Abstract:  What is offered here are tentative, albeit 
speculative answers, to what are considered the 50 major 
questions in cosmology.  Naturally this astronomical 
community wants 'scientific' answers and not the rank 
speculations found here.

The source of the questions are to be found in a ten dollar 
astronomy magazine entitled ASTRONOMY (collector's edition - 
displayed until August 21, 2007.)

i don't like paying $10 for an astronomy magazine, magazines 
used to cost 35 cents, but this particular one seemed well 
worth it, if only as a source for classroom discussion.

But the magazine is worth it for the 150 great pictures of 
the cosmos alone as well.

And the magazine is worth it for the 50 postured questions,

And the magazine it worth it for the discussion of present 
tentative understanding of the mysteries by the scientific 
community.

Bright educators could probably develop an entire astronomy 
101 course from the magazine alone, supplying any relevant 
math on their own.

And the magazine is worth it for the excellent articles 
written by the young David J. Eicher.

So let's get to it...



Question #1:  How old is the Universe?

Answer #1:  Depending upon the reality of the "big 
bang" we can argue that the universe is as old as when 
"time" began.  Time allegedly began with the big bang.
When did the big bang and Time begin...?  anyhow, that is 
how old the cosmos is.

Now if you don't accept as gospel an initial hot singularity 
as the source of the cosmos, then the problem gets a little 
more complex.  The most probable answer then is that the 
universe has no known beginning and, in all probability, 
will have no end, if we ignore entropy.  At least, an end, 
as we understand it. (refer to the universe+ chapter.)

Answer #2:  The age of the universe is an interesting 
question.  Consider that time dilates and stops under 
absolute gravitation or better, under absolute spacetime 
warpage.

So the clocks in the cosmos are all running under different 
dilation schedules and show different times, depending upon 
how much spacetime warpage they are under.

The calendars therefore are all really, really, wobbly and 
really, really different.  

Areas with or under little or no gravitational influence 
have the longest calendars (greatest age) as they haven't 
had their time dilated as much as those areas that are under 
amounts of time dilation and warpage in spacetime.

It is a real difficult concept to get your head around 
accurately, and of course, i am not sure i have by any 
means, but the age of the universe according to my view 
appears to vary and depend upon its gravitational density 
for any x,y,z,t point.

Time, unlike heat or temperature, does not appear to be self 
averaging, or self distributing, over time.  That is, the 
laws of thermodymanics do not apply to time dilation.

Mass density (warped spacetime) determines the tick-tock 
rate of the clock for all.

Time Dilation appears to a joe as a direct recipocal of 
density (warped spactime)

Have i answered a question which has no answer?

The age of the universe 'varies' from place to place...



If you don't like the above answer here is another one:

Answer #3:  The universe is without beginning or end, 
it just is.  It didn't have a beginning and doesn't have an 
end.



or if you don't like that answer here is yet another one:

Answer #4:  The universe is subject to entropy so 
naturally, it would have a beginning, and at some unknown 
time, an end... sometime.

It is just that the sometime is beyond human realization or 
measurement currently.

Thus spake Zarathustra  :-)



Choose the answer that makes you the happiest.

All correct or incorrect answers appear to be irrelevant to 
our existence, or to the real issues that face humanity in 
its struggle with itself.

The spider does not philosophize with the moth.




Question #2:  How Big is the Universe?

Answer #1)  Real big...

Answer #2)  Given the current accepted hypothesis of a 
"reality" of a "big bang" event, the volume of the cosmos 
may have a potential liquidated number available.  Outward 
varying velocity of mass times the elapsed varying amounts 
of dilated time & etc.  As dilatation decreases would it 
appear that velocity increases?  joe will leave that one for 
the experts...

In sum, the outward expansion of the universe, which appears 
to be accelerating according to some reports, may be doing 
so only because time dilation is decreasing because of the 
cosmos moving out of denser gravitational environment.

Answer #3)  If the Universe+ hypothesis is correct then the 
problem becomes unsolvable.  No available method at this 
time will yield any value that can be considered a 
reasonable proximation of accuracy as to its size.



                      Question #3:

             How did the "big bang" happen?

Well, that is a question indeed.

The first answer to this mystery #3 is joes hypothesis, and 
that is that the "big bang" didn't happen in the way 
commonly thought.

It was a big bang all right, but it was a slow bang due to 
the ultra extreme pressures within the hypermassive object 
collapsing the gravity causing mechanism within the quantum 
resonance that we call "mass".

For a fuller discussion of this theory please read the 
chapter called the Universe plus hypothesis and the SNOT 
standard model as well as the revisions to the snot standard 
model in the latter chapters.

If the Big Bang happened in the way currently presented 
according to the popular vote of the physicists today, then 
there is a real mystery to solve. 

The apparent acceleration of the cosmos expansion may have 
many other sources other than the "big bang" scenario 
currently presented.  among which are lessening time 
dilation, red shifting due to particles in space itself 
(calcium, sodium ions or others) that may draw down energy 
and cause a deceitful red shift in passing electromagnetic 
radiation (the tired light of Zwicky) being confused with an 
expansion of the universe.

And last but not least, a real acceleration of the visible 
cosmos due to the super attraction of other waiting and 
accreting hypermassive black hole objects at the edges of 
our own visible cosmos.

Simply put, one hypermassive black hole 'explodes' only to 
have the pieces of it slowly accelerate gravitationally into 
other surrounding hypermassive black holes.  Somewhat akin 
to a giant fission process.  instead of using atoms, we use 
hypermassive black holes...

cheery what? 



                      Question #4:

                 What is "dark matter"?

Answer #1:  joe maintains there isn't any.  The universe is 
just totally composed of mass and radiation or in joe's 
words, "dirt and superdirt".  Extensive gravitational 
effects are caused by invisible black holes much more 
numerous than previously acknowledged.

The confusing and somewhat misleading gravitational picture 
of the orbit velocities of the spiral arms of the visible 
galaxies are generated by two accelerating, closing, black 
holes losing matter through the centrifugal effect of their 
accelerating closing velocities.    



                         Question #5:

                    How did Galaxies Form?

Answer #1:  see answer to #4.



                         Question #6:

                 How common are black holes?

Answer #1:  Very.  Plus, they come in lots of different 
sizes to make everybody unhappy.

Each galaxy is made up of two of more "depleted" black holes 
which has 'unacretted' most of their mass in closing to a 
final binary orbit or even eventual merging into one black 
residual central black hole, now cranked up in rotational 
velocity.

It is conceivable that more than two black holes may merge 
to make up a resultant galaxy.

The closing mechanics and the resultant visible display of 
those final systems could appear perplexing to say the 
least.

The spiral arms, containing much left behind material, 
probably would contain many much smaller tiny black holes 
and lots of visible flotsam.  All this material is just the 
rubbish left behind at their dislocated x,y velocities in 
orbit around the now closed binary system.



                         Question #7:

          How many planets are in the solar system?

Answer #1:  probably ten, cause that is how many fingers we 
got.



                         Question #8:

                        Are we alone?

Answer #1:  Don't ask me, ask the church.  They have a God 
that just built them.  Given our amorality, shouldn't we be?

Answer #2:  yes.

Answer #3:  no.

Answer #4:  maybe.

Answer #5:  We are part of the hole.

Answer #6:  We are part of the whole, we are, or can be, the 
consciousness of the Cosmos.



                         Question #9:

              What is the fate of the universe?

Answer #1:  To Exist, to Be, in Time.

Answer #2:  to entropy into oblivion.

Answer #3:  dunno.



                         Question #10:

              What will happen to life on Earth?

Answer #1:  What happens to life anywhere that dwells upon 
the earth?  it dies.



                         Question #11:

                     What is dark energy?

Answer #1:  See answer to question #4.  there ain't any.



                         Question #12:

                  What are gamma-ray bursts?

Answer #1:  Good question.

Answer #2:  Ultra high energy superdirt.



                         Question #13:

            Will asteroids threaten life on Earth?

Answer #1:  yup.

Answer #2:  depends what life you are talking about.
            Us, yes.
            Tiny gizmos in the water? probably not too much.



                         Question #14:

                 Is water necessary for life?

Answer #1:  It is necessary for mine.
            I don't know about you.

Answer #2:  We will have to wait and see on that one.

Answer #3:  Depends on how you define life.

Answer #4:  Depends on how you define water.

Answer #5:  Can the Evil exist without the Good?
            Can the Good exist without the Evil?
            Can the Light exist without the Darkness?
            Can the Darkness exist without the Light?



                         Question #15:

           Is there life on Mars, Titan, or Europa?

Answer #1:  Well, when i was last there, i didn't see any.  
All i saw was some techno gizmos putt-putting around and 
some ancient left behind junk from obvivously other 
civilizations.

Answer #2:  don't know yet.  doubtful true Life exists 
within Mars.  otherwise it wouldn't be Mars, would it?  
Same, same with Titan.  Not so sure about Europa.



                         Question #16:

                    Why did Mars dry out?

Answer #1:  Mars probably was never really that all wet.  
Erosional evidence of water on Mars probably just came from 
massive passing water balloon inpacts from space. That, 
combined with the high wind erosion, gives a misleading 
appearance of the existence of water earlier existing on 
Mars.  Some of it might have soaked in and froze in the 
poles.  doubtful that any of it just gravitationally 'went 
away' back into outer space.  gravity is gravity.



                         Question #17:

                    How did the Moon form?

Answer #1:  It formed round.

Answer #2:  The same way Earth formed.  By accretion.

Answer #3:  Was the earth and moon once one big glop that 
got wacked in two by a passing hammer?

ehh... not enough resultant little guys out there in various 
orbit to give a lot of support to that idea.  Contrariwise, 
the earth and the moon have a lot of pock marks that give 
some evidence that they both took a lot of hits from some 
sort of possible active accretion process earlier going on.

weird... sort of a binary planet situation with the earth 
and the moon.  orbit mechanics are a real mystery.  Was it 
captive?  or a self generating system?  hmmm...

Anyhow, the moon is going away.  the tides have been 
lessening for a gazillion years.  soon there won't be any 
tides as the moon sort of just wanders off into space unless 
something bonks it to orbit in ever closing orbit again.



                         Question #18:

                Where do meteorites come from?

Answer #1:  They came from outer space.

Answer #2:  They are being hand thrown by Zeus at Earth.

Answer #3:  more importantly, where are they going?



                         Question #19:

              Can light escape from black holes?

Answer #1:  No.  that is why the hole is black.
            If it was a gray hole, then maybe.
            Or a white hole, then for sure.

Answer #2:  Yes, a little.  but they are just little peepers 
that managed to escape for a second before they are captured 
and turned around by gravity and fall back inside again.  
But you can't see them unless you are really close and you 
don't want to be really close.  ever.

Answer #3:  Yes.  When the solar mass of a binary black hole 
system is undergoing rapid evaporation through due to the 
existence of an existing zero gravity port and the mass of 
the binary object fails to keep the escape velocity above 
the speed of light, all the radiation captive within the 
binary system escapes at once, generating a 'nova' type 
event.

502 solar mass novas (an arbitrary number) would appear to 
have the same candle at first glance, but differing amounts 
of captive radiation contained within might alter that 
radiation burst significantly.



                         Question #20:

       Did stars, galaxies, or black holes come first?

Answer #1:  well... there seems to be a constant movement of 
mass from one mass status to another.

From black holes to galaxies and stars and then accreting 
back into black holes again. 

So it is sort of a storm out there with big drops exploding 
into little drops and little drops accreting or condensing 
into big drops and back again.

Therefore under one scenario, stars and galaxies are formed 
from closing black holes which got their size from accreting 
galaxies, stars, planets, dust and even radiation.

Answer #2:  Under the bogus hot singularity or big bang 
theory of something from nothing, first you don't see it and 
now you do, it all is condensate from smaller to bigger so 
black holes come last.

sheesh... how gullible do they think people are, anyhow?



                         Question #21:

               Where do cosmic rays come from?

Answer #1:  they come from the cosmos dummy.
            where else can a cosmic ray come from?

Answer #2:  What's a cosmic ray?

------------------------------------startt here....



                         Question #22:

            How are comets and asteroids related?



                         Question #23:

        How many planets surround other star systems?



                         Question #24:

     How many asteroids are locked up in the kuiper Belt?



                         Question #25:

           Does string theory control the universe?



                         Question #26:

              What creates gravitational waves?



                         Question #27:

            What happens when black holes collide?



                         Question #28:

                  Why does antimatter exist?



                         Question #29:

             Are there other planets like Earth?



                         Question #30:

       Does every big galaxy have a central black hole?



                         Question #31:

          Does inflation theory govern the universe?



                         Question #32:

             Should Pluto be considered a planet?



                         Question #33:

            Why did Venus turn itself inside-out?



                         Question #34:

     How could we recognize life elsewhere in the cosmos?



                         Question #35:

                 What created Saturn's rings?



                         Question #36:

        Could a distant, dark body end life on earth?



                         Question #37:

              Do we live in a multiple universe?



                         Question #38:

              How did the Milky Way Galaxy form?



                         Question #39:

                How did the solar system form?



                         Question #40:

             What happens when galaxies collide?



                         Question #41:

                How do massive stars explode?



                         Question #42:

                 What will happen to the Sun?



                         Question #43:

               Did comets bring life to Earth?



                         Question #44:

                    How did quasars form?



                         Question #45:

        Will the Milky Way merge with another galaxy?



                         Question #46:

                 How many brown dwarfs exist?



                         Question #47:

        What happens at the cores of galaxy clusters?



                         Question #48:

                  Is Jupiter a failed star?



                         Question #49:

          How many galaxies are in our local group?



                         Question #50:

           Do newtrinos hold secrets to the cosmos?