Learning by William

Astronomy is a very humbling experience. Throughout the entire existence of humanity we have looked up at the night sky and the heavens with an everlasting wonder. We always wondered if someone else could be looking right back at us as we were looking towards them. It is the forefront of the human species to be curious, to question, to wonder, and to explore. Our search for answers on if we are one of only or one of many in the universe is no different from our own natural curiosities. As we have looked more thoroughly into the cosmos, we have begun to see that the water on Earth is not one, but one of many planets and moons to have liquid water. Even from within our own solar system, there are planets and many moons that are known to or may possibly have liquid water or liquid lakes on or under their surfaces. Let’s explore the great possible water worlds of Mars, Ganymede, Enceladus, Europa, Titan, Callisto, Ceres, Dione, Mimas, Triton, and, of course, Earth

If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or corrections, email me using the address provided below:

[email protected]

References:

Water Worlds in our Solar System

https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/a14555/water-worlds-in-our-solar-system/

Mars - In Depth

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/space/solar-system/mars/

Earth - In Depth

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/earth/overview/

Ceres - In Depth

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/dwarf-planets/ceres/overview/

Ganymede - In Depth

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/moons/jupiter-moons/ganymede/in-depth/

Ganymede’s Massive Subsurface Ocean

https://www.space.com/28807-jupiter-moon-ganymede-salty-ocean.html

Enceladus - In Depth

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/moons/saturn-moons/enceladus/in-depth/

Titan - In Depth

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/moons/saturn-moons/titan/overview/

Callisto - In Depth

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/moons/jupiter-moons/callisto/in-depth/

Europa - In Depth

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/moons/jupiter-moons/europa/in-depth/

Dione - In Depth

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/moons/saturn-moons/dione/in-depth/

Mimas - In Depth

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/moons/saturn-moons/mimas/in-depth/

Triton - In Depth

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/moons/neptune-moons/triton/in-depth/

For centuries, humans looked up at the brightest planet in our night sky and thought, “could someone be looking back at us?” Venus was always considered to be Earth’s twin sister; the two planets hold alike similar orbits, they are both within the general habitable zone of the Sun, they are both similar in size, mass, and of course gravity; wouldn’t it make sense that under those vibrant orange clouds, there would be another species of extraterrestrials. This is how we thought all the way until the 1960s, when the great planetary astronomer Carl Sagan discovered an immense greenhouse effect occurring on Venus. For the moment, our dreams of a great planetary partner world brimming with extraterrestrial life were diminished; still, there is a great phrase that goes as such: “there is always a way around everything.” It is possible that we may or may not have found how a hypothesized extraterrestrial found a way around Venus’s hellish conditions.

If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or corrections, email me using the address listed below:

[email protected]

References:

Carl Sagan’s Discovery of the Hellish Conditions on Venus

https://mashable.com/article/venus-life-theory-carl-sagan/

Current CO2 Prevalence in Earth’s Atmosphere

https://www.co2.earth/

Doubts and Controversy Surrounding This Discovery

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/venus-phosphine-possible-sign-life-doubts-how-science-works

Conflicting Evidence Detailed by the Discoverer Herself

https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/10/31/1011487/not-finding-life-on-venus-disappointing-good-science-phosphine-biosignature/

What is Phosphine?

https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Phosphine

Discovery of Phosphine on Venus:

https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/2009/2009.06499.pdf

Discovery of Glycine on Venus:

https://arxiv.org/abs/2010.06211

PBS Space Time Video (this video motivated me to learn more about this, and eventually, because I felt there was more that could be said, to make an episode surrounding it for myself)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNdy-LJWNQs

What Phosphine is

https://scitechdaily.com/what-is-phosphine-and-why-does-it-point-to-extra-terrestrial-life-floating-in-the-clouds-of-venus/

Carl Sagan Research Paper Detailing Theoretical Life on Venus

https://www.nature.com/articles/2151259a0

Wikipedia Page Detailing “Life on Venus”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_on_Venus

Has there ever been a math problem, or a confusing word in a book that has confused you? Have you ever become extremely frustrated by the fact that you have no idea what you are trying to solve? Has this difficult math problem or hard-to-cypher word been on a test? After putting in all your effort into thinking about what the answer may be, have you come up short? Did you say “there must be no answer to this question. This question is a paradox?” Well, if your math question is related to the Schrodinger’s Cat thought experiment, you are probably right. Brace yourselves as I attempt to understand, answer, and explain the Schrodinger’s Cat thought experiment and its various interpretations.  

If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or corrections, email me using the address provided below: 

[email protected]  

References:  

Schrodinger's Cat Thought Experiment

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schr%C3%B6dinger%27s_cat 

Physicist: Erwin Schrodinger 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erwin_Schr%C3%B6dinger 

Schrodinger's Wave Function

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schr%C3%B6dinger_equation 

Copenhagen Interpretation - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy 

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/qm-copenhagen/ 

Superposition: an Overview https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/superposition#:~:text=Superposition%20is%20the%20ability%20of,the%20English%20physicist%2C%20Thomas%20Young.  

Collapse of the Wave Function in Quantum Systems 

http://www.quantumphysicslady.org/glossary/collapse-of-the-wave-function/ 

Debunking Arguments Against the Many-Worlds Interpretation - Sean Carroll 

https://www.preposterousuniverse.com/blog/2015/02/19/the-wrong-objections-to-the-many-worlds-interpretation-of-quantum-mechanics 

The Quantum Suicide Machine and Quantum Immortality

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_suicide_and_immortality 

Why the Many-Worlds Interpretation is Probably Correct - Sean Carroll 

https://www.preposterousuniverse.com/blog/2014/06/30/why-the-many-worlds-formulation-of-quantum-mechanics-is-probably-correct/ 

Great video to help summarize many-worlds by the fellow YouTuber, Veritasium 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTXTPe3wahc

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We’ve all seen the enraging videos of Americans aggressively refusing to wear masks, even in areas in which masks are required. In these videos, we see patterns in their defiance; they seem to claim and support the same things. Most will say something along the lines of “it is my freedom to choose whether I wear a mask or not,” “this is a free country,” “I can’t breathe with it on,” or “COVID doesn’t exist.” Even though they seem to claim the same things when defying the law, what is the actual psychology behind why so many people feel wary about wearing masks? Since COVID-19 and mask defiance are both novel (new) topics, we must understand that the psychological factors implicating the rebellion against masks aren’t anywhere near fully-understood. Some of these factors may include health factors like asthma, emphysema, COPD, and other lung conditions (high resting heart rates mean that you will breathe far faster than the general population too, so masks may seem suffocating in that situation; for an example, try running for 2 minutes with a mask on, you will likely become moderately uncomfortable, at the least). In terms of psychological factors, there are many, and they do not all relate to political affiliation. In this episode, we will discuss some (and I cannot stress it enough when I say “some”) psychological factors that likely cause uncomfortability with or outright denial of, masking.

If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or corrections, email me using the address provided below:

[email protected]

References:

Antisocial Masking Disorder - Psychology Today

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/sacramento-street-psychiatry/202005/antisocial-masking-disorder

Fact Check on Donald Trump’s historical stance on face masks

https://www.factcheck.org/2020/09/trump-has-not-been-clear-in-support-of-masks/

Why the use of face masks can be a difficult adjustment - Mind

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/coronavirus/mask-anxiety-face-coverings-and-mental-health/

Strategies and outreach to make the adjustment to wearing face masks less difficult - UW Health

https://www.uwhealth.org/news/masks-can-cause-anxiety-for-some-but-there-is-help-w/53442

The future of humanity is far more uncertain than the future of earth. Earth, being an inanimate object, can be predicted quite easily by the laws of the universe. With conscious and volatile beings like humans, attempting to predict exactly what will happen in their future is almost completely impossible. Though, of course being curious, wondrous human beings, we love to attempt at predicting that future. In this episode, we will delve into a few of the many possible futures we may have this century.

If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or corrections, email me using the address below:

[email protected]

References (I wasn't planning on using Wiki, sorry):

https://nickbostrom.com/papers/future.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_catastrophic_risk#:~:text=A%20survey%20of%20AI%20experts,extinction%20by%20superintelligence%20by%202100.

https://foresight.org/policy/brief2.php#:~:text=The%20long%2Dterm%20goal%20of,cells%20at%20the%20molecular%20level.

https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/12/10/improvements-ahead-how-humans-and-ai-might-evolve-together-in-the-next-decade/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2045_Initiative

https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-immortality-financiers-the-billionaires-who-want-to-live-forever

https://climateactiontracker.org/global/temperatures/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2958330/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progress_in_artificial_intelligence

https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/high-tech-gadgets/technological-singularity.htm

https://www.airspacemag.com/daily-planet/reaching-singularity-may-be-humanitys-greatest-and-last-accomplishment-180974528/

For the third episode of Learning by William, we delve into theories comprising the biological law of evolution. The main theory is, of course, Darwinian Evolution (or Evolution by Natural Selection). In this episode, you will learn about the process of natural selection, along with real-life examples that could apply to you; additionally, you will learn about the process of sexual selection and how it applies to human mating rituals. Thank you all for listening to the third episode of the "Learning by William" podcast! I hope you all enjoy!

If you have any questions, comments, critiques, or if you want to talk to me, please do email me using the address below:

[email protected]

Websites Used for Research:

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11270-008-9925-3 (third law of biology)

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/prokaryote

https://www.windows2universe.org/earth/Life/first_life.html

https://www.livescience.com/474-controversy-evolution-works.html

http://www.mothscount.org/text/63/peppered_moth_and_natural_selection.html

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6731601/

https://www.ucsfhealth.org/education/hemoglobin-and-functions-of-iron

https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/sexual-selection-13255240/

https://sciencing.com/peacocks-mate-4565678.html

https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2017.1320

This episode we will immerse ourselves in the science surrounding the origin of the solar system, the origin of Earth, and the origin of life. We will discuss theories surrounding the creation of the solar system, possible large impact events that could have created the moon, the accretion of Earth, and theories surrounding the origin of life on our planet. Thank you all for listening to the second episode of the "Learning by William" podcast! I hope you all enjoy, and have a good morning, good afternoon, good evening, and goodnight.

If you have any questions, comments, critiques, or if you want to talk to me, please do email me using the address below:

[email protected]

Websites Used for Research:

http://www.astro.umass.edu/~myun/teaching/a100_old/solarnebulartheory.html

https://astronomy.com/news/2019/05/giant-impact-hypothesis-an-evolving-legacy-of-apollo

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/evolution-of-earth/

https://forces.si.edu/atmosphere/02_02_01.html

https://www.teachastronomy.com/textbook/How-Planetary-Systems-Form/Accretion-and-Solar-System-Bodies/

https://www.livescience.com/1804-greatest-mysteries-life-arise-earth.html

https://www.britannica.com/science/abiogenesis

https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/scientists-finish-a-53-year-old-classic-experiment-on-the-origins-of-life

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/173/3995/417

In the first episode of this science podcast, we will delve into the most-important question ever asked: how did it all begin? In this episode we will discuss various theories surrounding the origin of the universe, potential causes for this origin, the eventual death of our universe, and theories surrounding this eventual death. On top of this, you will learn some reasons as to why scientists know how our universe began, and how scientists can map how our universe may "end." Thank you for listening to the first episode of "Learning by William" and I hope you all enjoy! Have a good morning, evening, night, and day.

If you have any questions, comments, or corrections for this podcast, you can email me through the email listed below:

[email protected]

Websites/Books Used for Research:

https://www.space.com/25126-big-bang-theory.html

https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/focus-areas/what-powered-the-big-bang

http://www.ctc.cam.ac.uk/outreach/origins/inflation_zero.php

https://science.howstuffworks.com/dictionary/astronomy-terms/big-bang-theory

https://phys.org/news/2015-12-big-theory.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pobcjRAX3o

http://cosmology.berkeley.edu/Education/CosmologyEssays/The_Cosmic_Microwave_Background.html

https://www.sciencefocus.com/space/what-caused-the-big-bang/

https://phys.org/news/2015-02-big-quantum-equation-universe.html

A Brief History of Time - Stephen Hawking; P. 46-47

https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/focus-areas/what-is-dark-energy

Hello, my name is William Gottemoller; welcome to my new podcast: Learning by William! This episode is basically an introductory episode meant to introduce the podcast, the topics involved, the questions that will be asked and answered, and then a small amount about myself. I thank you for listening and I hope you tune in for future episodes delving into the sciences and the culture of our world! Have a good morning, evening, night, or day.