Transcript of BS EE, Newark College MS Physics, UCLA PhD Physics, UCLA Prof of Physics and Astronomy, U of...
- Slide 1
- Slide 2
- BS EE, Newark College MS Physics, UCLA PhD Physics, UCLA Prof
of Physics and Astronomy, U of Hawaii Adjunct Prof of Philosophy, U
of Colorado Fellow, CSICOP Research Fellow, CFI Visiting
Prof/Researcher U of Heidelberg, Ger Oxford, England National
Nuclear Physics Lab, Frascati, Italy U of Florence, Italy Research
Career Elementary Particle Physics High-Energy gamma-ray and
neutrino astronomy Neutrino Mass 40+ Years in Elementary Particle
Physcis and Astrophysics
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- The existence of God will be taken as a scientific hypothesis
and the consequences of that hypothesis searched for in objective
observations of the world around us Models will be assumed in which
God has specific attributes that can be tested empirically If we
have no evidence or other reason for believing in God, then we can
be pretty sure that God does not exist The supernatural hypothesis
of God is testable, verifiable, and falsifiable by the established
methods of science.
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- Study Protocols include evaluation of error sources Hypothesis
clearly established before data taking Control for bias (blinding)
Hypothesis must be falsifiable Results must be independently
replicated Extraordinary Claims Require Extraordinary Evidence
Asymmetry: While failure to pass a required test is sufficient to
falsify a model, the passing of the test is not sufficient to
verify the model
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- The elements of scientific models need not correspond precisely
to the elements of "true reality" The elements of scientific models
are not limited to those supported by direct observation Scientific
models are human inventions and represent the best we can do in
describing objective reality When a model successfully describes a
wide range of observations, we can be confident that the elements
of those models have something to do with whatever reality is out
there, but less confident that they constitute reality itself The
validity of the scientific method is justified by its immense
success
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- The answer: We do not need to know Whether any of the objects
of scientific models are real or not does not change the fact that
those models have immense utility By dealing in terms of models of
God that are based on human conceptions, we avoid the objection
that the "true" God may lie beyond our limited cognitive
capabilities When it is demonstrated that a particular God is
rejected by the data, it is not proof that all conceivable gods do
not exist; it simply shows beyond a reasonable doubt that a God
with the specific, hypothesized attributes does not exist How can
we mere mortals know about the true nature of a god who lies beyond
our sensibilities?
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- "Essentially, all models are wrong, but some are useful."
George E. P. Box, FRS (1919-2013)
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- 1. God is the creator and preserver of the universe 2. God is
the architect of the structure of the universe and the author of
the laws of nature 3. God steps in whenever he wishes to change the
course of events, which may include violating his own laws as, for
example, in response to human entreaties 4. God is the creator and
preserver of life and humanity, where human beings are special in
relation to other life-forms Judeo-Christian-Islamic God
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- 5. God has endowed humans with immaterial, eternal souls that
exist independent of their bodies and carry the essence of a
person's character and selfhood 6. God is the source of morality
and other human values such as freedom, justice, and democracy 7.
God has revealed truths in scriptures and by communicating directly
to select individuals throughout history 8. God does not
deliberately hide from any human being who is open to finding
evidence for his presence Judeo-Christian-Islamic God
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- The Illusion of Design Searching for a World Beyond Matter
Cosmic Evidence The Uncongenial Universe The Failures of Revelation
Do Our Values Come From God? The Argument from Evil Possible and
Impossible Gods
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- Mind and Soul (duality) Brain Science Today ESP Miracles Does
Prayer Work? Immortality
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- Bruce L. Flamm, "Faith Healing Confronts Modern Medicine,"
Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine 8, no. 1 (2004): 9-14
Randolph C. Byrd, "Positive Therapeutic Effects of Intercessory
Prayer in a Coronary Care Unit Population," Southern Medical
journal 81, no. 7 (1988): 826-29 W. S. Harris et al., "A
Randomized, Controlled Trial of the Effects of Remote, Intercessory
Prayer on Outcomes in Patients Admitted to the Coronary Care Unit,"
Archives of Internal Medicine 159 (1999): 2273- 78
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- K. Y. Cha, D. P. Wirth, and R. A. Lobo, "Does Prayer Influence
the Success of In Vitro Fertilization-Embryo Transfer? Report of a
Masked, Randomized Trial," Journal of Reproductive Medicine 46, no.
9 (September 2001): 781-87 Leonard Leibovici, "Effects of Remote,
Retroactive Intercessory Prayer on Outcomes in Patients with
Bloodstream Infections: A Controlled Trial," British Medical
Journal 323 (2001): 1450-51 Brian Olshansky and Larry Dossey,
"Retroactive Prayer: A Preposterous Hypothesis?" British Medical
Journal 327 (2003): 1460-63 M. W. Krucoff et al., "Music, Imagery,
Touch, and Prayer as Adjuncts to Interventional Cardiac Care: The
Monitoring and Actualization of Noetic Trainings (MANTRA) II
Randomized Study," Lancet 366 (July 16, 2005): 211-17 H. Benson et
al., "Study of the Therapeutic Effects of Intercessory Prayer
(STEP) in Cardiac Bypass Patients: A Multicenter Randomized Trial
of Uncertainty and Certainty of Receiving Intercessory Prayer,"
American Heart Journal 151, no. 4 (2006): 934-42
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- The Pipline to God Common Standards Noble Ideals The Good
Society Holy Horrors Natural Morality
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- Not everyone agrees on every moral issue Christians may look to
the Bible, but how they interpret what they read must depend on
ideals that they have already developed from some other source The
fact is that these principles were developed in earlier cultures
and history, indicating that they were adopted by - rather than
learned from - religion However common may be the view that
religion is the source of moral behavior, what do the data say?
While it is fine that religions preach moral precepts, they have no
basis to claim that these precepts were authored by their
particular deity or, indeed, any deity at all
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- "Do not resist one who is evil. But if any one strikes you on
the right cheek, turn to him the other also" (Matt. 5:39); "But I
say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you"
(Matt. 5:43-44) I treat those who are good with goodness. And I
also treat those who are not good with goodness. Thus goodness is
attained. I am honest with those who are honest. And I am also
honest with those who are dishonest. Thus honesty is attained
(Taoism. Tao Te Ching 49) Conquer anger by love. Conquer evil by
good. Conquer the stingy by giving. Conquer the liar by truth
(Buddhism. Dhammapada 223) A superior being does not render evil
for evil; this is a maxim one should observe; the ornament of
virtuous persons is their conduct. One should never harm the wicked
or the good or even criminals meriting death. A noble soul will
ever exercise compassion even towards those who enjoy injuring
others or those of cruel deeds when they are actually committing
them-for who is without fault? (Hinduism. Ramayana, Yuddha Kanda
115) "Love your enemies."
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- Jesus: "So, whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so
to them; for this is the law of the prophets" (Matt. 7:12) The
Hindu Mahabharata: "This is the sum of all true righteousness: deal
with others as thou wouldst thyself be dealt by." (c. 150 BCE)
Isocrates: "Do not do to others what would anger you if done to you
by others." (c. 375 BCE) Confucius: "What you do not want others to
do to you, do not do to others." (The Doctrine of the Mean 13, c.
500 BCE) "Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you." No
original moral concept of any significance can be found in the New
Testament
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- Disagreeing with the Data What If? What Gods Remain? The
Hiddenness Problem
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- 1. A God who is responsible for the complex structure of the
world, especially living things, fails to agree with empirical fact
that this structure can be understood to arise from simple natural
processes and shows none of the expected signs of design. Indeed,
the universe looks as it should look in the absence of design. 2. A
God who has given humans immortal souls fails to agree with the
empirical facts that human memories and personalities are
determined by physical processes, that no nonphysical or
extraphysical powers of the mind can be found, and that no evidence
exists for an afterlife. 3. A God whose interactions with humans,
including miraculous interventions, have been reported in
scriptures is contradicted by the lack of independent evidence that
these miraculous events took place and the fact that physical
evidence now convincingly demonstrates that some of the most
important biblical narratives, such as the Exodus, never took
place.
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- 4. A God who miraculously and supernaturally created the
universe fails to agree with the empirical fact that no violations
of physical law were required to produce the universe, its laws, or
its existence rather than nonexistence. It also fails to agree with
established theories, based on empirical facts, which indicate that
the universe began with maximum entropy and so bears no imprint of
a creator. 5. A God who fine-tuned the laws and constants of
physics for life, in particular human life, fails to agree with the
fact that the universe is not congenial to human life, being
tremendously wasteful of time, space, and matter from the human
perspective. It also fails to agree with the fact that the universe
is mostly composed of particles in random motion, with complex
structures such as galaxies forming less than 4 percent of the mass
and less than one particle out of a billion. 6. A God who
communicates directly with humans by means of revelation fails to
agree with the fact that no claimed revelation has ever been
confirmed empirically, while many have been falsified. No claimed
revelation contains information that could not have been already in
the head of the person making the claim.
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- 7. A God who is the source of morality and human values does
not exist since the evidence shows that humans define morals and
values for themselves. This is not "relative morality." Believers
and nonbelievers alike agree on a common set of morals and values.
Even the most devout decide for themselves what is good and what is
bad. Nonbelievers behave no less morally than believers. 8. The
existence of evil, in particular, gratuitous suffering, is
logically inconsistent with an omniscient, omnibenevolent,
omnipotent God (standard problem of evil).
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- Is Religion Useful? The Negative Impact of Religion on Society
Meaning Comfort and Inspiration
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- "A man who says, 'If God is dead, nothing matters', is a spoilt
child who has never looked at his fellow man with compassion."
Ethics Without God (1990) Kai Neilsen (born 1926)
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- Well Written Methodical and Scientifically Rigorous Approach
Good Research Excellent References
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- Not By Design: The Origin of the Universe (1988) Physics and
Psychics: The Search for a World beyond the Senses (1990) The
Unconscious Quantum: Metaphysics in Modern Physics and Cosmology
(1995) Timeless Reality: Symmetry, Simplicity, and Multiple
Universes (2000) Has Science Found God? The Latest Results in the
Search for Purpose in the Universe (2003) The Comprehensible
Cosmos: Where Do the Laws of Physics Come From? (2006) http://
www.colorado.edu/philosophy/vstenger/ Physics Cosmology Philosophy
Religion Pseudoscience