Tuesday
Feb242009
The Abode of Light
Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 12:32AM
Science fascinates me. Well, certain types of science. One realm of science that intrigues me is any science about the very small, very large, or very fast. Such science pulls the curtain back on things normally out of reach, things we can't see, hear or, in most cases, barely imagine.
Consider lightning. I live in a part of the country that receives more than its fair share of lightning storms. I've stood outside and watched hour long strobe-light shows of lightning many times. In fact, some of the most active lightning storms in the U.S. take place right over my head. However, thanks to some sort of super high-speed camera, I can see lightning in a whole new way:
Pretty awesome, isn't it?
Here's lightning from space (you certainly don't need to watch the entire clip):
A news story led me to think about lightning. The story was about "sprites," high altitude electrical phenomena associated with common low-altitude lightning. I've read of sprites before but had forgotten how fascinating they are. Only recently discovered, sprites are very large, very fast and very high flashes of light. Sprites are poorly understood - how they are created or even what they are - but they are suspected of catalyzing chemical reactions that help sustain our atmosphere. Interesting...after all of our scientific advances in the last 500 years, we know next to nothing about something that might very well be a key player in allowing the Earth to support life. Nonetheless, here is a link to an amazing video of a sprite (NOTE: this video runs at a frame-rate of 10,000 frames/sec. According to what I've read, sprites flash at an amazing 1/10 the speed of light (18,600 miles/sec.).
Link to sprite video.
Let's not overlook the fact that these phenomena - "sprites" - were named after a certain type of faerie that supposedly ruled the air. Elusive, mysterious...the name certainly fits.
Finally, one of the reasons I love science is it reveals to me the majesty, the power, the mystery of God. Whether it's the inner workings of the human brain,bizarre deep sea creatures, or giant flashes of mysterious light high in the sky, God has found countless ways to announce Himself to those who listen and look.
Job 38
18 Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?
Tell me, if you know all this.
19 "What is the way to the abode of light?
And where does darkness reside?
20 Can you take them to their places?
Do you know the paths to their dwellings?
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24 What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed,
or the place where the east winds are scattered over the earth?
Consider lightning. I live in a part of the country that receives more than its fair share of lightning storms. I've stood outside and watched hour long strobe-light shows of lightning many times. In fact, some of the most active lightning storms in the U.S. take place right over my head. However, thanks to some sort of super high-speed camera, I can see lightning in a whole new way:
Pretty awesome, isn't it?
Here's lightning from space (you certainly don't need to watch the entire clip):
A news story led me to think about lightning. The story was about "sprites," high altitude electrical phenomena associated with common low-altitude lightning. I've read of sprites before but had forgotten how fascinating they are. Only recently discovered, sprites are very large, very fast and very high flashes of light. Sprites are poorly understood - how they are created or even what they are - but they are suspected of catalyzing chemical reactions that help sustain our atmosphere. Interesting...after all of our scientific advances in the last 500 years, we know next to nothing about something that might very well be a key player in allowing the Earth to support life. Nonetheless, here is a link to an amazing video of a sprite (NOTE: this video runs at a frame-rate of 10,000 frames/sec. According to what I've read, sprites flash at an amazing 1/10 the speed of light (18,600 miles/sec.).
Link to sprite video.
Let's not overlook the fact that these phenomena - "sprites" - were named after a certain type of faerie that supposedly ruled the air. Elusive, mysterious...the name certainly fits.
Finally, one of the reasons I love science is it reveals to me the majesty, the power, the mystery of God. Whether it's the inner workings of the human brain,bizarre deep sea creatures, or giant flashes of mysterious light high in the sky, God has found countless ways to announce Himself to those who listen and look.
Job 38
18 Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?
Tell me, if you know all this.
19 "What is the way to the abode of light?
And where does darkness reside?
20 Can you take them to their places?
Do you know the paths to their dwellings?
------------------------------------------------------
24 What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed,
or the place where the east winds are scattered over the earth?