In the coming weeks I will attempt to explain parts of a book called Science and the Akashic Field (http://www.anandavala.info/TASTMOTNOR/The%20Akashic%20Field.html). This book explores an "integral theory of everything", or- as Einstein liked to call it: "reading the mind of God." The book is a fascinating look at some cutting-edge science attempting to tie cosmology, physics, chemistry, biology, consciousness, and all other science disciplines together. It is written by Ervin Laszlo, (http://www.enlightennext.org/magazine/bios/ervin-laszlo.asp).
What is a "theory of everything" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_everything)? Simply put, physicists have long dreamed of coming up with a mathematical equation that would be able to explain all observable phenomena. Einstein attempted to do so (unified field theory), but lately- especially in light of quantum mechanics (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_mechanics)- scientists have turned to conceptual schemes instead of mathematical equations to help explain "everything".
For awhile now many people, and increasingly scientists, have felt that the universe was connected somehow- that it isn't all just a bunch of random encounters with lots of "empty" space in between matter. With the curious and "weird" phenomena that is quantum activity coupled with the puzzling discovery that matter (detectable, observable entities) only makes up 4% of the Universe- scientists have slowly been coming around to the realization that our perception of reality is massively skewed by our lack of perception of the true nature of the Universe.
Or, in layman's terms: we can only "see" 4% of what's out there- so any conclusions we attempt to make about the ENTIRE universe are apt to be incomplete and most likely totally wrong; in addition- quantum mechanics: or the explanation of physical reality at the smallest level- is "weird": i.e. it seems to violate Newton's Principles on how matter behaves.
The weirdest, most unexplainable phenomenon: the smallest facet of physical reality: the quanta (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quanta)- basically a "packet" of energy that is unlike any form of energy that we know of (it is both a "corpuscle and a wave", is not material- but can have the properties of mass, gravitation, and inertia)- when one property of a quanta is measured, the other properties become unavailable to measurement and observation. In other words, each quanta has the potential to take on different properties, but once they are interacted with- they take on a specific characteristic, a reality- and all other potential positions are unavailable. Another weird quality: there is no way to predict which property the quanta will take.
Laszlo points out that many scientists do not mess with the "why", but only stick to finding out the "how" of things. He explains in the beginning that "why" and "purpose" questions seem to some to stray too close to putting human perception and subjectivity on science. However, Laszlo makes the case that science should be concerned with "why"- that ultimately "why" may matter more and help explain the "how" better than just attempting to explain the "how".
As Laszlo explains in the first section- "why" really matters because no-one wants to believe that this universe came about simply by chance, that nothing we do will amount to anything in the long-run, and that the universe will end in destruction. "Purpose" drives humans and if the Universe is purposeless, then it begs the question of why even have humans in the first place (or, for that matter- anything)?
His answer: that cutting edge discoveries in physics, biology, cosmology, and consciousness all point to an existence that is not accidental, that the universe is an informed and meaningful universe, and that a unifed conceptual scheme can tie all phenomena in the world together: Einstein's elusive integral theory of everything.
As we get further into the book we will discover new ways of looking at the Universe, some that will look very familiar to religious folk (while at the same time looking unfamiliar to athiestic scientists), and others that will tease us into looking at the Universe in a wholly different light. If God is indeed more complex than we can understand and a literal interpretation of the Bible would have us believe- then these concepts could indeed be a glimpse of the awesomeness of His creation and maybe even a hint of the essense of God Himself.
Showing posts with label physics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label physics. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Flooding in front of our eyes: Are we ignoring God in favor of the Bible?
If any of you have been reading this blog for some time you've probably noticed a trend in some of the posts: a struggle with how to interpret the Bible. I see some issues with a literal translation, and yet- what is the alternative? As one of my youth pastors once said: "in picking and choosing what to believe from the Bible you, in effect, become your own god."
But can that be all there is to life? Believe a literal translation of the Bible, blindly, and, through little effort of your own (unless you were unlucky enough to have been born into a non-Christian family and/or country, which would mean you would have expended lots of effort overcoming your cultural background) you reach Heaven? As a non-believe once asked me, "Why would God be so enamored with a bunch of automotons- bent on believing whatever their parents and/or society told them to- without so much as a critical thought?"
It reminds me of a story that I've posted once or twice already, but I think it is worth repeating:
A farmer is in Iowa during a flood. The river is overflowing, with water surrounding the farmer's home up to his front porch. As he is standing there, a boat comes up, The man in the boat says "Jump in, I'll take you to safety."
The farmer crosses his arms and says stubbornly, "Nope, I put my trust in God."
The boat goes away. The water rises to the second floor. Another boat comes up, the man says to the farmer who is now in the second story window, "Jump in, I'll save you."
The farmer again says, "Nope, I put my trust in God."
The boat goes away. Now the water is up to the roof. As The farmer stands on the roof, a helicopter comes over, and drops a ladder. The pilot yells down to the farmer "I'll save you, climb the ladder."
The farmer says "Nope, I put my trust in God."
The helicopter goes away. The water comtinues to rise and sweeps the farmer off the roof. He drowns.
The farmer goes to heaven. God sees him and says "What are you doing here?"
The farmer says "I put my trust in you and you let me down."
God says, "What do you mean, let you down? I sent you two boats and a helicopter!!!"
Now, we all laugh at this joke today and if you're like me you wonder at someone who would believe in something that he can't explain (God) and yet not believe in something he can. It reminds me of those people who deny medical treatment to their kids in favor of prayer. I want to yell out: "maybe God already answered your prayer and sent you a doctor!"
Likewise, I sometimes get the feeling that something similar may be in store in the Afterlife for me if I have lived by a literal interpretation of the Bible alone and ignored everything else as "man's folly". I can imagine God saying, "I created you in my own image (knowledge of self?), gave you reason, gave you the scientific method, gave you the potential for critical thought, etc.- and you chose to waste those gifts? How could you be so confident in something that you devoted no critical thought to? How can you be so pompous as to think you have Me figured out from only one of the tools I provided?"
To me "faith" is a more complex topic than we give it credit for. Believers seem to want to wrap it up in a nice little box and either you have it or you don't. Blind faith, some will say, is what God wants. Doubt, examination, and alternative possibilities are the Devil's tools and man's undoing and overconfidence. And yet I can't get why God would reward an uncritical approach to His universe. Why give us all the tools He has given us if He didn't expect us to use them- not to come to a total understanding- but to grow closer in understanding?
Maybe faith isn't just a blind faith in what our parents and society tells us, but instead faith entails believing that not everything is as simple as it appears. Maybe faith means trusting our senses and not ignoring them when they seem (from our vantage point) to contradict church doctrine. Maybe faith involves assuming that we don't live in a "matrix"-type existence and that what we see, measure, feel, etc.- is reality. To believe that all scientists are part of some worldwide conspiracy headed by the devil seems to me to run counter to that definition of faith.
Surely the knowledge of physics passed on through the generations for the past few hundred years has done wonders for the collective knowledge of the human race. If anything, I would propose it has deepened the mystery as to how God functions and how the universe came into being. I'm not saying ignore all verses in the Bible as false and start believing everything that comes out of scientific journals. But, I'm not sure we should discount them all either- the reality of God may exist in some mysterious mixture of both the Bible AND science- and wouldn't we hate to have been working at cross-purposes because we think our grasp of the Bible gives us all the answers? Can we be so confident?
But can that be all there is to life? Believe a literal translation of the Bible, blindly, and, through little effort of your own (unless you were unlucky enough to have been born into a non-Christian family and/or country, which would mean you would have expended lots of effort overcoming your cultural background) you reach Heaven? As a non-believe once asked me, "Why would God be so enamored with a bunch of automotons- bent on believing whatever their parents and/or society told them to- without so much as a critical thought?"
It reminds me of a story that I've posted once or twice already, but I think it is worth repeating:
A farmer is in Iowa during a flood. The river is overflowing, with water surrounding the farmer's home up to his front porch. As he is standing there, a boat comes up, The man in the boat says "Jump in, I'll take you to safety."
The farmer crosses his arms and says stubbornly, "Nope, I put my trust in God."
The boat goes away. The water rises to the second floor. Another boat comes up, the man says to the farmer who is now in the second story window, "Jump in, I'll save you."
The farmer again says, "Nope, I put my trust in God."
The boat goes away. Now the water is up to the roof. As The farmer stands on the roof, a helicopter comes over, and drops a ladder. The pilot yells down to the farmer "I'll save you, climb the ladder."
The farmer says "Nope, I put my trust in God."
The helicopter goes away. The water comtinues to rise and sweeps the farmer off the roof. He drowns.
The farmer goes to heaven. God sees him and says "What are you doing here?"
The farmer says "I put my trust in you and you let me down."
God says, "What do you mean, let you down? I sent you two boats and a helicopter!!!"
Now, we all laugh at this joke today and if you're like me you wonder at someone who would believe in something that he can't explain (God) and yet not believe in something he can. It reminds me of those people who deny medical treatment to their kids in favor of prayer. I want to yell out: "maybe God already answered your prayer and sent you a doctor!"
Likewise, I sometimes get the feeling that something similar may be in store in the Afterlife for me if I have lived by a literal interpretation of the Bible alone and ignored everything else as "man's folly". I can imagine God saying, "I created you in my own image (knowledge of self?), gave you reason, gave you the scientific method, gave you the potential for critical thought, etc.- and you chose to waste those gifts? How could you be so confident in something that you devoted no critical thought to? How can you be so pompous as to think you have Me figured out from only one of the tools I provided?"
To me "faith" is a more complex topic than we give it credit for. Believers seem to want to wrap it up in a nice little box and either you have it or you don't. Blind faith, some will say, is what God wants. Doubt, examination, and alternative possibilities are the Devil's tools and man's undoing and overconfidence. And yet I can't get why God would reward an uncritical approach to His universe. Why give us all the tools He has given us if He didn't expect us to use them- not to come to a total understanding- but to grow closer in understanding?
Maybe faith isn't just a blind faith in what our parents and society tells us, but instead faith entails believing that not everything is as simple as it appears. Maybe faith means trusting our senses and not ignoring them when they seem (from our vantage point) to contradict church doctrine. Maybe faith involves assuming that we don't live in a "matrix"-type existence and that what we see, measure, feel, etc.- is reality. To believe that all scientists are part of some worldwide conspiracy headed by the devil seems to me to run counter to that definition of faith.
Surely the knowledge of physics passed on through the generations for the past few hundred years has done wonders for the collective knowledge of the human race. If anything, I would propose it has deepened the mystery as to how God functions and how the universe came into being. I'm not saying ignore all verses in the Bible as false and start believing everything that comes out of scientific journals. But, I'm not sure we should discount them all either- the reality of God may exist in some mysterious mixture of both the Bible AND science- and wouldn't we hate to have been working at cross-purposes because we think our grasp of the Bible gives us all the answers? Can we be so confident?
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