Astrophysicists Build Realistic Virtual Universe 129
sciencehabit writes "In the most detailed effort yet, astrophysicists and cosmologists have modeled the evolution of the universe right down to the formation of individual galaxies. The results of the mammoth computer simulation neatly match multiple astronomical observations, ranging from the distribution of galaxies in massive galaxy clusters to the amounts of neutral hydrogen gas in galaxies large and small (abstract). The findings once again neatly confirm cosmologists' standard theory of the basic ingredients of the universe and how it evolved—a result that may disappoint researchers hoping for new puzzles to solve."
Re:Cool! Where can I get one? (Score:4, Informative)
Re:simulating a phenomena does not validate the mo (Score:5, Informative)
If there are parameters for a model that allow the model to simulate reality, then the model may be correct, but may still be incorrect.
This work moves us from the first state to the second, at least when it comes to simulating rather large scale structure.
Re:Why are these simulations impressive? (Score:2, Informative)
After all the equations are all fully reversible.
Most likely not in this case. I don't have access to the original article at my current location, but many other hydrodynamic cosmology models are not reversible because they result in an increase of entropy and a smoothing process that does not allow that to work backwards, which is kind of how reality is unless you are modelling every particle of gas clouds.
Re:Keep adjusting until it looks right (Score:4, Informative)
Meanwhile, all you ever needed to do was read Genesis to understand what really happened.
Meh, Genesis were never the same since Peter Gabriel left...