| Fred Hoyle’s Rubik's Cube | |
|---|---|
|
Origin |
Fred Hoyle |
|
Type |
Rubik’s Cube |
|
Effects |
Small-scale stellar nucleosynthesis |
|
Downsides |
Organic matter disintegration |
|
Activation |
Disbelief in purposeful organization / order |
|
Collected by |
Warehouse 13 |
|
Section |
|
|
Date of Collection |
June 25, 2024 |
| [Source] | |
Origin[]
Sir Fred Hoyle (24 June 1915 – 20 August 2001) was an English astronomer who formulated the theory of stellar nucleosynthesis and was one of the authors of the influential B2FH paper. He also held controversial stances on other scientific matters—in particular his rejection of the "Big Bang" theory (a term coined by him on BBC Radio) in favor of the "steady-state model", and his promotion of panspermia as the origin of life on Earth. He spent most of his working life at St John's College, Cambridge and served as the founding director of the Institute of Theoretical Astronomy at Cambridge.
Star Evolution[]
Hoyle authored the first two research papers ever published on synthesis of chemical elements heavier than helium by stellar nuclear reactions. The first showed that cores of stars will evolve to temperatures of billions of degrees, much hotter than temperatures considered for thermonuclear origin of stellar power in main-sequence stars. Hoyle showed that at such high temperatures the element iron can become much more abundant than other heavy elements owing to thermal equilibrium among nuclear particles, explaining the high natural abundance of iron. This idea would later be called the e Process.
Hoyle's second foundational nucleosynthesis publication showed that the elements between carbon and iron cannot be synthesized by such equilibrium processes. He attributed those elements to specific nuclear fusion reactions between abundant constituents in concentric shells of evolved massive, pre-supernova stars. This startlingly modern picture is the accepted paradigm today for the supernova nucleosynthesis of these primary elements.
In 1948 began to argue for the universe as being in a "steady state" and formulated their Steady State theory. The theory tried to explain how the universe could be eternal and essentially unchanging while still having the galaxies we observe moving away from each other. The theory hinged on the creation of matter between galaxies over time, so that even though galaxies get further apart, new ones that develop between them fill the space they leave. The resulting universe is in a "steady state" in the same manner that a flowing river is—the individual water molecules are moving away but the overall river remains the same.
Junkyard Tornado[]
The junkyard tornado, sometimes known as Hoyle's fallacy, is a fallacious argument formulated by Fred Hoyle against Earth-based abiogenesis and in favor of panspermia. The junkyard tornado argument has been taken out of its original context by theists to argue for intelligent design, and has since become a mainstay in the rejection of evolution by religious groups, even though Fred Hoyle declared himself an atheist, and even though the junkyard tornado argument is considered a fallacy in its original context of Earth-based abiogenesis (life from inorganic compounds) vs. panspermia (life originating from outer space)
The junkyard tornado argument uses a calculation of the probability of abiogenesis based on false assumptions, as comparable to "a tornado sweeping through a junk-yard might assemble a Boeing 747 from the materials therein" and to compare the chance of obtaining even a single functioning protein by chance combination of amino acids to a solar system full of blind men solving Rubik's Cubes simultaneously. Similar reasoning was advanced in Darwin's time, and indeed as long ago as Cicero in classical antiquity.
Effects[]
Converts lighter elements such as helium into carbon and iron via nucleosynthesis. Will continue until all nearby matter of the original sample is converted or the puzzle itself is solved (or broken in most situations). Air currents formed during the process of spontaneous generation will spread flakes of the element into the surroundings. They disintegrate several seconds after splitting from the main mass but are superheated to temperatures seen during fusion. The burning particles will disintegrate any organic matter they touch, using it as a source for more conversion.