Why and how of the universe:
One cannot
think of the universe without talking of God. While answering the question
whether the God exists, Dr. Stephen Hawking, the famous scientist, said He
exists in the form of the laws of nature. The very purpose of the science is to
discover these laws and use the knowledge for the betterment of human
life. There are many theories regarding
the existence of the universe. The
widely accepted theory is the theory of Big Bang, which says that the world
came into existence out of nothing after a big bang within a fraction of
seconds. Ever since its creation, it is believed that the world is travelling
to its destination, total equilibrium, which is the purpose of the universe. It
will reach the final stage of the entropy where the motion in the world will
come to a standstill. Parallel on these lines, eastern and also western
mythology believe the stage of Pralaya, havoc, the eventual destruction.
However, it may take millions and millions of centuries. No one can surely ascertain the purpose of
the universe. Even science hasn’t been able to throw light on it in clear
terms. Carl Pearson, in the book “Grammar of Science”, while talking about the
first cause (which produces the effect of being of universe), says… ‘Here
begins our ignorance’.
Universe
began with motion and will probably end when the energy reaches a stage of
entropy when the motion will cease to exist. Similarly, life begins with motion
at the initial stage of conception and the last moment of death arrives with
end of body motion. The life is a journey of motion. The bottom-line is; the
motion does matter to the universe as well as a human being. In a way life is
thus synonymous with universe.
S.V.
authored a book “PURPOSE OF UNIVERSE”, the reference of which was seen in the
last Blog. Before we go briefly through the deliberations in this book, let us
refer to the conversation on this subject initiated by TEMPLETON FOUNDATION
wherein the considered views of first rank world thinkers and scholars were
recorded. But before we turn to this conversation, let us see the overview of
the total Universe vis-à-vis the earth and we; the thinkers about the purpose.
The notable facts are:
1. Almost 95
% of the Universe is invisible with even the aid of the most advanced
technology.
2. As
compared to the vastness of the total visible universe, the status of our earth
is less than a fraction of droplet in the huge ocean.
3. The earth
bears about 7 billion population and you and me (i.e. the thinkers of the
purpose of universe) are one out of 7 billion.
4. The
universe is interconnected i.e. the components affect each other as we can see
that the sun, moon, planets in solar system can affect each other. It is
mentioned somewhere that this phenomena is so strong that a wink of an eyelid
can take the effect of vibrations to a star called VEGA (ABHIJIT in Hindu
mythology) which is 25 light years away from our earth. The knowledge of the
universe and its components is the necessity of all humans for which science
constantly makes efforts.
5. As
citizen of a country, we have to follow the rules of the land. By the same
logic, we have to follow the rules of the universe, so knowing the purpose and
rules of the universe is the natural desire of any inquisitive human being.
6. Where
science is unable to discover the truth, the help of rational philosophy is
always worth considering.
Visible
Universe is just 5% of the total Universe
Composition
of the UNIVERSE 1
The findings are
among the first results from analysis of data collected by the European Space
Agency's Planck spacecraft, which is providing the most detailed look to date
at the remnant microwave radiation that permeates the universe.
Compared to the
previous best measurements, the universe is a little older and, surprisingly,
is expanding a little more slowly than currently accepted standards.
Plank's data also
shows that ordinary matter - the stuff that makes up stars, galaxies, planets
and everything visible - accounts for a relatively tiny 4.9 percent of the
universe.
Dark matter, which does not
interact with light but can be detected by its gravitational pull, comprises 26.8
percent of the universe. The rest of the universe is dark energy, a
mysterious and recently discovered force that defies gravity and is responsible
for speeding up the universe's rate of expansion. New results from Planck show dark
energy accounting for 69 percent of the universe...
Where is Earth in the visible Universe? 2.
- Earth Our
home is a spinning ball of rock travelling through space at about 100,000
km/hour and is known to us as the planet Earth.
- Earth-Moon System The planet Earth is actually part of the Earth-Moon system.
Although we think of the Moon as orbiting the Earth, the two bodies
actually orbit their common center of mass (which happens to be inside the
Earth). Compared to other planet-moon systems in our solar system, our
moon is very large relative to its planet and therefore perhaps should be
thought of as a companion planet rather than a moon
- Inner Solar System the Earth-Moon system is, of course, travelling around the
sun (a journey that takes about 365 1/4 days). Nearby several other
planets, (Mercury, Venus, and Mars) comprise what we call the inner solar
system.
- Solar System. After Mars comes the asteroid belt and then four more, much
larger, planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune). After that comes
the Kuiper Belt, which is full of smaller objects such as Pluto.
- Sun's Neighborhood Our sun is just one of many stars in the sky. Some of the
stars we see at night (such as Sirius and Alpha Centauri) are located
relatively close by, from 4 - 10 light years away. Others, such as Deneb,
are much further, up to 1,400 light years away. (light speed @ 3 lakh kilo
meters / second)
- Milky Way Galaxy All the stars that we can see in the night sky are part of a
large galaxy called the Milky Way, which actually is comprised of about
100 - 400 billion stars.
- Local Group Our galaxy, the Andromeda galaxy, and several other nearby
galaxies form what's called the Local Group. Andromeda is located
approximately 2.5 million light years away.
- Virgo Super-cluster Our local group of galaxies are part of a much larger cluster
of galaxies, known as the Virgo super-cluster. The center of the Virgo
super-cluster is about 65 million light years away.
- The Universe Our universe is comprised of millions of super-clusters.
Altogether, there are probably 100 billion galaxies in the observable
universe.
- The Multiverse? Here we cross the line between science and speculation.
According to some theories, our universe is actually just one of many
universes in what could be called the multiverse.
Summary of Templeton conversation: “DOES THE UNIVERSE HAVE A PURPOSE?”
The contributors are scholars and
thinkers of the first rank.
S.NO.
|
RESPONSE
|
NUMBER OF
SCHOLARS
|
1
|
YES
|
5
|
2
|
NO
|
2
|
3
|
UNDECIDED TENDING TO YES
|
3
|
4
|
UNDECIDED TENDING TO NO
|
2
|
Out of 12 Experts on the subject who
participated in the conversation, as shown in the table above, 8 are in favor
of “YES’ where as 4 are of the opinion which say “NO’,
The representative views one each in favor and against the
purpose as follows.
Christian de
Duve, Biochemist, Recipient of the 1974 Nobel Prize in Physiology &
Medicine.
(S.NO. 8)
No. (There is
no need of a human like creator and motivation behind any purpose of creating
our universe, earth and life on earth. Universe is an expression of reality)
Purpose
pre-supposes a mind that conceived it, as well as the ability to implement it.
In the present
case, this means that the owner of the mind not only created the universe the
way it is, but could have created another universe and decided to create the existing one for a specific reason. So
the question really deals with the belief in a Creator who enjoys almost
infinite power and freedom but, at the same time, goes through the very human
process of pondering decisions and acting accordingly. In a way, this is a very
human like vision of God.
A second aspect
of the question concerns the motivation behind the purpose. What did God have
in mind in creating the universe the way it is? Being
the ones who ask the question, it is obvious that we see earth and life on
earth (ourselves) as at least part of God’s goal.
I prefer the indisputable statement that the universe happens
to be such that certain events, including the generation of life and mind, were
possible, perhaps even probable, if not obligatory (compulsory). Instead of
searching the “mind of God” for the explanation of this fact, I see it as an
expression of reality and as a significant clue to the nature of this reality.
It will be
noted that there is no logical need for a creator in this view. By definition,
a creator must himself be un-created, unless he is part of an endless. Why not
have the universe itself uncreated, an actual manifestation of Ultimate
Reality, rather than the work of an uncreated creator? The question is worth
asking.
Owen Gingerich
- Professor Emeritus of Astronomy and of the History of Science at Harvard
University, Senior astronomer emeritus at the Smithsonian Astrophysical
Observatory.
(s.no. 6)
Yes. (With
God’s experiment comes the freedom of choice, and I choose YES).
Frankly, I am
psychologically incapable of believing that the universe is meaningless. I
believe the universe has a purpose, and
our greatest intellectual challenge as human beings is to glimpse what this
purpose might be.
Quite possibly,
the purpose of the universe is to provide a congenial (suitable) home for
self-conscious creatures who can ask profound (intense, thorough) questions and
who can probe the nature of the universe itself. In the deep mystery of God’s
vast creative experiment there may be many facets that we, in human terms,
would relate to as purposes of the universe. I believe that, incredibly
(unbelievably), this includes the creator’s self-revelation through human intelligence
and personalities.
We see that majority
of the experts grant “purpose” to the universe. The views regarding the
relevant aspects of the other scholars are summarized as follows:
S.NO.
|
EXPERT’S NAME
BACKGROUND
|
VIEW
IN SHORT.
|
DETAILED VIEW
SUMMARY
|
1.
|
Lawrence M.
Krauss Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Case Western Reserve University
|
Unlikely.
|
Centuries
of exploration by science has not found any clear evidence to the Purpose.
Therefore a scientist can conclude that it is very unlikely that there is any
divine purpose.
The
conclusion is in the mind of the beholder, and it is outside of the realm
of scientific theory and prediction. Finally ,even if the universe has a
hidden purpose, everything we know about the cosmos suggests that we do not
play a central role in it (in purpose, if any)
A universe
without purpose should neither depress us nor suggest that our lives are
purposeless. We should not despair, but should humbly rejoice in making
the most of these gifts, and Celebrate our brief moment in the sun.
|
2
|
David Gelernter,
Professor of computer science at Yale and a National fellow at the American
Enterprise Institute.
|
YES.
|
Do
the Earth and mankind have a purpose?
If so, then the universe does too, ipso-facto. Namely,
to defeat and rise above our animal
natures; to create goodness, beauty, and holiness.
|
3
|
Paul Davies
Physicist, cosmologist, & astro-biologist. Director of the Beyond Center
at Arizona State University.
|
Perhaps!
|
Where,
then, is the evidence of “cosmic purpose”?
Well, it is right under our noses, in the very existence of science
itself as a successful explanatory paradigm. Science is a voyage of
discovery, and as with all such voyages, you have to believe there
is something meaningful out there to discover before you embark on it. And
with every new scientific discovery made, that belief is confirmed
If the
universe is truly pointless, then it is also incomprehensible, and the
rational basis of science collapses.
|
4
|
Peter William
Atkins Fellow and professor of chemistry at Lincoln College, Oxford.
|
No.
|
Sentimental
wishful thinking, which underlies all religion, is an unreliable tool for the
discovery of truth of any kind. I regard the existence of this extraordinary
universe as having a wonderful, awesome grandeur. It hangs there in all its
glory, wholly and completely useless. To
project onto it our human-inspired notion of purpose would, to my mind, sully
and diminish it.
|
5
|
Nancey Murphy,
Professor of Christian Philosophy at Fuller Theological Seminary.
|
Indeed.
|
The question
of purpose is closely related to the question of whether something like the
God. The question of Western monotheistic religions can be known to exist by
studying the order, goodness, and grandeur of the universe.
|
7
|
Bruno
Guiderdoni, Astrophysicist & Director of the Observatory of Lyon, France.
|
Very Likely.
|
Features
of the natural world appear to be fine-tuned for biological complexity. But
where does this apparent fine-tuning come from?
Is
it God’s signature? People of faith believe it is so. They read purpose in
the universe as a painter sees beauty in a view on the ocean.
Scientists
must go one step further and examine alternative explanations to the
fine-tuning idea.
In the
millennial of Homo sapiens’ evolution is something I find quite puzzling. The
reality is that we are able to contemplate such questions. And the bigger the
questions our brains can ponder, the more unlikely that the cosmic drama we
are all participating in is simply a
cosmic lottery. This is why, at the end of the day, I can’t refrain from thinking
that there actually is purpose in the universe.
|
9
|
John F. Haught, Senior Fellow, Science and Religion,
at the Woodstock Theological
Center, Georgetown University
|
Yes.
|
The
fact that we can ask such a question at all suggests an affirmative answer.
If,
along with me, you are asking this question, you are already closing in on the answer. Your mind is
engaged at his very moment in nothing less than the search for truth. It is
because this transcendent value has already taken hold of you, and in you the
whole universe, that you can have
faith in your critical intelligence and also trust that the universe has a
purpose.
As long as
the search for truth persists, not only can you trust your mind, you can also
trust the universe that has germinated such an exquisite means of opening
itself to what is timelessly worth treasuring.
|
10
|
Neil de
Grasse Tyson, Astrophysicist. Director of New York City’s Hayden
Planetarium.
|
Not Sure.
|
To
assert that the universe has a purpose implies the universe has intent. And
intent implies a desired outcome. But who would do the desiring? And what would a desired outcome
be? Are answers to these
questions even possible without expressing a profound bias of human sentiment?
Of course humans were not around to ask these questions for 99.9999% of
cosmic history.
So if the
purpose of the universe was to create humans then the cosmos was
embarrassingly inefficient about it. So while I cannot claim to know for
sure whether or not the universe has a purpose, the case against it is
strong, and visible to anyone who sees the universe as it is rather than as
they wish it to be.
|
11
|
Jane Goodall,
Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute. UN Messenger of Peace.
|
Certainly.
|
A purpose in
the universe. Perhaps, one day, that purpose will be revealed.
science
typically scoffs at any belief in a god,
When
I was a child, born into a Christian family, I accepted the reality of an
unseen God without question. And now that I have lived almost three quarters
of a century I still believe in a great spiritual power. A common scientific view is that evolution occurs simply because
matter obeys some unseen law whereby a simple organism will, if it evolves at
all, become a more complex one. Evolution is thus a blind process without
purpose and science will one day uncover the simple mechanical rules
underlying every seeming mystery. Our own lives, therefore, are equally
without purpose. There is no place here for the spirit, the immortal soul.
Many people find this hard or impossible to accept
|
12
|
Elie
Wiese, he Andrew W. Mellon Professor in
the Humanities. University Professor at Boston University. This essay was
translated from French by Jamie Moore.
|
I hope
so.
|
And
if it doesn’t, it’s up to us to give it one
The
Jewish tradition in which I base my thoughts defines it unambiguously—we are
his partner. To put it plainly: Though God created the world, it is up to people
to preserve, respect, enrich, embellish, and populate it, without bringing
violence to it.
World
cannot be to propose or impose a choice between joy for some and distress for
others. Man’s task is thus to liberate God, while freeing the forces of
generosity in a world teetering (see-saw motion) more and more between curse
and promise.
Do the Earth
and mankind have a purpose? If so, then the universe does too, ipso facto. If
not, the universe might still have (some other) purpose; but I don’t have to
face that contingency, because I believe we do have one…
|
(Note – Since the
views of scholars at S. No. 6 and 8 are given separately, they are excluded
from the table).
Over-all views
summary:
- Knowing the purpose is beyond
the jurisdiction of Science. The conclusion (on interpretation of Nature’s
laws) is in the mind of the beholder, and it is outside of the realm of
scientific theory and prediction.
- We (human beings) do not have any role, if there is any
hidden purpose. We should enjoy our life don’t worry for the purpose of the
universe. I believe the universe has a purpose, and our greatest intellectual
challenge as human beings is to glimpse what this purpose might be. The fact
that we can ask such a question at all, suggests an affirmative answer.
- Though God created
the world, it is up to people to preserve, respect, enrich, embellish
(decorate, beatify), and populate (live in) it, without bringing violence to
it.
- Do the Earth and
mankind have a purpose? If so, then the universe does too, ipso-facto.
- By the very fact.
If the universe is truly pointless, then it is also incomprehensible, and the
rational basis of science collapses.
- Purpose presupposes
a mind that conceived it, as well as the ability to implement it. The question
really deals with the belief in a Creator. A second aspect of the question
concerns the motivation behind the purpose.
- There is no logical
need for a creator in this view. By definition, a creator must himself be
uncreated, unless he is part of an endless. Why not have the universe itself
uncreated.
-
So if the purpose of the universe was to create humans then
the cosmos (universe) was embarrassingly inefficient about it. So while I
cannot claim to know for sure whether or not the universe has a purpose, the
case against it is strong.
The above conversation largely
concludes that whether Universe purpose may or may not be spelled out, every
prudent individual should live life with a meaningful purpose.
Vijay R. Joshi.
References: - 1 - MARCH 2013 DATA FROM SCIENCE DAILY NEWS.
Excellent Read, Thanks.
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