What Is the Place We Call The Universe?

British spelling

Here are four of my short-form stories regarding the Universe and life. Enjoy.

<><><>

1/4

What is the place we call the Universe?

The universe is thought to have burst into existence 13.8 billion years ago.

It was a very different place back then, with no celestial objects like stars, planets, moons, asteroids, etc.

The universe has taken a vast amount of time to evolve into what we see today.

Scientists estimate that there could be two trillion galaxies spread throughout that unimaginable area of space.

A trillion is 1 followed by 12 zeros. When too many zeros are added to a number, it becomes difficult for most of us to comprehend.

Imagine how many stars there must be in all of those galaxies. Some galaxies will hold millions of stars, and others billions.

<><><>

2/4

Why don't we hear from aliens?

There must be other intelligent life out there in the vast universe, so why have we never heard from them?

Light travels faster than anything else in the universe. Radio waves are part of the spectrum of light and travel at 300,000 kilometres per second, or 1,080 million kilometres per hour.

It would be unrealistic to think we are the only intelligent life in the universe.

Our galaxy the Milky Way is estimated to hold at least 100 billion stars. The sun has eight orbiting planets, so it is not unreasonable to think that our galaxy could contain 200 billion planets. That is just an average of two planets per star.

As of January 2024, we have discovered 5,569 exoplanets, which are planets outside our solar system.

If intelligent life were living on a planet near the centre of our galaxy and sent a radio message, it would take approximately 25,000 years to reach us. 

Of course, that distance is just a step away when considering the size of the universe. 

The distances throughout space are just too big to realistically expect messages from aliens.

<><><>

3/4

The sun is middle-aged.

The sun as we know it now will change dramatically in 4.5 to 5 billion years.

As time passes, the sun will get hotter, and it will also start to expand into a red giant.

Its surface will be much closer to our planet. Eventually, the temperature on the earth’s surface will be so high that all the water in the oceans and lakes will boil and evaporate.

At this time, life on our planet has existed for over 3.5 billion years. Some experts predict that all life on Earth will be extinct in about a billion years from now.

The sun has been the main reason for the existence of most life on Earth, but sadly, nothing lasts forever.

I said “most” because there is life in the deepest parts of the ocean that doesn’t rely directly on the sun.

<><><>

4/4

The long history of our canine friends.

Dogs are our most popular and loved pets.

Arguably, around 30,000 years ago, wolf-like animals would have been attracted to the smell coming from the open fires of nomadic hunter-gatherers.

Over time, some animals became more tame than others and started trusting humans.

Roughly 16,000 years ago, some wolf-like animals became domesticated.

An estimated 12,000 years ago, human lifestyles began to change as groups formed permanent settlements and grew crops.

That may have been when humans started breeding their companions to be faster, stronger, and larger, like evolution on overdrive.

Today, the FCI officially recognises 360 breeds of dogs from all over the world.

Dogs show so much love, respect, and friendship. We wish their lifespans were longer, as they are a great miss when they are gone.

The end.

<><><>

You may find my easy-to-understand stories about the universe and life interesting and educational.

If you subscribe to me for free, you will see my latest stories. Regards.