We’ve expeÂriÂenced some mindÂblowÂing techÂnoÂlogÂiÂcal advances in the years folÂlowÂing designÂers Charles and Ray Eames’ 1977 film PowÂers of Ten: A Film DealÂing with the RelÂaÂtive Size of Things in the UniÂverse and the Effect of Adding AnothÂer Zero.
CrypÂtocurÂrenÂcy…
SegÂways…
E‑cigarettes…
And y’know, all sorts of innoÂvÂaÂtive strides in the fields of medÂiÂcine, comÂmuÂniÂcaÂtions, and enviÂronÂmenÂtal susÂtainÂabilÂiÂty.
In the above video for the BBC, parÂtiÂcle physiÂcist BriÂan Cox pays tribÂute to the Eames’ celÂeÂbratÂed eight-and-a-half-minute docÂuÂmenÂtary short, and uses the disÂcovÂerÂies of the last four-and-a-half decades to kick the can a bit furÂther down the road.
The origÂiÂnal film helped ordiÂnary viewÂers get a hanÂdle on the universe’s outÂer edges by teleÂscopÂing up and out from a one-meter view of a picÂnic blanÂket in a ChicaÂgo park at the rate of one powÂer of ten every 10 secÂonds.
Start with someÂthing everyÂbody can underÂstand, right?
At 100 (102) meters — slightÂly less than the total length of an AmerÂiÂcan footÂball field, the picÂnickÂers become part of the urban landÂscape, sharÂing their space with cars, boats at anchor in Lake MichiÂgan, and a shockÂing dearth of felÂlow picÂnickÂers.
One more powÂer of 10 and the pickÂnickÂers disÂapÂpear from view, eclipsed by SolÂdier Field, the Shedd AquarÂiÂum, the Field MuseÂum and othÂer longÂstandÂing downÂtown ChicaÂgo instiÂtuÂtions.
At 1024 meters — 100 milÂlion light years away from the startÂing picÂnic blanÂket, the Eames butted up against the limÂits of the observÂable uniÂverse, at least as far as 1977 was conÂcerned.
They reversed direcÂtion, hurtling back down to earth by one powÂer of ten every two secÂonds. WithÂout pausÂing for so much as handÂful of fruit or a slice of pie, they dove beneath the skin of a dozÂing picnicker’s hand, conÂtinÂuÂing their jourÂney on a celÂluÂlar, then sub-atomÂic levÂel, endÂing inside a proÂton of a carÂbon atom withÂin a DNA molÂeÂcule in a white blood cell.
It still manÂages to put the mind in a whirl.
Sit tight, though, because, as ProÂfesÂsor Cox points out, “Over 40 years latÂer, we can show a bit more.”
2021 reloÂcates the picÂnic blanÂket to a picÂturesque beach in SiciÂly, and forÂgoes the trip inside the human body in favor of Deep Space, though the method of travÂel remains the same — expoÂnenÂtial, by powÂers of ten.
1013 meters finds us headÂing into interÂstelÂlar space, on the heels of VoyÂagers 1 and 2, the twin spaceÂcrafts launched the same year as the Eames’ PowÂers of Ten — 1977.
HavÂing achieved their iniÂtial objecÂtive, the exploÂration of Jupiter and SatÂurn, these spaceÂcrafts’ misÂsion was expandÂed to Uranus, NepÂtune, and now, the outÂerÂmost edge of the Sun’s domain. The data they, and othÂer exploratoÂry crafts, have sent back allow Cox and othÂers in the sciÂenÂtifÂic comÂmuÂniÂty to take us beyond the Eames’ outÂerÂmost limÂits:
At 1026 meters, we switch our view to microwave. We can now see the curÂrent limÂit of our vision. This light forms a wall all around us. The light and dark patchÂes show difÂferÂences in temÂperÂaÂture by fracÂtions of a degree, revealÂing where matÂter was beginÂning to clump togethÂer to form the first galaxÂies shortÂly after the Big Bang. This light is known as the cosÂmic microwave backÂground radiÂaÂtion.
1027 meters…1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. Beyond this point, the nature of the UniÂverse is truÂly unchartÂed and debatÂed. This light was emitÂted around 380,000 years after the Big Bang. Before this time, the UniÂverse was so hot that it was not transÂparÂent to light. Is there simÂply more uniÂverse out there, yet to be revealed? Or is this region still expandÂing, genÂerÂatÂing more uniÂverse, or even othÂer uniÂversÂes with difÂferÂent physÂiÂcal propÂerÂties to our own? How will our underÂstandÂing of the UniÂverse have changed by 2077? How many more powÂers of ten are out there?
AccordÂing to NASA, the VoyÂager crafts have sufÂfiÂcient powÂer and fuel to keep their “curÂrent suite of sciÂence instruÂments on” for anothÂer four years, at least. By then, VoyÂager 1 will be about 13.8 bilÂlion miles, and VoyÂager 2 some 11.4 bilÂlion miles from the Sun:
In about 40,000 years, VoyÂager 1 will drift withÂin 1.6 light-years (9.3 trilÂlion miles) of AC+79 3888, a star in the conÂstelÂlaÂtion of Camelopardalis which is headÂing toward the conÂstelÂlaÂtion OphiÂuchus. In about 40,000 years, VoyÂager 2 will pass 1.7 light-years (9.7 trilÂlion miles) from the star Ross 248 and in about 296,000 years, it will pass 4.3 light-years (25 trilÂlion miles) from SirÂius, the brightÂest star in the sky. The VoyÂagers are destined—perhaps eternally—to wanÂder the Milky Way.
If this dizzyÂing inforÂmaÂtion makes you yearn for 1987’s simÂple pleaÂsures, this WayÂback Machine link includes a fun interÂacÂtive for the origÂiÂnal PowÂers of Ten. Click the “show text” option on an expoÂnenÂtial slidÂer tool to conÂsidÂer the scale of each stop in hisÂtoric and tanÂgiÂble conÂtext.
via Aeon
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
Carl Sagan’s “The Pale Blue Dot” AniÂmatÂed
Watch PowÂers of Ten and Let DesignÂers Charles & Ray Eames Take You on a BrilÂliant Tour of the UniÂverse
Watch Oscar-NomÂiÂnatÂed DocÂuÂmenÂtary UniÂverse, the Film that Inspired the VisuÂal Effects of StanÂley Kubrick’s 2001 and Gave the HAL 9000 ComÂputÂer Its Voice (1960)
Ayun HalÂlÂiÂday is the Chief PriÂmaÂtolÂoÂgist of the East VilÂlage Inky zine and author, most recentÂly, of CreÂative, Not Famous: The Small PotaÂto ManÂiÂfesto. FolÂlow her @AyunHalliday.