A Modern “Creation Myth”

A Modern “Creation Myth” Quantum physics and cosmology combine…

We find ourselves in a bewildering world. We want to make sense of what is around us and ask: What is the nature of the universe? What is our place in it and where did it and we come from? Why is it the way it is? … However, if we do discover a complete theory it should, in time be understandable in broad principle by everyone, not just a few scientists. Then we shall all, philosophers, scientists and just ordinary people, be able to take part in the discussion of the question of why it is that we and the universe exist. If we find the answer to that, it would be the ultimate triumph of human reason – for then we should know the mind of God. Stephen Hawking A Brief History of Time (Chp11)

To recap…

Problem of Realism Do scientific theories “mirror” the world? – Do atoms exist or are they theoretic constructs? How do minds influence theories which in turn influence observation which in turn… Is the world “real” and knowable – Is our knowledge gained through scientific observation accurately describing an underlying reality? Naïve realism – scientific theories and their constructs “map” directly to an independently existing world Critical realism - scientific theories and their constructs will always operate as metaphors or incomplete models of an independently existing world

An Interlude…

Lord of the Starfields… from cosmic dust to image bearers

Lord of the starfieldsAncient of DaysUniverse MakerHere's a song in your praiseWings of the storm cloudBeginning and endYou make my heart leapLike a banner in the windO love that fires the sunKeep me burning.Lord of the starfieldsSower of life,Heaven and earth areFull of your lightVoice of the novaSmile of the dewAll of our yearningOnly comes home to youO love that fires the sunkeep me burning

Part Two – The “Fine Tuned” Universe

A quick tour of cosmology – Newton to Now • Is the universe infinite? • Olber’s Paradox • How big is the universe? • Leavitt, Shapley, Hubble • Einstein’s theory of gravity and Quantum Theory meet • Hubble’s amazing discovery

Why is the sky dark at night? Heinrich Wilhelm Matthias Olbers (1758-1840)

How Big is the Universe? • First distance to the stars was made in 1837 by Struve with first detection of parallactic shift (Vega: p=0.125” = 8 pcs = 26 ly) • 1908 Henrietta Leavitt discovers the period-luminosity relation – this opens the door to the universe! • The Curtis-Shapley debate establishes the existence of “Island Universe” – the universe is full of galaxies • Shapley finds the centre of the Milky Way galaxy • 1920s - Hubble begins measuring the distances of nearby galaxies – Millions of light years! Henrietta Leavitt (1868-1921)

Einstein's Theory of Gravity

Spacetime is Curved! Space tells matter how to move - Matter tells space how to curve • Gravity is the name we give to the effect that matter-energy have on the structure of space

Space comes in 3-flavours!

Hubble’s Amazing Discovery time

The Universe is Expanding!

Did the Universe Have a Beginning? • Hubble’s Expansion Law • By measuring H you can get the age of the universe! • H = 69.32 ± 0.80 (km/s)/Mpc • to = 13.8 billion years!

The Big Bang – 1st version • The Universe began as a tiny “dot” of enormous energy that has expanded for the past 13.8 billion years to produce the observable universe • This is largely a matter of empirical science!

Some Strange New Findings • Most of the universe (99%) consists of: • Dark matter (about 30%) • First hinted at in 1930s, accepted 1980s • Dark energy (about 70%) • Discovery by Perlmutter et al of the accelerating universe (Nobel prise 2011) • Quantum electrodynamics explains how matter can spontaneously arise from “nothing” – implied by • Space is “smooth” and “flat”

Fine Tuning • Our universe appears to be very “unlikely” – its structure depends on a number of fundamental quantities or constants: • Mass/Charge ratios • Relative masses of fundamental particles • Coupling or relative strengths of the fundamental forces • Using the standard model (quark model) there are roughly 25 such “tuneable” constants

Two “Dubious” Choices • Intelligent Design • Fine tuning only makes sense if you accept that only God could do this! It proves that the universe is designed. - Why is this a “bad choice”? • The Anthropic Principle • Life is critically dependent on fine tuning. Without out this we would not be here to have this discussion. Our presence is only possible because of fine tuning. – Why is this a “bad choice”?

Alternatives… • The “multi-verse” – a close cousin to the many-worlds of QT – The big bang spawned a huge (maybe infinite?) number of universes – we just happen to be in one favourable to life • Inflationary universes may point to a deeper, underlying understanding of particle physics • ID “truncates” the discussion but if one starts from a theisitic position fine tuning is less problematic but no less interesting!

Cosmologies – what are they? Provides the central MYTH* for a people • Judeo-Christian • Cosmos creation of a loving personal God. Quantum theory and cosmology are “gifts” – part of a joyful exploration of God’s Cosmos • God acts within creation and has been revealed historically • Structure emerges from action of God – can be understood in many complimentary ways • Morality, love, emotion etc may have a biochemical dimension but are also a reflection of the way in which Creatures stand in relation to God • Extends beyond material to also include “spirit”- all is part of a seamless whole • Scientific-Materialist • Universe (multi-verse) result of quantum fluctuation • Bottom-up structure: higher levels of organization (including consciousness) determined by laws of physics • Morality, love, emotion etc are biochemical • There are no inherently moral acts – the universe is indifferent to humanity • There is nothing necessary about humanity - we have arisen through chance and natural laws (including natural selection) • Structure emerges through chance and pre-existing laws of physics or ones peculiar to a specific multi-verse • Universe consists only of the material (atoms and the void) *MYTH: a story that you tell that is intended to convey deep truths and convictions. It is neither historical or anti-historical (from Northrop Frye)

Universes from “Nothing” (lots of stuff on UTube) Even the last remaining trump card of the Theologian “Why is there something rather than nothing?” shrivels up before your eyes as you read these pages. If On the Origin of Species was biology’s deadliest blow to supernaturalism, we may come to see A Universe from Nothing as the equivalent from cosmology. The title means exactly what it says. And what it says is devastating. Richard Dawkins, Afterword to A Universe from Nothing

What is “rational”? • We live in a world of flesh and blood, pain and joy – which “cosmology” offers us the insight we need to live in this world? • Can we learn from the Secularist-Materialist myth? If Dawkins and the New Atheists want to remove religion (by scientific claims) do they not have some moral duty to argue for a secular religion? • Given that most of us (even physicists) are actually more concerned with issues of human values and living (not cosmology, evolution and particle physics) – how then does the S&M myth satisfy important needs? In tha sense is it rational?

A Modern “Creation Myth”