More Duff science!

I may have to go and lie down shortly, all this swot-stuff is making my head ache!  However, no sooner had I finished trashing my pathetic attempt at explaining Mandelbrot's set, see below, than my e-pal, 'DM', mentioned quantum theory in the comments, and then, of course, I stumble across an essay on precisely that most abstruse of subjects on a site called Big Questions Online.  Well, they don't come much bigger than: Does quantum physics make it easier to believe in God?

Don't go there, I shouted to myself but of course I couldn't resist it.  The question was posed by Prof. Stephen M. Barr, a tremendous swot in his own fields of physics and cosmology as well as, apparently, an intelligent commentator on other matters.  Anyway, given my 30-odd year fascination with quantum theory (in so far as I comprehend it) and my recent interest in all this God business I thought I should read it - and I'm glad I did.

For those without the time, or interest, to read his entire article, the Prof answers his own question in the opening paragraph:

Not in any direct way. That is, it doesn’t provide an argument for the existence of God.  But it does so indirectly, by providing an argument against the philosophy called materialism (or “physicalism”), which is the main intellectual opponent of belief in God in today’s world. 

The mechanical view of the universe and everything in it, including us humans, is simple to understand.  It states that everything is reducible to matter, and matter can be measured and so there is no space for free will or human spirit and certainly no room for a God.  It has an attractive simplicity which is tempting and should, therefore, be approached with great caution!  It is also rather insulting as Prof. Barr quotes someone as saying that it reduces humans to being "machines made of meat".  Hardly flattering, is it?  However, the huge advances in scientific understanding since the Enlightenment have re-inforced this materialist philosophy enormously.  But now (and the irony is positively mouth-watering) science itself, with its discovery of what might be called quantum mechanical madness, or at least, weirdness, has begun to demolish the certainties of materialism.

You must read Prof. Barr's essay to follow his explanation in detail - and it's very easy to understand -  but in essence, if the universe and everything in it is made up of things that are and are not and things that may or may not, then if the universe really is mechanistic then it is hardly a well-oiled machine, in fact, it is much more like one of my old second-hand bits of 'shrapnel' which may or may not start!  Thinking back to those old days I should have tried that quantum mechanical argument with my customers when they used to moan!

 

Comments

[dearieme]

"Does quantum physics make it easier to believe in God?" Not for me, it doesn't. It makes it easier to understand spectroscopy and radiative heat transfer though: yeah, it is essential to the understanding of same. Wot you need to read, Duffers, is The Strange Story of the Quantum by Banesh Hoffmann. It meant that when I left school I was particularly well prepared for that bit of freshman physics. Which was just as well since there were great tracts of physics of which I knew precious little.

(The great secret of freshman physics that I discovered was that it didn't matter too much if your school physics teaching had been dud, what mattered was that your school maths teaching had been good. And mine had been excellent, thank goodness.)

[David Duff]

DM, it wasn't that my physics teaching was dud - but that *I* was! I think I have mentioned before that it was 'The Dancing Wu Li Masters' by Gary Zukav which started me off on quantum mechanics - I mean, who could resist a title like that? Since then I have bought various books on the subject, some more understandable than others, but I finally realised that I could never fully grasp the subject because I simply did not 'speak' the language - maths!

However, I did grasp enough to understand that there are some deep mysteries 'out there' and I entirely agree with Prof. Barr that a materialist view of existence is (for the moment) out of court.

[Able]

Quantum? Oh please! Now if you really want to be confused try some String Theory:

http://www.nucleares.unam.mx/~alberto/physics/string.html

Some nice 'simple' descriptions for you (and not a jot of 'sums' in sight, although the mental gymnastics needed to consider 9, 11 or 26 dimensions some of which are compressed can become tiring - I find a glass or two of a single malt seems to help).

Look forward to your opinion ;-p

[A K Haart]

I don't think you have to bother with quantum theory for these arguments. Nobody could ever prove that the universe is entirely composed of physical phenomena, so in that sense we don't have to disprove it.

It is just a metaphysical standpoint - a rather restrictive one.

[David Duff]

Able, when I first became intrigued (more accurate word than 'interested') in quantum mechanics I found that if I sat quietly and concentrated I just about grasped it - but then along came string theory and what passes for my brain shrivelled! However, as I am planning a calm Christmas I may well give you link a look.

Quite so, AK, and that is what provides neutrals like me with such pleasure - of the sort to be had from holding someone's coat whilst they have a fist fight!