T=1/H0
This is the equation given to us to calculate the age of the universe
T=
In this section, we just plugged in the known values into the equation. We know that H0 is 70
km/sec/Mpc, and we know that 1 Mpc is equal to 3.o86x1022 m. This is an important step in calculating
the age of the universe because now we have the desired seconds in the equation.
T=
In order to keep units identical, we must convert km to meters. 1km =1000m. Without doing this, the
calculation would be wrong due to the fact that the units were different.
T=
This is the simplified result of this action. (7x104= 70000)
T=
Now to make this equation look more manageable, we can break it up into segments. This gives us an
easier way to look at the equation and see the desired units apart from the rest of the equation.
T=
Now simplify the equation and bring the seconds up by using the notation s-1 (1/s = s-1). Note that the
meters canceled
T=4.41x1017s
Further simplify the equation and you come up with the answer in seconds. Now we must convert this to
years.
In this step, you use the number you are given and use stoichiometry to cancel all the unwanted units
and get to an answer in years. The final result is:
14,000,000,000 or 14 billion years old
Now this calculation is an estimate. There is no flawless way to calculate the age of the universe.
This brings to question, what use is it to know the age of the universe? Will it cause us to live our life
differently? Will we all the sudden know meaning of “the life, universe, and everything”? Personally, I
don’t think so. However it may affect some people more than other. For instance the scientific
community would be astounded and I’m sure they could find and calculate so many more things if they
knew the true age of the universe. However, I am unsure this could ever be true due to the fact that
they are uncertain if the universe is speeding up, or slowing down, or at a stand still. These situations
would effect the calculation in a different way. Scientist would then also have to create another
equation to calculate the constant of the universe. However, culturally, I do not think it would affect
humans especially since most humans have some sort of religion that has its own unique creation story.
However looking at this from a scientific perspective, I believe that the universe is in fact old. In my way
of thinking if you take 14 billion and divide it by 80, which is my approximation of the average lifespan,
we get 175 million. This means that, if there has been life on this earth for the entirety of its existence
then 175 million generations have lived on the planet. That is a very big number.
On a different note, origins can have a big effect on which we are and what our actions may
take. For example, knowing that the origin of the United States was to get away from the corrupt
monarchy in Britain, we, as a nation, will never become a monarchy because we know the effect of such
a government. However speaking of creation, there is no way to prove one creation narrative from
another. It is up to the people to figure out their belief system and what their own creation narrative is.