RE: [asa] Study claims that Parallel Universes really do exist.

From John Polkinghorne' website
http://www.polkinghorne.net

On question of multiverse:

"Together with many scientists of my generation, I deplore the rather
recklessly speculative mood that seems present in much contemporary physics"

and again,
"like many physicists of my generation, I am very sceptical about multiple
universes. Arguments from superstrings depend on believing that theorists
can correctly second guess nature 16 orders of magnitude beyond anything we
know experimentally."

In his book, One World: "Let us recognize these speculations for what they
are. They are not physics, but in the strictest sense, metaphysics. There is
no purely scientific reason to believe in an ensemble of universes. By
construction these other worlds are unknowable by us. A possible explanation
of equal intellectual respectability - and to my mind greater economy and
elegance - would be that this one world is the way it is, because it is the
creation of the will of Creator who purposes that it should be so."

-----Original Message-----
From: asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu [mailto:asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu] On
Behalf Of Michael Roberts
Sent: 30 September 2007 22:12
To: gmurphy@raex.com; asa@calvin.edu; philtill@aol.com
Subject: Re: [asa] Study claims that Parallel Universes really do exist.

As I am physically and cosmologically challenged I have a very rudimentary
understanding of the whole multiverse thing. I sort of understand and would
only explain it in a very general way.

However what is needed is some serious theological thinking to see how far a
multiverse can be included in a theistic viewpoint. As I have long thought
that we should be wary of equating the Big Bang with the initial creation
and that there may be something before that, multiverses may be just that.

I wonder what a Fr Coyne, or a Polkinghorne have to say about this.

Though I do not like the idea of a multiverse I am reluctant to say it is
unacceptable theologically. However I do not have the scientific or
theological ability to make a case.

Michael

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Received on Sun, 30 Sep 2007 22:58:32 +0100