In a message dated 8/31/2000 1:09:38 PM, burgy@compuserve.com writes:
<< Some years ago I read, and reviewed for PERSPECTIVES, John Casti's
superb book, PARADIGMS LOST, 1989, in which he examines, as if in a
court of law, the claim that "life arose out of natural physical
processes taking place here on earth." While he found in favor
of the claim "quickly and easily," I found myself, even with the
"strawman arguments" then in vogue, notably those of ICR and the like,
thinking more deeply about how to phrase the questions. >>
Burgy,
I saw a review in _Nature_. (10 August 2000) of John Casti's latest book
_Pardaigms Regained: A Further Exploration of the Mysteries of Modern
Science_. In his 1989 book that you reviewed, he looked at the six Big
Questions in popular science, according to the review. They are: The origin
of life, the genetic determination of human behavior, the acquisition of
human language, the design of artificial intelligence, and the existence of
extraterrestrial intelligence, and of an observer-independent reality.
The review continued: "Of the six 1989 verdicts, two are 'reversed', the
first in rather vague terms, " ... the evidence has mounted considerably
supporting the claim that genetic makeup causes a predisposition to various
types of human social behaviors." {But how exactly does one measure "a
predisposition", and what is the variation between different behaviors or
among individuals?) For the second reversed verdict, the recent theories of
decoherence and consistent histories justify the view of the existence of a
single objective reality. Regarding the question of the terrestrial origin
of life, the earlier affirmative verdict is upheld, but a different
mechanism, the scenario of an RNA world, is now favored."
Regarding the confirmation of "the existence of a single objective reality",
I am reminded of the comment about the implications of the Big Bang made by
Robert Jastrow, founder of NASA’s Goddard Institute, and director of Mount
Wilson observatory. He wrote, "For the scientist who has lived by his faith
in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the
mountains of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls
himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have
been sitting there for centuries."
The same can be said for the "existence of a single objective reality"
substantiated by the "theories of decoherence and consistent histories". One
can reasonably assert that the Bible, Judaism and Christianity have been
asserting the existence of a single objective reality long before science
existed. Indeed, according to Thomas Cahill (_The Gifts of the Jews_), the
concept of history was first given by the Jews. The Judeo-Christian
tradition has long preceded this particular affirmation that Casti claims for
science, that reality and history truly exist.
Perhaps since you reviewed Casti's first book you would be willing to review
his second also.
Peace,
Bob
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