Friday, March 17, 2006

The Big Bang theory makes the news

According to the title linked CNN article:

By the faint cosmic glow of the oldest known light, physicists say they have found evidence that the universe grew to astounding proportions in less than the blink of an eye.

In that trillionth of a second after the big bang, the universe expanded from the size of a marble to a volume larger than all of observable space through a process known as inflation. At the same time, the seeds were planted for the formation of stars, galaxies, planets and every other object in the universe.

"It's giving us our first clues about how inflation took place," said Michael Turner, assistant director for mathematics and physical sciences at the National Science Foundation. "This is absolutely amazing."


It is amazing, and we will continue to wonder was it science or was it God or exactly how this all happened. Some of you believe in God, some of you don't, most of us have a different idea of how it all began. If you have never read this lecture transcript, by Henry F. Schaefer III and this is a topic that interests you, I recommend it. He is according to this article:

The Graham Perdue Professor of Chemistry and the director of the Center for Computational Quantum Chemistry at the University of Georgia. He has been nominated for the Nobel Prize and was recently cited as the third most quoted chemist in the world. "The significance and joy in my science comes in the occasional moments of discovering something new and saying to myself, 'So that's how God did it!' My goal is to understand a little corner of God's plan."

As for me? I'm still looking for the answers, but I do find it reassuring that there are those with much more brillant minds than mine that disagree on this. It lets me know that it's okay to wonder...maybe someday we will have more answers...then again? Maybe we won't.

:-)

8 comments:

Scott G said...

I believe in God and theories like the Big Bang and evolution. I guess I see God more as a manager than a hands on worker. He set things in motion and nature did the work.

Unknown said...

I think that's a reasonable approach me4, I believe in God too, yet I also can't help wondering at times the basics of all of this. Which would be where did God come from? There had to have been a beginning somewhere, but where and how?

Mark said...

Psst. Don't let Bush know about this version of "inflation!" We don't need him messing around with the economy that much!

(Though, I apparently got a survey from the GOP...maybe I can influence the insanity.)

This is a really interesting topic. I certainly like the sounds of the guy you quoted. When I get myself caught up I'll check the link out. Thanks!

Mark said...

I really liked the article. "Big Bang as prove of God" is not something I'd ever heard before, nor of the resistence to the universe having a beginning.

Though, when I tried printing it out to share my printer ran out of ink and the stupid cartridge the incompetent clerk at Staples pushed on us as being a better deal (more ink for you money) is NOT compatible with my printer!!!
ARRRRRRGHHH!

Unknown said...

Take it back! I had them do that to me at Office Max once and I got my money back.

The link will wait for you so you can always print it out later.

:-)

That's one good thing about the net.

Mark said...

Hey, I just realized that I had the receipt, which I usually don't keep. I guess it's a good thing I haven't sent in that warranty stuff in yet after all!
:-)

Unknown said...

That is a good thing, those printer cartridges are not cheap.

That was the huge error I made when I bought my last printer was not checking to see what the difference in the cartridge price was in comparison to the other printers that were a similar price.

:-)

Mark said...

The right printer cartridge is pretty inexpensive, comparitively, less than $20, the other one was $30, but had twice as much ink. I didn't get out to Staples yet, I took a nap instead, but I did get another cartridge and have successfully printed off the story for my son's therapist!