Thursday, April 22, 2010

What happened after the big bang? Men can't tell, women can't imagine

For a short time after the big bang we don't know anything of what happened. This short period of time is called the Planck time. It lasted for the tiniest fraction of a second, but still, we don't know.... After this teeny weeny part of the first second gravitation decoupled itself mysteriously from the united force (no, not the one in Star Wars).
Why am I telling you this? It is just to show, that I am not the only woman who lacks a certain imagination of abstraction. Here is a bon mot from the astrobiology professor (obviously female):
  • Professorin: Nach der Planckzeit separieren sich die Urkräfte und die Gravitation koppelt sich zuerst ab.
  • Student: Wie hat man sich die Abkoppelung anschaulich vorzustellen?
  • Professorin (leicht entsetzer Gesichtsausdruck): Das kann man sich nicht vorstellen! Ich hab schon Schwierigkeiten bei einem Phasendiagramm für Wasser!

I'm not alone. Sigh.....

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