Posts tagged science
The Limits of Science
I’m not one of those Christians who condemns evolution, or thinks that God put dinosaur bones in the ground to test our faith—I don’t think humans ever ran screaming from a T-Rex. However, I think it’s important to consider the limits to the kind of knowledge we get from various ways of knowing, including science.
Take, for instance, the edges of our universe. As Columbia professor of physics and mathematics Brian Greene points out in his New York Times piece, “Darkness on the Edge of the Universe,” we can only see as far out from our planet as light can travel in the amount of time the universe has existed. For example, if the universe were five light years across, but had only existed for one year, then only objects one light year away or closer would be visible to us—meaning a great deal of the universe would simply be unobservable.
To complicate matters, according to Greene the universe is currently expanding at an ever increasing rate, meaning that eventually space itself will be so big that distant stars will move away so quickly and so far from us that they’ll simply disappear. Eventually, this will lead to a night sky entirely devoid of starlight. (Don’t worry, our sun will have almost assuredly burned itself out by then, and our great-grandchildren will have long since passed away.)
Future astronomers, then, will be left to wonder whether to believe stories of night skies filled with twinkling celestial lights, or to trust their own observations of an “island” solar system—an observation we now know to be factually wrong. (more after the jump…)
What an incredibly inspiring video. In many ways, my fascination with space mirrors my fascination with the divine. Both instill an incredible humility when confronted with the infinitesimal smallness of not only myself, but of all humanity. And yet, here we are—thinking, doing, and searching for meaning in this vastness of existence.
From The Week:
[This inspirational] fan-made NASA promotional video blends NASA footage, the readings of the late beloved astronomer Carl Sagan, and a minimalist score to build support for the beleaguered space program. And it’s so inspiring, “it’s likely to make you reconsider your own life path.”
From Carl Sagan’s voiceover:
“Our remote descendants, safely arrayed on many worlds through the solar system and beyond, will be unified by their common heritage, by their regard for their home planet, and by the knowledge that whatever other life may be, the only humans in all the universe come from Earth. They will gaze up, and strain to find the blue dot in their skies. They will marvel at how vulnerable the repository of all our potential once was. How perilous our infancy. How humble our beginnings. How many rivers we had to cross, before we found our way.”
(via atomrobinson:theweekmagazine)
“Pornography for God”
According to Good, Conceptual artist Jonathon Keats “reasons that images from the high-energy particle interactions happening at the Large Hadron Collider, some of which haven’t taken place since the birth of the universe, are the only material that might arouse God. ‘To a deity, the Big Bang is very sexy,’ he explains. ‘The Big Bang is divine coitus. And with the LHC, we can now simulate it at least as accurately as a porn star can fake an orgasm.’”
The work is on display in an exhibit at Louis V E.S.P., a nonprofit art gallery in Brooklyn. I will not be making the trip to see it.
Goldilocks Planets: A Problem for Christianity?
For the first time ever, astronomers have discovered a planet outside of our solar system orbiting within what scientists call the “Goldilocks zone.” (Not too hot, not too cold.) Planets within this zone may have temperatures allowing for liquid water to exist on the surface—a required component for life as we know it.
Of potentially even greater importance, as UC Santa Cruz professor of astronomy Seven Vogt points out, “The fact that we were able to detect this planet so quickly and so nearby tells us that planets like this must be really common.”
That’s good news for people who hope to one day find other intelligent life in the universe, as the number of potentially habitable planets is a key variable in what is commonly known as the Drake Equation.
The equation estimates the number of civilizations in our galaxy we may be able to communicate with, using factors ranging from average star formation to the length of time a civilization sends intelligible signals into space. Most of these variables are currently only vague estimates at best, but if “Goldilocks” planets are fairly common, this would help to nudge the equation in the right direction.
So what happens when we encounter these civilizations? I’ve had more than a few conversations with people who think that the existence of alien life would shake the faith of some Christians—could non-humans have a relationship with Christ? The short answer to that question, at least according to the Vatican, is yes!
Is Prayer Like Social Networking?
According to a recent article in Fast Company magazine, Social Networking Affects Brains Like Falling in Love, the same brain chemical responsible for the bond between mothers and their babies is also released when interacting online. In an experiment overseen by Claremont Graduate University “neuroeconomist” Paul Zak, a Fast Company reporter had blood drawn and tested both before and after spending 10 minutes tweeting with friends and strangers:
In those 10 minutes between blood batches one and two, my oxytocin levels spiked 13.2%. That’s equivalent to the hormonal spike experienced by the groom at the wedding Zak attended…. “Your brain interpreted tweeting as if you were directly interacting with people you cared about or had empathy for,” Zak says. “E-connection is processed in the brain like an in-person connection.”
Besides at least partially explaining all of those hours I spent online during my wasted youth—and still do today, come to think of it—the article made me think about Tworship, religious services tweeted on Twitter, and led me to wonder whether prayer itself also raises oxytocin levels.
I'm a master's student at Harvard Divinity School, a former Democratic campaign consultant, and here to share my insights on religion and politics. I am not The Dude—though I am a huge fan.
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