The Center of the Universe
So where do YOU think the center of the Universe is at? According to Wikipedia, there isn't one:
according to standard cosmological theories on the shape of the Universe, it has no center
But that would be boring (who cares about science anyway, right?) and it is no surprise that the people in the ancient world believed that the Earth was the center of our Universe. For no other reason than believing they are the shit and everything revolves around them.
Well, apparently, it is not just the ancient world. As it turns out, Tulsa, believe it or not, now lays claim to being the center of the Universe! In particular, the place on pedestrian portion of Boston Ave between 1st Street and Archer. Event Google is on board:
My dad somehow discovered that so off we were to see its supposed mysterious qualities in person. And there are a few according to Atlas Obscura:
When one stands in the center of the circle and makes a noise, that noise is echoed back several times louder than it was made. Imagine dropping a small pin and expecting to hear a tiny “tink” as it hits the floor. Instead, the sound the pin makes is more like the loud crash of a gong.
No one standing outside of the circle can hear a thing. A foghorn could be going off in the center of the circle, and those on the outside wouldn’t hear it.
Your voice does become extremely distorted when heard from outside the circle.
Sounds freaky, huh?
There is no sign, and no, I was not magically pulled into the center of the Universe, but if you have any doubts, the graffiti is there to help guide you:
So was it a life changing experience? Was I bestowed with the meaning of the Universe there?
Not really. Or maybe I just did not notice.
But, not surprisingly, it was not that exciting. Everyone can still hear everyone and there is no distortions anywhere. The only noticeable effect is the presence of a distinct echo when making a sound while standing in the circle and disappearance of the echo outside of the circle - kinda cool!
We couldn't figure out the echo thing. It does seem like there is a small hump in the middle of that circle as compared to the rest of the street, so there may be some hollowness (?) underneath that contributes to the effect. But I have not been able to find out exactly why the echo only happens in the center of the circle.
Oh, the mysteries of our Universe!
And to add to the mysteries, there is a freaky giant metal "cloud" statue nearby, also with no information or explanation.
The airplane pattern got me curious. For some reason it made me think of some ancient civilization symbols - if it was only not for the fact that Oklahoma has barely been a state for more than a hundred years. So again, the mystery does not seem to be all that mysterious.
But now I can claim I have travelled to the center of the Universe and back!