Warning: This post contains some brief overviews of certain theories in physics. Please push on through even if you hate science, I won't overdo the elaboration, and it is pertinent.
My parents immigrated to the United States of America in 1978. They came from Hyderabad, India, and part of their upbringing there was a reverence for education. I'm not sure how generations of my ancestry it took for the value of schooling to be instilled as a means to escape poverty, but one thing I do know is that the generation that follows me will distrust the educational machine as I do.
I remember waking up in 114 Loomis Hall during a physics lecture several times over my 4.5-year tour of the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. One of these occasions found me wiping the drool off the desk while hearing of Niels Bohr, a Danish physicist who is considered a giant in early quantum mechanics. A contemporary of Einstein, Bohr, along with Werner Heisenberg in 1927, is responsible for the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum physics, which lays the foundation for a theory that essentially declares that quantum physics is fundamentally random.
This theory requires a monumental shift from the deterministic outlook of classical Newtonian physics. Basically, until around the 1920's, physicists believed that reality operated according to certain knowable natural laws. Along came Einstein and his famous theory of relativity (which still held the classical physics view); it was an exciting time for nerds, and Bohr would not miss this party, and in fact, he spiked the punch.
The waves from Bohr's splash are still washing carcasses on our shores today. The thought that at the most basic level, reality is random is simply devastating. To further understand the dangerous power of philosophical thought, look no further than the fact that Bohr was affected by the writings of Kierkegaard, a Christian philospher who is considered the first existentalist.
I remember learning of Bohr's impact on science, but not understanding the deadly weight behind such a proposition. My good friend, Bob, reminded me of Niels Bohr, as Bob recounted when he first heard of the theory that quantum physics is random. Bob has no background in science past high school, yet upon hearing the theory, immediately dismissed it as a lie. I was taken aback at his confidence as he related the story. Bob told me, "I didn't know exactly why, I couldn't prove it mathematically, I wouldn't know where to begin in terms of physics, yet still, I know that this is crap."
How? I'm no Bill Nye, the Science Guy, but I took four physics classes at U of I (more like they took me, but still) and I got a degree in engineering, the study of which is based off of physics laws. My pride was flaring up a bit. How could he be so sure?
It was deceptively easy. It should just be easy, but the academic machine has distorted how we view knowledge. The truth is that science exists because God allows us the pleasure of exploring His physical creation by blessing our systemic study of His sovereign designs. Therefore, reality cannot be random at any level. We should feel free to say we do not know the governing law behind a given observation, but the moment we overstep the bounds of knowledge, the rug has gone out from under us, and the landing will hurt.
So, Bob knew that quantum physics was not fundamentally random, not because he understood quantum physics in the scientific sense, but to a degree, he understood the limits of all science, and also all bodies of academic knowledge by embracing the Source of Truth and Knowledge, Jesus Christ. Anyone who God graciously rescues can concretely know the absolutes of the Father's character revealed to us in the Word. Not surprisingly, there are some current theories that suggest that quantum physics is not fundamentally random.
Whether it be lawyers, arguing precedent, freedom, common law, justice, and the like, or sociologists, insisting genetics, racism, gender bias, tolerance, etc. or biologists with evolution, or anyone else, the Christian can courageously proclaim that any thought contrary to what the Spirit of Christ teaches through the Word is to be discarded.
A believer can choose to bless the deceived by walking into their labyrinth of arguments in order to point out the wrong turns. Stepping into the maze often requires doing your homework. But by no means is it necessary to study a particular realm of academia in order to justly determine the Truth governing Creation. Indeed, as finite beings, we don't possess the time to do so considering all the various sciences God has given us, but, thankfully, we don't need to, His grace is sufficient, God is the Author and He will reveal Truth to His abounding glory, in perfect time.
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5 comments:
Thanks, the_dude. There sure is much to be nerded about. I struggled a bit with how in depth to go with the quantum physics. Your description is an improvement without being dry.
I'll get nerdy for a sec here. Quantum physics, like the_dude said, talks about really, really small things. So, Bohr and co. are responsible for a theory that says these small things do not have a definite position at a given time. They said the best we can do is get probabilities for their position.
This somehow snowballed into "these small things do not have a knowable definite position at a given time", which would mean their position varies randomly, or without any law governing them. Chaos at this really small level logically leads to chaos on every level; reality is random, life was created by an accident and is chaos on the quantum level. Following this path, man has no purpose, no identity, no value, and no hope. Thanks for playing.
Legal scholars are doing the same thing with redefining life, privatizing Christ, fabricating families, etc. All discussion about justice, right to privacy, equal rights, discrimination, and the like become baseless and even the words themselves get twisted in meaning.
This is what occurs when there is nothing behind the blackboard.
i just read an article in the june discover magazine about the ability of one electron to appear in two places at one time. it defies common sense, and is a great example of the immeasurable complexity of our world.
it was wonderful.
most scientists thus far have "i'm just guessing explanations." they scratch in the dark and scramble for a lifetime trying to replicate natural phenomena.
cheers to the complexity and uniqueness of our God and to the scientists who will never figure it all out, but at least help us to understand how little pieces work.
>>spot on<<
>>cheers<<
Who's got the Madonna complex worse, the_dude or pepperdeaf?
>>to the complexity and uniqueness of our God<<
yessir.
Nice summary of the sum of science to this point, the_dude.
The secular response to this post would run something like this, "You Christians, you blindly follow your Faith and the Bible and ignore good science."
Here's the truth: It was Christians that originally declared that the world was not random or controlled by good and evil nature spirits, and that creation would reflect an orderly and systematic God as revealed through scripture.
Now much of what is being taught is a kind of anti-intellectualism which does not seek to discover or to know certainly anything, but seeks to prove that nothing can be known. We are being taught by self-important intellectuals that are frustrated that all the "great" discoveries have already been made and they have not come up with a single original idea. The only thing that is left is to try to debunk what has been discovered. We are tearing down the institutions of knowledge and calling it progress.
That's right, the general. Sir Francis Bacon, considered the originator of the scientific method, was a Christian, and sought to understand God's Creation.
The academic establishment recoils at the boldness in which believers declare the Truth founded on Christ. They would have us doubt and call it humility.
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