Re: Religious Beliefs that *Require* the Falsehood of Scientific Theories (was: we h

From: bill r wald (billwald@juno.com)
Date: Sun Dec 10 2000 - 22:37:10 EST

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    >>>>>
    BTW, Bill, what would you do with a field like astrophysics (and
    cosmology you did mention) that are not reducible directly to
    *experimental* physics, but which *do* reduce to *theoretical* physics
    and to *lots* of mathematics? The theoretical physics itself tends to
    have *other* confrontations with experiment in other areas (i.e. particle
    accelerators, etc.) than are found in the field in question. And often
    the field in question does provide observations--if not actual controlled
    *experiments*--that do constrain the theorizing to a great degree.
    <<<<<

    Well, Carl Sagan's TV series was mostly philosophy, not much science. As
    you note, many of the proposed atomic reactons and other phenomena are
    reproducible in the lab and it is beyond doubt that the a-bomb and h-bomb
    worked. One duplicates the initial conditions (pressure, temp, voltage,
    whatever) and the reaction occurs. This doesn't happen in abiogenesis
    experiments.

    Astrophysicists admit to limitations and boundries that are beyond
    experiment and observation.

    Quantum mechanics may seem to have a metaphysical componant but is not
    experimentally affected by prayer and/or incantation. Maybe God is a
    Unitarian. <G>

    billwald@juno.com

      
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