs" of the technology and experiments, would your answer to #3 change?