[g__day (Matthew)]

Slow day at work today! So...

I saw an interesting documentary (Putting God on trial - a 3 part series) that charted the uneasy relationship between scientists and christians evolved over the last millennia. It started by explaining that to scientists God was the Gap between the known and the unknown, with the unknown shrinking at an incredible rate. So God was minimised by science almost to oblivion over the last 500 years.

Episode 1 examined the perceived decreasing role of God in a modern society once scientists discovered the Big Bang (viewing it as the opposite of a black hole being formed). So on one hand you have scientists saying we don't want mysteries - we want to understand creation right back to the big bang and now we can, its just a black hole being formed in reverse. You don't need a God to throw the switch or even guide creation once you understand how quantum physics or membrane theory allows for creation events from nothing.

But then just when science has it neatly boxed a bigger, more powerful and challenging question is poised; why does intelligent life exists, why does our Universe permit intelligent life?

This is a hard one - because for all the fundamental laws of physics there are a few constants (about 17) that are exquisitely fine tuned to allow for life. If the mass of a proton was double or if an electron weighed 5% less, if the speed of light was slightly faster, if planck constant was 2% lower etc... intelligent life couldn't exist. So scientists and theoretical physicsts must ask why is our Universe so well tuned to allow for life. Well there are 3 main possibilities:

1. The fundamental constants of physics are what they are because of some equisite interdependence amongst all the laws of physics that we don't yet know that only allows these constants to have these particular values. The trouble with that is the fine tuning involved requires accuracy of the cosmological constant to a 10 ^ -120 a tuning - simply far beyond rational belief. There seems no credible reason or theory on the horizon on why this incredible accuracy is built into that one factor and nothing else.

2. There are an infinite multitude of Universes we can't observe and ours is just a permutation that can support intelligent life - so life has briefly developed. The hugh odds against this, about 10 ^ -120, don't matter when you have infinite possiblities to shop amongst. But scientists don't like infinities. Why are there infinite Universes and why can't we find a way to detect them? We have no theories to explore this yet.

3. The mind of God actually does exist and God actually did select our Specific Universe with its variables so well tuned to allow for our existence and henceforth God used science - not magic - to direct our existence and development.

It goes on to say science shows us how things operate but not why. It gives us understanding but no purpose. It was brilliant that some of the people at the fore-front of astronomy, quantum physics and theoretical physics were involved. Including some ordained bishops who had held Physics chairs for over 20 years.

The show worked so well because it wasn't inflammatory to anyone's views and treated all with respect. Here are top physicists who don't believe in God and want to see reality through science. But when they almost complete their goal they are left with a deeper more challenging puzzle which points to the existence of a far more powerful and subtle god than ever contained in the scriptures.

Finally a paradox. A few centuries ago christians believed the Earth was special. Creation orbited around it and everything was placed here for us. Then science showed we are a minute, unimportant dot in a vast ocean of space - totally inconsequential in location, size, position and any other descriptor you care to name. But comming full circle scientists themselves have realized a hidden truth that the faithful have always believed. The Universe only has meaning because we are here, created within it and able to comprehend it. In a way we define the Universe like nothing else and we elevate its importance as it provides for us in a virtuous circle. That is an amazing revelation for a scientist to say. We define the importance of the Universe. Without us it would have no meaning!

But for Christians an equally large, complex and significant question was left unasked. Why is the Universe so Big? With around 10 ^ 100 planets and suns - why has God made such a large place for us - what does he want us to eventually do in such a large playground?

Intriguing...