From bf68b13dd49a0c74a703afb0c4456a19cb5accd8 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Andrew Cady Date: Mon, 28 Aug 2023 09:07:34 -0400 Subject: move docs --- doc/cosmos-notes.txt | 8 +++++ doc/life-on-earth-celebration.md | 76 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ doc/todo.txt | 25 +++++++++++++ life-on-earth-celebration.md | 76 ---------------------------------------- 4 files changed, 109 insertions(+), 76 deletions(-) create mode 100644 doc/cosmos-notes.txt create mode 100644 doc/life-on-earth-celebration.md create mode 100644 doc/todo.txt delete mode 100644 life-on-earth-celebration.md diff --git a/doc/cosmos-notes.txt b/doc/cosmos-notes.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e4e756e --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/cosmos-notes.txt @@ -0,0 +1,8 @@ +28:45 Welcome to Planet Earth +30:09 to 36:42 Eratosthenes +39:36 to 50:04 Library of Alexandria +50:04 Kepler +51:25 Timekeeping permitted exploration +51:52 The Earth was all explored. Hubble, galaxies. 1920s. Expansion of galaxy. Age of universe. +52:48 Cosmic Calendar [big bang intro] +53:05 Cosmic Calendar [calendar itself] diff --git a/doc/life-on-earth-celebration.md b/doc/life-on-earth-celebration.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b4e580e --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/life-on-earth-celebration.md @@ -0,0 +1,76 @@ +# Life on Earth Celebration + +A water-balloon fight to celebrate the anniversary of the first life on Earth. + +## The first life on Earth + +### The Cosmic Calendar + +The Cosmic Calendar is made by pretending that the universe is exactly one year +old. + +The universe was born on January 1st, at midnight, the beginning of this year; +and it will reach its present age on midnight, December 31st, at the end of this +year. + +Since the universe is actually 14 billion years old: + +* One month on the Cosmic Calendar is 1.1 billion years. + +* One day on the Cosmic Calendar is 38 million years. + + and + +* One second on the Cosmic Calendar is 437 years. + +#### Today, on October 1st, the universe becomes 10 months old. + +That means today we commemorate the time when the universe was 10.3 billion +years old. Or, about three and a half billion years ago. That was a very special +time, because it was then that life first formed on Earth. + +In fact, life probably began around September 23rd -- 3.8 billion years ago. We +chose this day to celebrate because of the weekend and the nice weather. + +But the earliest fossils which prove to a certainty that life existed date from +exactly tomorrow -- October 2nd -- 3.4 billion years ago. So today's date works +out pretty well either way. + +## Why water balloons? + +When Rory was four years old, Ella left her alone with me one night to go to a +Mom's night out. We were looking at photographs of the desert and at some point +I told her that humans are mostly made out of water -- and she did _not_ believe +me! How can humans be made of water? Why doesn't the water spill out? I went to +the kitchen and filled up six zip lock bags with water and stacked them up on +the table. Humans are made up of little _bags_ of water called cells. All life +is made up of cells, except for viruses which can only live inside the cells of +other life forms. This is why the water balloon is a symbol of all life. + +The water balloon is also fun to play with. It is fun because it is unstable -- +it is easily broken -- and when that happens, the water _does_ all spill out! +Today we are going to get wet, or at least those of us who are kids are going to +get wet. And then we will dry off and warm up by the fire. + +It's a bit late in the year for water balloon fights but it's a nice day today, +just nice enough. It's may be the last day of the year when we can get wet and +still have fun. Soon it will be cold. + +This is also fitting the theme of the first life on Earth, because on the cosmic +calendar, life is a phenomenon of fall and the winter. + +In the history of the Earth, life is also connected closely with cooling down. +Just three weeks ago, on September 6th -- Rory's Birthday -- the planet Theia +collided with Earth, forming the Moon. The Moon was not formed from the mass of +Theia, though; Theia and Earth were thoroughly mixed together. The two planets +became one exploding mass, and the remnants of the explosion became the Moon. +Those remnants were so hot that they were made out of vaporized rock. Not liquid +lava, but liquid lava turned into vapor. _Thankfully_, things have cooled down +since then. In just about 100 years of real time, the doughnut-shaped cloud of +rock vapor cooled down enough to become the Moon. And in a short 600 million +years, or 17 cosmic days, the Earth itself cooled down enough to allow for life +to begin. + +So as the days get cooler and become cold, or if you happen to get cold and wet +today, remember to be thankful. + diff --git a/doc/todo.txt b/doc/todo.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d35360e --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/todo.txt @@ -0,0 +1,25 @@ +10 second countdown widget +For each of the 10 seconds, show EITHER a second count, or else a countdown number. + +Not enough time to say 7 if you have to say "History begins in Dynastic China", +so we can skip that one too. + +Possibly, we could say + + 15 + 14 Copper tools + 13 + 12 Bronze tools + 11 + 10 + 9 + 8 History begins in dynastic China + 7 + 6 + 5 Old Testament & Buddha + 4 Christ born + 3 Muhammad born + 2 + 1 Columbus in America + 0 ZERO! THE PRESENT! HAPPY NEW YEAR! THE BIG BANG! + diff --git a/life-on-earth-celebration.md b/life-on-earth-celebration.md deleted file mode 100644 index b4e580e..0000000 --- a/life-on-earth-celebration.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,76 +0,0 @@ -# Life on Earth Celebration - -A water-balloon fight to celebrate the anniversary of the first life on Earth. - -## The first life on Earth - -### The Cosmic Calendar - -The Cosmic Calendar is made by pretending that the universe is exactly one year -old. - -The universe was born on January 1st, at midnight, the beginning of this year; -and it will reach its present age on midnight, December 31st, at the end of this -year. - -Since the universe is actually 14 billion years old: - -* One month on the Cosmic Calendar is 1.1 billion years. - -* One day on the Cosmic Calendar is 38 million years. - - and - -* One second on the Cosmic Calendar is 437 years. - -#### Today, on October 1st, the universe becomes 10 months old. - -That means today we commemorate the time when the universe was 10.3 billion -years old. Or, about three and a half billion years ago. That was a very special -time, because it was then that life first formed on Earth. - -In fact, life probably began around September 23rd -- 3.8 billion years ago. We -chose this day to celebrate because of the weekend and the nice weather. - -But the earliest fossils which prove to a certainty that life existed date from -exactly tomorrow -- October 2nd -- 3.4 billion years ago. So today's date works -out pretty well either way. - -## Why water balloons? - -When Rory was four years old, Ella left her alone with me one night to go to a -Mom's night out. We were looking at photographs of the desert and at some point -I told her that humans are mostly made out of water -- and she did _not_ believe -me! How can humans be made of water? Why doesn't the water spill out? I went to -the kitchen and filled up six zip lock bags with water and stacked them up on -the table. Humans are made up of little _bags_ of water called cells. All life -is made up of cells, except for viruses which can only live inside the cells of -other life forms. This is why the water balloon is a symbol of all life. - -The water balloon is also fun to play with. It is fun because it is unstable -- -it is easily broken -- and when that happens, the water _does_ all spill out! -Today we are going to get wet, or at least those of us who are kids are going to -get wet. And then we will dry off and warm up by the fire. - -It's a bit late in the year for water balloon fights but it's a nice day today, -just nice enough. It's may be the last day of the year when we can get wet and -still have fun. Soon it will be cold. - -This is also fitting the theme of the first life on Earth, because on the cosmic -calendar, life is a phenomenon of fall and the winter. - -In the history of the Earth, life is also connected closely with cooling down. -Just three weeks ago, on September 6th -- Rory's Birthday -- the planet Theia -collided with Earth, forming the Moon. The Moon was not formed from the mass of -Theia, though; Theia and Earth were thoroughly mixed together. The two planets -became one exploding mass, and the remnants of the explosion became the Moon. -Those remnants were so hot that they were made out of vaporized rock. Not liquid -lava, but liquid lava turned into vapor. _Thankfully_, things have cooled down -since then. In just about 100 years of real time, the doughnut-shaped cloud of -rock vapor cooled down enough to become the Moon. And in a short 600 million -years, or 17 cosmic days, the Earth itself cooled down enough to allow for life -to begin. - -So as the days get cooler and become cold, or if you happen to get cold and wet -today, remember to be thankful. - -- cgit v1.2.3