Sunday 3 October 2010

Stephen Hawking's Universe

Last part last night on C4. The ball bearings on college floor perfectly aligned and still, remove a few and see how they re-pattern - illustration of process of formation of universe, the removal of the few ball bearings representing the inherent ‘imperfection’ that gravity could get its teeth into, leading to the clustering of material and formation of galaxies, stars, planets… The revelations of science enthrall the modern mind. The awe I have seen from atheist bloggers like billy jonathan and lee in past comes from here. Hawking’s response to the suggestion ‘surely there must be a higher design at work’ - ‘not necessarily’, and posit’s the notion of multiple universes of which we happen to be inhabiting one conducive to life.
I’m intrigued by the questions this raises. The mind of course pushes back further.. So, ok Mr H, you’re saying this universe is like a cosmic roll of the double six (with the odds magnified exponentially methinks). But still, still we ask why, why are we here, and intuitively we ‘know’ there’s something deeper going on. What drove the formation of the universe? - a question posed early in the programme. Answer: gravity.. And you say, yeah, of course that’s the science, but, come on, the mystery and marvel of existence and life, there’s more to it…
Does not biblical truth need ‘unpacking’ with the same love and reverence scientists devote to their science, so the richness of its truth may be seen in place of the cut out cardboard cartoon caricatures some of the Dawkins disciples laugh at?

3 comments:

Billy said...

Firstly Bruce, it it your lot that creates these so called caricatures that you complain about - if you care to choose one, I provide examples of folk who believe them.

Do you not think it is supreme arrogance to assume there is a higher power because you "feel it"? You seem to be setting up your own caraciture here. I don't feel there is one, so what does that say?
I've challenged you many times to explain the link between feeling and evidence - I'm still waiting

I think rather than the speculative (well, it at least seems conistent) multiverse hypothesis, Hawking could have mentioned the fact the universe is about 14000000000 years old and possibly contains 70 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 stars. If onlt 1 in 1000 000 000 contain one planet, that's 10 000 000 000 000 000 planets. So far we know of 492 planets outwith the solar system and only last week an earthlike one in the "goldilocks" zone was discovered. If this proportion was representative, that's 20 325 203 252 033 planets that could support the formation of life as we know it (then there are moons...). Remember to factor in time and the fact that solar systems are constantly born and destroyed - this is just a current snap shot. It seems that life is fairly likely - and that's just based on what we know about life. Even on earth we keep getting surprised about where life can live - scalding temperatures and crushing pressures and inside rocks...
To comprehend the size and how little we have explored, check this out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17
jymDn0W6U&feature=player_embedded

Bruce said...

you may have to wait a little longer billy ;)
i realised after that last bit might have grated a bit, not intended to annoy!
some impressive numbers here billy-o - ta. and got ur comment from last post too...

Billy said...

Doesn't grate - just can't believe you believe it :-)

Check the video. The thing that puts it into perspective for me is how far our radio signals have travelled - effectively no distance at all.

I would imagine there are a lot more planets than we think as there are current technical difficulties in detecting smaller exo-planets