Thoughts to you from yours truly - ( 48 ) - November 23, 2010

Thoughts to You from Yours Truly - ( TYYT ) - ( 48 ) - Star Dust ( 星塵 ) - Nov., 23, 2010

Who says science is a subject with no romance at all ? Such advocates better think again. All living creatures are , in fact, made of star dust. Our destiny has been and will always be found in the spectacular array of stars that twinkle in the night sky like jewels in an open treasure box. That was actually the description of the cosmos I gave to the reporter when I was interviewed by ABC Science ( Australian Broadcasting Corporation - Science Website in April, 2010 on my part in the Galaxy Zoo project - see this link here ( including my comments at the bottom of the report ) :- http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2010/04/15/2872493.htm ). So, it turns out that our destiny is really in the stars after all.

Every star including our sun is a cosmic nuclear fusion cooking pot. The cooking process starts with the most simple atom which is hydrogen composed of one proton ( with positive electric charge ) and one electron ( with negative charge ). When the star heats up nuclear fusion takes place and two hydrogen atoms fuse or " melt " together to form helium composed of two protons and two electrons. This fusion process progresses until carbon is formed which is composed of 14 protons and 14 electrons by a miraculous process known as resonance without which carbon can never be formed. As everyone knows carbon is the basis for all organic matters so that there would be no life without carbon. This is not the end of our life story which is much more intriguing. The fusion process will progress further until the chemical element of iron with 26 protons and a like number of electrons is formed. Then the process ceases because iron is the most stable element. When all the hydrogen in a burning star becomes iron the nuclear fuel is exhausted and the outward pressure exerted by nuclear fusion reaction will be gone and the force of gravity takes over causing the dying star to collapse upon itself under its own iron mass. The gravitational collapse will result in a tremendous explosion know as a supernova ( meaning new star ) because it marks the beginning of the formation of a new star from the debris of dusts and gas scattered around in space by the supernova. These will coalesce eventually because of gravity until the mass of the debris is dense enough to cause the nuclear fusion process to restart. At this stage a new star is born.

There is still another mysterious twist in the recycling of the cosmic debris created by a supernova explosion. For stars bigger than 8 times the size of our sun the gravitational collapse of the iron core at the end of the nuclear fusion process will be unstoppable and a black hole will be formed. It is known as a black hole because it is infinitely dense so that even light cannot escape. For our earth, the escape velocity of a space rocket leaving the grip of the earth's gravity is about 24,000 km per hour. Light has a velocity of 300,000 km per second. So, one can imagine the density of mass in a black hole. Astronomers cannot see a black hole. Its presence can only be detected by faster than normal movements of stars circulating the black hole as if they are circling nothingness. Most galaxies including our own Milky Way harbour a black hole in their centres. Without the gravitational pull of a massive black hole in the centre our galaxy should have disintegrated long ago judging on the speed of the revolution of a billion stars around the Milky Way centre.

This is the romantic story of our life and humble beginning for creatures both big and small, good and bad. Who or what is the most noble person or creature respectively ? All and none ! All things ( including inanimate matters ) cannot be more equal. So, it is not who or what you are that is important but what you do. If your deeds are in line with the greatest law of all which is the law of nature you are a noble being. Otherwise, you are the anti-hero which is synonymous with the devil if you hurt the environment and its creatures. This applies to all creatures whether they believe in the existence of God or not. The eternal law of nature which is that of cause and effect will ultimately catch up with the devils. I have absolutely no doubt about this. Another vital moral lesson to be learned is that death ( like in a supernova ) is the beginning of life and life death. Therefore, we must accept the inevitable and recognize the achievable. May we all have the wisdom to tell one from the other. Apart from valuable knowledge we can also derive a lot of profound insight and inspiration from astronomy. In my humble opinion, it is an essential subject for all people especially those in power because astronomy can confine politicians' inflated ego to an acceptable level.


誰說科學是一門絕不浪漫的學問。這種想法的倡議者，應該重新檢討他們的思維。因為所有的生物，都是始源於星塵。正是那些耀眼地閃爍着的滿天繁星。它們就有 如一個打開了的寶箱，滿載奪目的珍寶。以上的描述，正是我對澳洲廣播局（ ABC SCIENCE ）記者，訪問我有關 Galaxy Zoo 這個天文學研究計劃中的參與時，我對該計劃的吸引力之評語。這訪問是ABC在 今年四月作出的。這是ABC SCIENCE WEBSITE 的全文：http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2010/04/15/2872493.htm 從以下的講述，你們會了解到，我們確確實實是從星塵而來。

每一夥星包括我們的太陽，都是個核聚變（ nuclear fusion ) 的烹調爐。烹調過程是由最簡單的氫原子開始。氫有一夥proton為核心，外邊有一夥負極的電子圍繞着運行。當星星因核聚變而發熱後，兩夥氫原子便融合為 有兩夥protons和兩夥電子的helium ( 氦 ）。由此類推，以致形成有14夥protons和14夥電子的碳原子了。就有如人所共知的事實。碳是一切生命和有機物質的基礎。但這並不是生命由來的整個 故事，因為整個過程是更加曲折奇異。核聚變會繼續直到鐵元素形成為止。鐵有protons和電子各26夥，而且鐵是最穩定的元素。到了這地步，核聚變便停 止下來。當一夥星的氫全都變成鐵的時候，星便再沒有由核反應所產生的向外爆炸力量了。因此，重力（ gravity )便成主要向內壓的能量。最後，這個全是鐵的星星，便會由於重力過大而爆炸， 這巨大無比的爆炸，就是supernova（ 超新星）的奪目耀眼奇觀了。它叫作超新星，是因為這就是另外一夥新星誕生的開始了。過程是這樣的，supernova 爆炸後，餘下的塵和廢物，再度會因 gravity ( 重力 ）而凝聚。到達密度十分高的時間，核聚變又會再度發動。此時，一夥新星便再誕生了。

其實，這故事還有另一個枝節。是有關星塵和其他廢物的循環再用。假如爆炸的星，是比太陽大上八倍或者以上的話，該正在死亡中的星，會不停止地被重力壓縮至 成為黑洞。後者是個極度密集的點，連光線都不能逃跑出來。以地球而言，火箭要有每小時24,000公里的速度，才可脫離地球的吸引力， 亦即是重力。反之， 光的速度是每一秒300,000 公里，所以我們可以想像得到，黑洞的密度和重力有多大。由於黑洞是看不見的，所以科學家只可以觀察星體運行的速度來估計黑洞的存在。按照一般科學家的估 計，許多銀河系統，都有黑洞隱藏在它們的中心。以我們的Milky Way Galaxy 為例，那十億夥星的旋轉速度，不是因為有一個超大的黑洞隱藏在銀河中心，所有星星都應已飛散四方了。

以上便是我們的生命源由，既浪漫亦卑微。誰人是最尊貴？所有人或者沒有人可以說得上是最尊尚。眾生皆平等也。誰都是出於星塵，細微而普通，四處皆是。因 此，你是誰並不重要，而你的行為，卻能肯定你本身的價值。行為失當，作姦犯科等傷天害理的罪行，會令你成為魔鬼。信仰神靈者或無神論者，都逃避不了因果 報應這天然定律。再者，有如超新星的滅亡，不過只是另一生命或新星的開始吧了！何必苦苦追憶，悲痛欲絕。來自塵土，亦歸於塵土。生死循環不盡，何懼之有。只怕沒有好好地，有意義的活過這生。因此， 我們必須接受不可改變的事情，卻要分辨出可以達到的目標。讓我祝願各位，人皆智慧，能把以上的兩種相反的事情，明確地分辨出來。除了可以給我們帶來寶貴的知識外，天文學更能為人帶來無限珍貴的心得，以及深遠的啟示。愚見是，天文學的確是一門必修的學問，尤其是當權者，因為它能夠令他們過份膨脹的自我，抑制在一個可接受的水平。

JKHC.