[X] My Assistant

[dilo]

Nobody highlighted it, but the 5-year WMAP results were published on March,07 and results are stunning:

press release
Scientific papers

I long awaited this moment and, looking to results, we definitely entered in the "precision cosmology" age... (frankly, this goes well behind my hopes to see such accomplishments in my lifetime! ).

Between the many foundamental determinations and refinements (which I hope will be discussed here), the most impressive result in terms of precision is the universe age, now known with less than 1% uncertain after joining WMAP estimation with other independent measurements:

t₀ = 13.73 + 0.12 Gyr

It seems that, at this point, we know the age of universe with a relative precision comparable to Solar system age [from Wikipedia]:

t_ss = 4.53 to 4.58 Gy

Now, about these two ages, after previous WMAP release I was already disappointed by an intriguing coincidence, now confirmed by new estimation:

t₀ / t_ss = 3.014 + 0,043

So, within uncertain range, the ratio "is" exactly 3!
I know that, to many, this is only a coincidence. Otherwise it would require that we live in a very special moment...and place!
Even if a little bit mistic, this approach isn't new in the cosmology: think about anthropic principle and large numbers coincidences!

Anybody wants to accept such provocation?

[centsworth_II]

It certainly exists as a concept in the human mind because we observe it.

[dilo]

Good anthropic points...

Do you think we are alone in the universe, or do you think that this exact ratio holds for every planetary system harboring intelligence?

Good question, but I don't have an answer! Probably, we are talking of 2 different questions.
If we aren't alone, the ratio for other civilization reasonably falls in the range you indicate... however, I was impressed by the proximity to an integer number, a coincidence that cannot be universally explained, unless "someone" wants to tell us something!
It is the same sensation I feel each time I think about equivalence of Moon and Sun apparent size in our sky, a peculiar situation that never happens in other places of our Solar System (I verified this also considering moons seen from other moons around giant planets!).
Ok, I know this is a very dangerous terrain, where science, numerology and religion collide. I do not want to ignite such debate, personally I'm not religious but a part of me still strongly intrigued by these mysterious, funny facts, like the great P.M.Dirac was amazed by "big numbers" coincidences.

[djellison]

I was impressed by the proximity to an integer number,

Why?