How has Astronomy impacted me?

Out of the many discoveries that have impacted both astronomy and my life, I will speak of two. The first of the two discoveries, being very recent in the annals of time, is the discovery of the expanding nature of the universe. The second discovery is simple and yet significant in the fact that the planet’s in our solar system circle around the sun in a consistent and measurable fashion.

The expanding nature of the universe was discovered back in 1913 by Vesto Melvin Slipher (Jastrow, 1992), although it is sometimes erroneously attributed to Edwin Hubble (Vesto Slipher, 2008). Since that initial discovery, scientists, philosophers and theologians have continued to wrestle with trying to understand the implications of this discovery.

One primary implication of the expanding universe has been referred to as the “Big Bang” theory. The Big Bang theory has fed into countless current understandings of the past, current and future state of the universe, thus providing great positive impacts to the world of astronomy and science itself.

Additionally, from a philosophical and theological perspective, this theory has continued to spur on interdisciplinary discussions within the sciences on answering the Primordial Existential Question “Why is there something, rather than nothing” (Sean, 2007).

The fact resting in the theory of the Big Bang that the observable universe had a beginning, has brought additional weight to philosophical and theological discussions that have been being discussed since the early history of Philosophy both by secular and religious philosophers: the idea that with a beginning, there must be some form of “Prime (or first) Mover” to set all things into motion.

The Scientific method is a means by which natural phenomena is observed, theories are put forth to explain the observations and tests are then performed to confirm or bring required modifications to the theories. While the discussions around the expanding universe still continue on, and there are many things yet to learn, what the Big Bang has brought to the table is the fact that there are some questions that can only be answered succinctly through the means of scientific observations and research, and there are other questions that will never be answerable through science, even with unlimited time and money (Jastrow, 1992).

In my earliest years, I thought science had the answer to everything, and in my middle years, I thought religion had the answer to everything, but now, I am coming to understand that a full picture of the questions of existence can only be grasped through the combined efforts of science and religion (Sir William Bragg, F.R.S. (1862-1942), 1962).

Next, coming closer to home to discuss the second discovery; I believe that the simple understandings gained from the planetary rotations have provided significant benefit to both astronomy and my personal life.

From an Astronomy perspective the observations completed by Copernicus, Tycho, Kepler and Galileo, lead to a series of laws (Kepler’s and Newtons) that can now be used to describe and predict observations of Astronomical proportions (including theories about galaxies and stars that are far out of our reach by billions of light years). These descriptions and observations continue to expound on our understanding of the multiverse in which we live.

From a personal perspective, I must say that eating food is quite a significant part of my daily routine (I must eat to live). The consistent movement of the earth around the sun helped us to develop a consistent measurement of time. With this consistent measurement of time farmers can known when to plant and when to harvest their crops so as to produce the necessary foods for me to consume! Thus, I eat, because the earth travels in a consistent manner around the sun, and we know that, because we have observed and tested it through the means of Astronomy.

References

Jastrow, R. (1992). God and the Astronomers. United States: Readers Library, Inc.

Sean. (2007, August 10). Why is there something, rather than nothing? Retrieved October 19, 2008, from Cosmic Variance: http://cosmicvariance.com/2007/08/30/why-is-there-something-rather-than-nothing/

Sir William Bragg, F.R.S. (1862-1942). (1962). Notes and Records of the Royal Society of London
, 17 (2), 169-182.

Vesto Slipher. (2008, October 10). Retrieved October 19, 2008, from WikiPedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vesto_Slipher

Why do people believe in Astrology?

In the first century A.D. the Philosopher and Theologian St. Augustine said “… you have made us for yourself [God], and our heart is restless until it rests in you (Augustine, 1998).

Back in the 1500 to 1600 hundreds the child prodigy, mathematician, physicist and philosopher Blaise Pascal (Blaise Pascal, 2008) said “Man tries unsuccessfully to fill this void with everything that surrounds him, seeking in absent things the help he cannot find in those that are present, but all are incapable of it. This infinite abyss can be filled only with an infinite, immutable object, that is to say, God himself (Pascal, 2008).”

The great apologist and linguist C.S. Lewis wrote in a letter to Mr. Vanauken in the 1950’s in which he said; “If you are really a product of a materialistic universe, how is it you don’t feel at home there? Do fish complain of the sea for being wet? Or if they did, would that fact itself not strongly suggest that they had not always been, or w[oul]d. [sic] not always be, purely aquatic creatures (Lewis, 2007)?”

As recently as 2007, the neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Newberg has identified areas of the brain that he believes may be hard-wired for responding to religious activities (Gajilan, 2007).

I believe the continued interest in Astrology, despite its lack of scientific basis is a manifestation for a desire to know and understand and seek something to fill a void that we all have as humans. We want to know where we come from, why we’re here, and where we are going. I believe that the interest in astrology provides at least the positive benefit of keeping people open minded, understanding that not everything can be simplified to a mathematical equation (e.g. how does one describe love with numbers), I think the negative impact of Astrology is how much money people actually spend on it; and how much some people actually schedule their lives around it – in that respect, I believe that people would be much better releasing themselves from a belief that has no evidential basis.

References

Augustine, S. (1998). Confessions. New York: Oxford University Press.

Blaise Pascal. (2008, October 14). Retrieved October 14, 2008, from WikiPedia.Org: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blaise_pascal

Gajilan, A. C. (2007, April 5). Are humans hard-wired for faith? Retrieved October 14, 2008, from Cnn.Com: http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/04/04/neurotheology/

Lewis, C. (2007). The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume 3. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.

Pascal, B. (2008). Pensees and Other Writings (Oxford World’s Classics). New York: Oxford University Press Inc.

“The world is my country, and science is my religion.” —Christiaan Huygens, 17th century astronomer.

I found the quote by Christiaan Huygens very interesting. I’ve recently finished reading a few books written by qualified and well known scientists in the field of astronomy, physics and biology discussing how these fields of science can and do work together with religion to build a single cohesive worldview.

The quote especially reminds me of the most recent book that I am nearing the end of. The book is written by Frank Tipler, who is a Mathematical Physicist at Tulane University, and is titled The Physics of Christianity. Tipler also views science as a form of religion and states “… since His [God’s] laws [of science] are His direct creation, studying His natural laws is as pious an act as studying the Bible (Tipler, 2007).”

Indeed if there is a God, and He created all things, than the study of His creation (science) is as much of an act of trying to understand Him as opening up a bible and reading His word.

There is so much hidden in the recesses of space and time and the multiverse waiting to be found. This information has and will continue to help describe our origins and will help us understand our meaning and purpose.

References

Tipler, F. J. (2007). The Physics of Christianity. New York: Doubleday.

The Magician and the little boy

So, I’m wondering, which would you rather be:

The little boy caught in the magic spell, intrigued by the intricate weave of wonder, amazed by the awesome aura of beauty, unaware of the delicate details of the incantation…

or…

The magician?

The Hardest Logic Puzzle in the World….

It’s been called the hardest logic puzzle in the world – it did take me a a while to solve it, without having any hints, clues, and never hearing of the puzzle before… It was a lot of fun…. See if you can figure it out (without cheating!). 🙂

Three gods A, B, and C are called, in some order, ‘True’,

‘False’, and ‘Random’. True always speaks truly, False always speaks

falsely, but whether Random speaks truly or falsely is a completely random

matter. Your task is to determine the identities of A, B, and C by asking

three yes-no questions; each question must be put to exactly one god. The

gods understand English, but will answer all questions in their own language,

in which the words for ‘yes’ and ‘no’ are ‘da’ and ‘ja’, in some order.

You do not know which word means which.

Can you solve it?

The Wise Old Owl…

The wise old owl lived in an oak

The more he saw, the less he spoke

The less he spoke, the more he heard

Why shant we be like that old bird?

– John Stott (With minor modifications by Darth Jedi)

To my esteemed scategories cohorts….

I want to formally write a complaint that you guys are intentionally stealing points from me when we play scategories.

Take for example; last night. There was a question that asked us to name something that was in the refrigerator that starts with an N. My answer was “nothing”.

You, my esteemed scategories cohorts refused to accept this answer on the case that you felt that nothing was not something.

Try as I might to help you see the error of your ways by asking you to describe nothing without giving it attributes or qualities which are both necessary and sufficient condition for the being of somethingness, you could only describe nothing by describing something – thus proving my point – and yet, not gaining me points.

I therefore post these three forms of Propositional Logic to affirm the truth of my statement that nothing is really something, and demand a recount of my points! 🙂

Disjunctive Syllogism

Either Nothing is Nothing or Nothing is Something
Nothing is not nothing
Therefore Nothing is Something

Hypothetical Syllogism

If I can describe an object called nothing, then the object called nothing has attributes and qualities
If the object called nothing has attributes and qualities then it must exist as something
I can describe the object called nothing therefore it must exist as something

Modus Ponens

If an object called nothing has descriptive qualities then the object must exist
The object called nothing has descriptive qualities
Therefore the object called nothing exists

If an object exists then it can be included in a set called something
The object called nothing exists
Therefore the object called nothing can be included in a set called something

I wonder…

I wonder if I am an old man,

Sitting in a rocking chair,

Lazily in the summer sun

And dreaming about when

I was just a kid?

Meditation on the Lord’s Supper

Intinction

Remembrance

To sup

Usually, I stand, I hear those words

"His body was broken for you"

They cut to the heart

They make you invite his goodness, richness and mercy

The soft, sopped bread,

The bitter sweet taste of bled grapes

Into your unsavory and rotting meat, gracious, bewildered

"Why did He love me so?"

But wait!

Just try sometime standing there

In the echoed silent halls of two thousand years of Saints

As they crowd around to eat

To speak those words to others

Almost like a double edged sword

They reach and stab and pierce your innermost parts

And each time it becomes more unbearable

The finality the weightiness of the gift

"His body was broken for you"

…

"His body was broken for you"

The fullness of each hammer swung word

Echoes. Haunts.

Tightens the nail around His flesh

Grips the flesh around your eyes

The catholicity of his sacrifice comes crashing down around you

Almost bringing you to your knees in full perpetual prostration

It wasn’t for you only that your "personal savior" died

It was for him,

And her,

And him,

And her

And for as many as there are to come to the feast

His body was broken for them too.

My Manifesto

From an early age, long before I was introduced to ideas like Descartes Method of Doubt, it has been my life’s goal to constantly question my own beliefs, question the teachings I have been given as a child, and to search for truth.

This quest has brought a lot of trouble and heart ache into my life, walking away from convictions that your friends and family hold to be true, because they are unsupportable and irrational can be a dark and lonely road, and yet, as was stated by Martin Luther when standing before the Church fathers at the Diet of Worms: “Unless I am convinced by holy scripture, or by evident reason… I cannot and will not recant, because acting against one’s conscience is neither safe nor sound” (Oberman, 2006).

Regardless of the problems in my life that the love of knowledge has caused, with this relentless drive in the pursuit of knowledge comes a greater appreciation and an awakened beauty, for each and every new concept that comes through and knocks down my world as I know it. As I grow and grasp, I am left with the sense of waking up on a summer’s morning inside of a hot and stuffy tent, unzipping the door and stepping out into fresh sunlight and to indescribable sights and sounds.

I will never cease to be awestruck through, in and around the world as it exists – I shall cling to the reformation motto of “Semper Reformanda” – and hope there never comes a time in my life that I am not ready, able and willing to learn and grow.

Philosophy to me is the foundation of my existence.