Question everything? People who say that almost never really mean it

_{Denyse O'Leary

June 12, 2014

Cosmology, Intelligent Design, News}

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From Quantum Frontiers, on the Theory of Everything:

When we think about the world around us, we go to our intuitions first as a starting point for any theory describing the multitude of possible experiences (observable states of the world). If we are to really get to the bottom of this process, it seems fruitful to ask “why do I assume this?” and “is that truly fundamental or can I derive it from something else that I already assumed was an independent axiom?” One of the postulates of quantum mechanics is the axiom corresponding to the evolution of states under Schrodinger’s equation. We will attempt to derive that equation from the other postulates in an upcoming post. Until then, your help is wanted with the march towards more fundamental principles that explain our seemingly self-evident truths. Question everything, especially when you think you really figured things out. Start with this post. After all, a theory of everything should be able to explain itself.

People who say that almost never really mean it.

They only mean: Help them gang up on what THEY don’t agree with.

See also: The Science Fictions series at your fingertips (cosmology).

and Commentator Ed Driscoll on Popular Science’s “No Comments” editorial tantrum …

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Comments

Wonderful expression that: 'cracker-barrel philosophers'. Except most fortune-cookie manufacturers, whatever glaring faults they might have in other regards, would be too shrewd to disgust their customers with such tripe.Axel_{June 15, 2014
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Ironically, he sounds like the kind of air-head who'd say he disagreed vehemently with Hitler's ranting about inferior races, but would fight to the death to defend his right to do so!Axel_{June 15, 2014
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'Question everything? People who say that almost never really mean it' Very well-spotted. Sounds like a bad case of obsessive- compulsive disorder, doesn't it? I only check I've turned the gases off, twice. Has anyone ever come across such a specious, paternalistic, mealy-mouthed attempt at uttering a profound 'pronunciamento'? Yet such pompous, but vapid, saws are two-a-penny from the mouths of these atheists.Axel_{June 15, 2014
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Apoptosis Is Unchanged from Cambrian Corals to Humans- June 13, 2014 Excerpt: Instead of confirming Darwinian expectations, they debunked "the widely accepted hypothesis" that the complexity of the TNF ligand system should have increased. No; it was there from the beginning. Some animals lost some of it, but the most "primitive" Cambrian animals had it, and it works in human cells today. This is no small matter. Most of the 53 proteins (containing 228 to 533 amino acids apiece) show "high amino acid conservation" with their human counterparts, especially at the active sites. From extreme ends of the animal complexity scale, tens of thousands of amino acids in these families of enzymes show no evolution at all. What's more, the coral's system appears even more complex than ours. "Compared with previously published work on members of the TNFRSF," they say, "corals contain the most diverse TNFRSF repertoire of any organism described to date, including humans." http://www.evolutionnews.org/2014/06/apoptosis_is_un086721.htmlbornagain77_{June 13, 2014
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podcast "Doug Ell: Finding Faith Through Science, pt. 2" http://intelligentdesign.podomatic.com/entry/2014-06-13T16_20_21-07_00bornagain77_{June 13, 2014
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As well, whereas higher math refuses to give General Relativity clearance as a complete description of reality, higher math has recently (June 2013) confirmed the confidence we can have in Quantum Mechanics as an accurate description of reality. [13a & 13b] Moreover, an experiment has been proposed that would, if successful, establish the primacy of Quantum Mechanics over General Relativity in dramatic fashion. [13c] As well, because of advances in Quantum Mechanics, the argument for God from consciousness can now be framed like this:
1. Consciousness either preceded all of material reality or is a 'epi-phenomena' of material reality. 2. If consciousness is a 'epi-phenomena' of material reality then consciousness will be found to have no special position within material reality. Whereas conversely, if consciousness precedes material reality then consciousness will be found to have a special position within material reality. 3. Consciousness is found to have a special, even a central, position within material reality. [14] 4. Therefore, consciousness is found to precede material reality.
I find it extremely interesting, and strange, that quantum mechanics tells us that instantaneous quantum wave collapse to its 'uncertain' 3D state is centered on each individual conscious observer in the universe, whereas, 4D space-time cosmology (General Relativity) tells us each 3D point in the universe is central to the expansion of the universe. These findings of modern science are pretty much exactly what we would expect to see if this universe were indeed created, and sustained, from a higher dimension by a omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, eternal Being who knows everything that is happening everywhere in the universe at the same time. These findings certainly seem to go to the very heart of the age old question asked of many parents by their children, “How can God hear everybody’s prayers at the same time?”,,, i.e. Why should the expansion of the universe, or the quantum wave collapse of the entire universe, even care that you or I, or anyone else, should exist? Only Theism, Christian Theism in particular, offers a rational explanation as to why you or I, or anyone else, should have such undeserved significance in such a vast universe. [15]
Psalm 33:13-15 The LORD looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. From the place of His dwelling He looks on all the inhabitants of the earth; He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works.
Moreover, from a slightly different angle, ‘Life’ is also found to be central to the universe in that Christ’s resurrection from the dead provides a very credible reconciliation to the most profound enigma in modern science. Namely the unification of General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics into a ‘Theory of Everything’:
The Center Of The Universe Is Life – General Relativity, Quantum Mechanics, Entropy and The Shroud Of Turin – video http://vimeo.com/34084462 Two very different ‘eternities’ revealed by physics: General Relativity, Special Relativity, Heaven and Hell https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_4cQ7MXq8bLkoFLYW0kq3Xq-Hkc3c7r-gTk0DYJQFSg/edit "Einstein's equation predicts that, as the astronaut reaches the singularity (of the black-hole), the tidal forces grow infinitely strong, and their chaotic oscillations become infinitely rapid. The astronaut dies and the atoms which his body is made become infinitely and chaotically distorted and mixed-and then, at the moment when everything becomes infinite (the tidal strengths, the oscillation frequencies, the distortions, and the mixing), spacetime ceases to exist." Kip S. Thorne - "Black Holes and Time Warps: Einstein's Outrageous Legacy" pg. 476
As to the fact that, as far as the solar system itself is concerned, the earth is not ‘central’, I find the fact that this seemingly insignificant earth is found to revolve around the much more massive sun to be a very fitting ‘poetic reflection’ of our true spiritual condition. Please reflect on this for a moment, in regards to God’s ‘kingdom of light’, are we not to keep in mind that our lives are to be centered on the much higher purpose which is tied to our future in God’s kingdom of light? Are we not to avoid placing too much emphasis on the temporal pleasure this world has to offer, since it is so much more insignificant than the lasting pleasure of what heaven has to offer?
Matthew 16:26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?
Here is a quote from evangelist Louie Giglio which I think captures this 'poetic reflection' of our true spiritual condition
You could fit 262 trillion earths inside (the star of) Betelgeuse. If the Earth were a golfball that would be enough to fill up the Superdome (football stadium) with golfballs,,, 3000 times!!! When I heard that as a teenager that stumped me right there because most of my praying had been advising God, correcting God, suggesting things to God, drawing diagrams for God, reviewing things with God, counseling God. - Louie Giglio [16, 16a]
Thus, as is extremely fitting from the basic Christian view of reality, the centrality of the world in the universe, comparatively speaking, is found to be rather negligible, save for ‘the privileged planet’ principle (and perhaps some yet to discovered geometric considerations) which reflects God’s craftsmanship, whereas the centrality found for each individual ‘conscious soul/observer’ in the universe is found to be of primary significance,,, In other words:
,,,"Is anything worth more than your soul?" Matthew 16:26
Verse and music:
1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. Evanescence - The Other Side (Lyric Video) http://www.vevo.com/watch/evanescence/the-other-side-lyric-video/USWV41200024?source=instantsearch
References at bottom of this following site:
The Galileo Affair and “Life/Consciousness” as the true "Center of the Universe" https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BHAcvrc913SgnPcDohwkPnN4kMJ9EDX-JJSkjc4AXmA/edit
bornagain77_{June 13, 2014
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I had a very simple question that I asked after watching this video that Dr. Dembski posted on UD several years back:
The Known Universe by AMNH - video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17jymDn0W
My question was simply, 'Why does the Cosmic Background Radiation form a circular sphere around the Earth?' I mean, were we not suppose to be removed from any special position within the universe with the discovery that the Earth was not the center of solar system? It turns out that the answer to the question of 'Why does the Cosmic Background Radiation form a circular sphere around the Earth?' is very interesting. First, in explaining the centrality we witness for the earth in the universe it is important to note that Einstein’s General Relativity has shown that 4-dimensional (4D) space-time, along with all energy and matter, was created in the ‘Big Bang’ and continues to ‘expand equally in all places’:
There is no centre of the universe! According to the standard theories of cosmology, the universe started with a "Big Bang" about 14 thousand million years ago and has been expanding ever since. Yet there is no centre to the expansion; it is the same everywhere. The Big Bang should not be visualized as an ordinary explosion. The universe is not expanding out from a centre into space; rather, the whole universe is expanding and it is doing so equally at all places, as far as we can tell. [11]
That every 3-Dimensional place within the universe may be considered central in the universe may seem very counterintuitive, but that is exactly what has been shown,,
Centrality of The Earth Within The 4-Dimensional Space-Time of General Relativity - video http://www.metacafe.com/w/8421879
It is also interesting to note that 'higher dimensional' mathematics had to be developed before Einstein could elucidate General Relativity, or even before Quantum Mechanics could be elucidated;
The Mathematics Of Higher Dimensionality – Gauss and Riemann – video http://www.metacafe.com/watch/6199520/ The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics in the Natural Sciences - Eugene Wigner - 1960 Excerpt: We now have, in physics, two theories of great power and interest: the theory of quantum phenomena and the theory of relativity.,,, The two theories operate with different mathematical concepts: the four dimensional Riemann space and the infinite dimensional Hilbert space, http://www.dartmouth.edu/~matc/MathDrama/reading/Wigner.html
It is also interesting to note that higher dimensions, such as these higher dimensions from which our universe arises and upon which it is founded upon, would be invisible to our 3-Dimensional sight:
Dr Quantum Flatland https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6206QWGh3s
But anyways back to the main question of ‘Why does the Cosmic Background Radiation form a circular sphere around the Earth?’. As we have now seen, because of the 4-D space-time of General Relativity, from a 3-dimensional (3D) perspective, any particular 3D spot in the universe is to be considered just as ‘center of the universe’ as any other particular spot in the universe is to be considered ‘center of the universe’. This centrality found for any particular 3D place in the universe is because the universe is a 4D expanding hypersphere, analogous in 3D to the surface of an expanding balloon. All points on the surface are moving away from each other, and every point is central, if that’s where you live. And as such, it may now be possible for the Earth to be, once again, considered ‘central in the universe’.
“People need to be aware that there is a range of models that could explain the observations… For instance, I can construct you a spherically symmetrical universe with Earth at its center, and you cannot disprove it based on observations… You can only exclude it on philosophical grounds… What I want to bring into the open is the fact that we are using philosophical criteria in choosing our models. A lot of cosmology tries to hide that.” [11a] - George Ellis
Moreover, this 'circle' of the CMBR that is found by modern science to encompass the Earth, from the remnant of the creation event that brought the entire universe instantaneously into being, was actually predicted in the Bible centuries before it was discovered:
Proverbs 8:27 (King James Version) "When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he drew a circle upon the face of the depth:" Proverbs 8:27 (New International Version) "I was there when he set the heavens in place, when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep," Job 26:10 He has inscribed a circle on the face of the waters at the boundary between light and darkness.
But as tempting as it is to use the privileged planet principle, in conjunction with the centrality of the Earth in the 4-Dimensional (4D) space-time of General Relativity, to try establish the centrality of the Earth in the universe, this method of establishing centrality for the earth falls short of explaining ‘true centrality’ in the universe and still does not fully explain exactly why the CMBR forms an ‘almost’ perfect sphere around the Earth. The primary reason why the higher dimensional 4D space-time, governing the expansion of this 3-Dimensional universe, is insufficient within itself to maintain 3D symmetry becomes clear if one tries to imagine radically different points of observation in the universe. Since the universe is shown to have only (approximately) 10^79 atoms to work with, once a person tries to imagine keeping perfect 3D symmetry, from radically different points of observation within the CMBR sphere, a person quickly finds that it is geometrically impossible to maintain such 3D symmetry of centrality within the CMBR sphere with finite 3D material particles to work with for radically different 3D points of ‘imagined observation’ in the universe. As well, fairly exhaustive examination of the General Relativity equations themselves, seem to, at least from as far as I can follow the math, mathematically prove the insufficiency of General Relativity to account for the ‘completeness’ of 4D space-time within the sphere of the CMBR from differing points of observation in the universe. [13] But if the 4D space-time of General Relativity is insufficient to explain ‘true 3D centrality’ in the universe, what else is since we certainly observe centrality for ourselves within the sphere of the CMBR? Quantum Mechanics gives us the reason why. ‘True centrality’ in the universe is achieved by ‘universal quantum wave collapse of photons’, to each point of ‘conscious observation’ in the universe, and is the only answer that has adequate sufficiency to explain ‘true 3D centrality’ that we witness for ourselves within the CMBR of the universe.
Quantum Enigma:Physics Encounters Consciousness - Richard Conn Henry - Professor of Physics - John Hopkins University Excerpt: It is more than 80 years since the discovery of quantum mechanics gave us the most fundamental insight ever into our nature: the overturning of the Copernican Revolution, and the restoration of us human beings to centrality in the Universe. And yet, have you ever before read a sentence having meaning similar to that of my preceding sentence? Likely you have not, and the reason you have not is, in my opinion, that physicists are in a state of denial… https://uncommondescent.com/intelligent-design/the-quantum-enigma-of-consciousness-and-the-identity-of-the-designer/
bornagain77_{June 13, 2014
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Naturally, this subject came up on Yahoo! Answers. Here are some of the responses to this: “Why shouldn’t we question everything?” "But it sounds like the reaction of a 2-year old, who always asks why, to any situation. Maybe sometime he should try to come up with his own answers, and less questions.” My take: Cynicism and skepticism are difficult to deal with on a daily basis. But without asking questions, we don’t get answers. Or even get close to having answers. A very wise man once said, “Keep on asking, and it will be given to you.” “There was a guy named Socrates who questioned everything; they killed him.” Sad, but true. At some point, people see questioners as gadflies rather than truth-seekers. “Why shouldn't we question everything? You believe everything you hear?” My take: No, I don’t. No intelligent person does. “It is great to question everything. At some point you have to be done with questioning. It is important to make a decision. With decision, we can take action.” My take: While I agree with this, I don’t know that it truly applies to scientific endeavors. From here: https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20120531005430AANSwgUBarb_{June 13, 2014
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Jerry Coyne, the grand inquisitor of Darwinian Evolution, supports freedom of speech? Spain to deport ex-Muslim for criticizing Islam http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2014/06/11/spain-deports-ex-muslim-for-criticizing-islam/ I guess, for Coyne, given his history of censorship, it OK for one religion to criticize another as long it is not his atheistic materialism that you are criticizing. Censor of the Year: Why Jerry Coyne? - Feb. 2014 http://www.evolutionnews.org/2014/02/censor_of_the_y_2082021.htmlbornagain77_{June 13, 2014
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Amen to this thread. Indeed they don't mean question everything. jUst what they allow to be questioned. Unwelcomed questions get the same reaction as always in the worst parts of history.Robert Byers_{June 12, 2014
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It's a lot like a majority of so-called skeptics nowadays. They really are pseudo-skeptics who are merely anti-theists with very little true, if any, critical thinking skills.OldArmy94_{June 12, 2014
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This was a interesting video buried within the site you linked News: Doing The Impossible - Verifying Macroscopic Objects Are 'Quantum' Objects - video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pktWhH6m_DMbornagain77_{June 12, 2014
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"Question everything" is the slogan of the misnamed "Science" Channel. Their meaning of the phrase is exactly as you described.stjones_{June 12, 2014
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Kind of like free speech.humbled_{June 12, 2014
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