New observations from Webb, new theories of the universe

 I recently read this article at LGM that summarized the implications of some of the findings from the new Webb telescope.  Long story short, some galaxies appear to have formed much earlier than the standard cosmology model predicts. Which leads to some uncomfortable questions about how accurate the standard model is, and points to how little we actually know about the universe. (Campos points out that our understanding has always been flawed; as I've always pondered, a system that essentially says "this equation explains everything except the odd fact that the majority of universe seems to be "dark matter" which we can't see, study, or explain" doesn't make sense.)

Of course, there's a lot of freaky shit that in the universe that doesn't make sense. Some of the models proposed to help explain these new observations are out there: the laws of physics evolving over time? Or John Wheeler, who thinks that observing the universe may cause it's behavior to change (i.e., his “participatory universe” in which every act of observation was in some sense a new act of creation.) 

I can't say I understand all of what this means but I do enjoy pondering what it could mean. It stretches the mind in good and interesting ways. I can't wait to see where this line of inquiry goes!

First Lines of Merlin Sheldrake's "Entangled Life"

 "Fungi are everywhere but they are easy to miss. They are inside you and around you. They sustain you and all that you depend on. As you read these words, fungi are changing the way that life happens, s they have done for more than a billion years. They are eating rock, making soil, digesting pollutants, nourishing and killing plants, surviving in space, inducing visions, producing food, making medicines, manipulating animal behavior, and influencing the composition of the Earth's atmosphere."

- Merlin Sheldrake, Entangled Life, How fungi make our worlds, change our minds & shape our futures

Sheldrake shares some absolutely fascinating details about fungi - not just mushrooms (which are the fungi's fruit) but also their mycorrhizal networks - in this amazing book. Take two details: The details what (little) we know about how fungi facilitate communication and information sharing between trees (the infamous "wood wide web") or how the symbiotic properties of lichens leads to a breakdown of component parts: "The biological identity of most organisms can't be pried apart from the life of their microbial symbionts." (p 91) I knew mushrooms were having a moment, but learning just how strange their behaviors are, and how little we actually know about how they function, it's hard not to dream about the amazing capabilities this new knowledge unlocks. Highly recommend!

First Lines of David Browne's "Goodbye 20th Century"

 "On the night they met, the summer evening when it all began, the first thing he noticed about her was her height. Since she was a good foot shorter than he was, he had to bend down to say hello. Even when he did, it was hard to see here petite, lean face. She was wearing a cap and sunglasses, the latter with the shades flipped up, and only her long, slender nose poked through."

David Browne, Goodbye 20th Century: A biography of Sonic Youth