Wal Thornhill - Electric Universe NPA Presentation (2009)

Wal Thornhill - Electric Universe NPA Presentation (2009)

It is time for another idea in astronomy. The Electric Universe is a new 'big picture' of the universe that "looks at things from a distance and connects different ideas," as the outgoing president of the International Astronomical Union, 2009, Catherine Cesarsky, advised young scientists. The Electric Universe model hinges on the question of whether or not electricity exists in space. The mainstream view is that it does not; we argue that it does. Based on observation, the Electric Universe assumes a universe of unknown age and extent. It also assumes that Nature is not wilfully hiding her secrets. The complexity we observe in the universe comes from very simple electrical principles, some of which can be tested with very simple apparatus. Science is open to everyone. The visible universe is an electrical phenomenon, from the structure of subatomic particles, to stars, to the superclusters of galaxies in deep space.