God and the New Physics

I have read a great many popular books on physics and most of them cover largely the same ground. This book deals with issues so fundamental and profound that many times only kids ever dare ask them. If you do read this book you may never forget the experience.

The book is old for the average work of non-fiction and positively ancient for a work of science, but it is nothing if not durable. God and the New Physics, written in 1983, still holds up well despite the passage of time and the amazing new findings in cosmology. When I realize that Paul Davies was in him mid-thirties when he was penning this major work of philosophy and physics, it makes me wonder at how little I did with my life! Anyone hoping for a scientific justification for a specific religion or for God in general will be disappointed. Although the author puts up a variety of possible cosmological points that might do so, he generally comes to the conclusion that they do not. The work is a superb examination of a variety of philosophical issues that plague even the average thinking person: How did the universe begin, did God create the universe, why does it exist at all, what is life, what is the mind, what is the soul, what is the self, does free will exist? He also discusses scientific issues that have baring on religion: what is time, what is matter, did the universe arise by accident or design, what is chaos, how will the universe end? Any student of theology or philosophy would do well to be acquainted with this book. Certainly every point is covered with regard to the existence of God and the meaning/purpose of life. The key scientific facts are lucidly put forth in a way that even the least math minded can understand them. For the blindly faithful, the book will do little to effect your point of view. It certainly won't bring about any change in your religious affiliation since no specific religion is endorsed. For those who are undecided or complete unbelievers, the book will not make you feel closer to a personal God if you don't already, but it may give you a sense of awe, a feeling of gratitude for the amazing universe of which you find yourself a part. Although the author does not say so specifically, science cannot prove the nonexistence of a deity any more than the religious person can prove his existence. God is essentially a non-testable, non-falsifyable, non-repeatable entity, a matter of faith and belief and therefore of choice. For the faithful, he needs no explanation or justification. For most scientists, God is a non-issue. Science is a method, one of examining nature, of finding out how it works, of putting together a description of its principles. As technology and understanding advance, that description changes. In essence, science is a self-correcting picture of reality. The author reveals this admirably. Anyone with an interest in cosmology will be find the book a little dated if they have already done any reading on the topic. Black holes have become an accepted phenomenon, the Hubble Telescope has allowed more detailed visualization of space, the universe is now believed to be speeding up rather than slowing down its expansion, etc. Still the basics are there and presented in a

Paul Davies, a professor of theoretical physics, has written extensively both for the scientific and the popular audiences on topics of current interest in physics and cosmology. In particular, he concentrates on issues to do with quantum theories, relativity and beginning/end of the universe issues. In his book 'God and the New Physics', Davies continues a new tradition in which physicists particularly and scientists more generally write about their fields in philosophical, nearly theological terms discussing first causes, ultimate meanings, and the place of God and humanity in the overall scheme of the universe. Our understanding of the universe has changed dramatically in the last century, having been a fairly stable image for the past several hundred years. This has understandably made the philosophic and anthropomorphic considerations of the universe change dramatically as well. 'Science and religion represent two great systems of human thought. For the majority of people on our planet, religion is the predominant influence over the conduct of their affairs. When science impinges on their lives, it does so not at the intellectual level, but practically, through technology.' Davies explores first the idea of genesis of the universe, exploring the intricacies of the big bang theory. This is a theory that has difficulties philosophically, that a purely scientific approach does not have an answer to, not least of which because it isn't asking the same question. Essentially, according to the big bang theory, the universe began as a singularity, essentially an infinitely small point from which all space and time (and all that is in it) emerged in an explosion-like phenomenon. Davies explores problems associated with conventional thinking around this unconventional theory -- what is the first event? what is the first event after the big bang? what is the purpose? what is the cause? It is a bizarre twist of quantum theories that causes and effects are not neatly, logically arranged along timelines which we have become accustomed to. Thus, can the universe be considered to be self-causing? 'The fact that modern cosmology has provided hard physical evidence for the creation is a matter of great satisfaction to religious thinkers. However, it is not enough that a creation simply occurred. The Bible tells us that God created the universe. Can science throw any light at all on what caused the big bang?' Alas -- even with exotic causality strains and quantum mechanisms which may remove the need for a first cause (as Davies tends to argue, using modern science essentially to refute already largely-refuted cosmological arguments for the existence of God), it does not adequately explain why there is a universe at all, that would have as part of its nature not needing a first-cause. In the course of his discussion of the ideas of theoretical physics and traditional religious views, Davies explores the mind/matter connexion, the nature and direction of

The Milesian Schools some 2,500 years ago cast aside creation-myths and tried to abstract ultimate principles from simple observation. After reading this book, one might conclude we are no closer than they in gleaning the "final answers" about the beginning and ultimate nature of the universe...Although this book is very speculative in places, it has excellent discussions of the competing cosmological theories contemporary physics has given us. Davies does not bow to any brand of Positivist skepticism when asking the big metaphysical questions--which could be a fault, depending on your views. In any case, this book inspires wonder and elicits those ultimate questions, and is a tremendous introduction to cosmology.

This book does what good books do; it raises your ignorance to a higher level. Davies uses quantum physics and some bio-chemistry to explore topics such as free will, the soul, and the origin (and end) of life in a thoroughly readable way.