Dear Dr. Crowell,
Thank you for your reply. Quotes from the Bible may or may not have relevance. I was asking about scientific explanations. Science for us is limited to what empirical evidence tells us. It is the case for theoretical scientists that scientific answers are not limited as such. For theoretical physicists, imagination is important because it can be applied in the form of names and ideas to otherwise unknown properties.
"The "cause" of the universe is some quantum fluctuation. The nothingness is a vacuum that is unstable. Of course this might not be exactly a philosopher's idea of nothing, but it is good enough. The universe is then a map from one form of nothingess, this vacuum configuration, to another that is an Minkowski spacetime or void. In conformal geometry everything else in between in this map, or time evolution, is also in fact nothing."
The cause of the universe is not some quantum fluctuation of 'energy?'. At least it isn't until physicists can explain what is energy other than a mechanical type idea applied to mechanical type theory. What is energy? Is there even a thimble full of energy held somewhere in a labratory so that we may witness its substance? Is energy the real God? Then perhaps 'energy' theory can give at least a clue to the origin of intelligence?
Re-quoting: "The universe is then a map from one form of nothingess, this vacuum configuration, to another that is an Minkowski spacetime or void."
What is the official definition of 'nothingness'? Minkowski spacetime is only of use to theorists. We have never been able to contain any portion of either space or time. There is nothing, (or is there?), upon which we can experiment that would tell us anything about fundamental properties of either space or time. There is only evidence about how objects move and sometimes change? How does this evidence tell us anything about life and intelligence?
Can dumbness morph into intelligence? There is no point in pushing atheism until there are better and more relevant answers offered than: The vacuum, (nothing?), fluctuated? Or: A ,(force?), caused that effect? Or: That Minkowski or Einstein gave us anything more than theory that fit, in the manner that they made it fit, the patterns observed in empirical data?
My point is this: Neither you nor I can define a Creator. Neither you nor I can explain the origin of intelligence. There is no equation that can capture the essence of either of these (except perhaps new work such as Dr. Klingman's).
The Bible is not the basis of my questions. I think that pronouncements about the origin of the universe, life, and intelligence are philosophical choices. So long as those pronouncements are put forward as personal opinions, there is no problem. When they are put forward as scientific knowledge, then they need to be challenged for authenticity.
James
