Apologetics Lane: cosmology

Showing posts with label cosmology. Show all posts

Monday, August 26, 2024

Modern Cosmology and the Existence of God: A Dialogue Between RTB and Reasonable Faith

https://www.youtube.com/live/n1Cfnazgc1w?si=emccyoSVfx_tQeNA

Saturday, September 2, 2017

Contemporary Physics and God

Part 1 with Fr. Robert Spitzer PhD

(https://youtu.be/LEbQgwAkh70)

Part 2 Dr. Bruce Gordon

(https://youtu.be/ff_sNyGNSko)

Scientific Evidence for God - Dr. Michael Strauss
(https://youtu.be/V48tBF6teSM)

Monday, June 24, 2013

What we still don't know with Martin Rees

https://youtu.be/oyH2D4-tzfM

This is not a Christian video, but it does show how fine-tuned the universe is. Here's one quote:

"The cosmological constant needs to be set to one part in a trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion" [found at 18 minutes into the video]

See also the videos here:
The Big Bang, Multiverses, and the Anthropic Principle Discussed by William Lane Craig misclane.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-big-bang-multiverses-and-anthropic.html

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Robin Collins Interviews

Here are some links to great audio/video materials by Robin Collins. While I agree with much of what Collins says, there are some things I either don't agree with, or positively disagree with (e.g. his apparent open theism, inclusivism, and theology of theosis).

Robin Collins interviewed by Robert Lawrence Kuhn on Closer to Truth

Update: All the following links of Collins' interview on Closer to Truth no longer work.
One can access the videos at the Closer to Truth Website HERE.
Most videos have shorter and longer versions.

Is God the Cause of a Fine-Tuned Universe?
http://youtu.be/Ll8xam_WvT4

Would Multiple Universes Undermine God?
Part 1. http://youtu.be/u9VE8dF6zDw
Part 2. http://youtu.be/QGEPGF-09Wc

Debating God's Existence?
Part 1. http://youtu.be/rNN2rwqI7g0
Part 2. http://youtu.be/04nrZI1NujQ

What does a Fine-Tuned Universe Mean?
Part 1. http://youtu.be/plpCfXKKYLE
Part 2. http://youtu.be/3nl1rAEKMUA

A New Heaven & a New Earth?
http://youtu.be/7FMu3XCw9VE

What is the Far Future of Intelligence in the Universe?
http://youtu.be/5gUqo2bMDY4

Why do We Search for Intelligent Aliens?
http://youtu.be/e0LK4kvj6ZY

Does Evil Refute God's Existence?
http://youtu.be/9nZ7cGv_38c

Did God Create Evil?
http://youtu.be/Ccb7F2nXW-0

Atheism's Best Arguments?
http://youtu.be/RwB86mnpuEQ

Authentication and Conflict in Religious Belief?
http://youtu.be/quewTFcE6N4

Imagining Immortality and Eternal Life
http://youtu.be/dexAgNnWt5w

The videos at Closer To Truth with a bio of Robin Collins
http://www.closertotruth.com/participant/Robin-Collins/23

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Robin Collins interviewed at Apologetics315
http://www.apologetics315.com/2012/04/philosopher-interview-robin-collins.html

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https://youtu.be/Gj_fLi_K7jA
Is [It] True? Fine-Tuning the Universe - Robin Collins at Pepperdine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmExDsWL3W8

Cosmology and Fine Tuning: Three Approaches

https://youtu.be/rSfZJ-W18-I

Scientific Teleological Arguement for Likeliness of Theism

"God and the Fine-Tuning of the Universe for Discovery"
http://youtu.be/A1BxcW1etXM

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

The Big Bang, Multiverses, and the Anthropic Principle Discussed by William Lane Craig

https://youtu.be/-J5D7R3pyro

Part 1 of 2

https://youtu.be/jyQMGBmPkdI

Part 2 of 2

Did We Just Get Lucky?

https://youtu.be/UloJeQbxHTo

Besides the objections to the World Ensemble that Craig made in the above videos, here are other features of the world in which we live that make the concept of the world ensemble less plausible as an explanation of the fine-tuning we find in the universe.

1. The correlation between life and scientific discovery (i.e. the Privileged Planet Hypothesis)

2. Gratuitous beauty. For example of the beauty of butterflies. I recommend watching the DVD video Metamorphosis: The Beauty and Design of Butterflies (here's a preview)

3. Gratuitous pleasures. For example, think of all the various molecules and chemicals needed to produce delicious food. For the possible existence of such molecules and chemicals requires the fine-tuning of the universe that we have. But just because a universe is fine-tuned, it doesn't necessitate that there be such chemicals or molecules. That's just one of the various pleasures in the world.

4. Multiple brains or minds that can interact with each other. The probabilities of multiple observers in one universe is less likely than just one Boltzmann brain existing in a delusional solipsism. If you believe in multiple minds in this universe, then that makes the world ensemble less likely as the explanation for this universe's fine-tuning.

5. The possibility of rational creatures being able to reproduce to multiply the number of rational creatures in existence.

6. Gratuitous sense of morality among sentient rational creatures.

7. Gratuitous sense of love among sentient rational creatures.

8. Given quantum mechanics and the multiverse theory things popping into existence (seemingly causelessly) is not only possible but likely. Yet, why don't we see such things occur publicly on a regular basis?

9. Even superheroes might actually exist (see for example HERE, and HERE [#5] ). Why don't we see them in our universe? As a Christian I believe there are supernatural entities like angels and demons who affect the world in hidden covert ways. Some might ask why I don't believe they might actually be these entities that the multiverse allows for? Given an atheistic version of the multiverse theory, that's a possibility. But why do these entities seem walk on a thin line between over and covert activities rather than manifesting publicly? Their behavior seems to be more in line with a Christian theistic worldview (with or without a multiverse) than an atheistic multiverse worldview. In the Christian worldview angels don't want to attract attention to themselves, but rather to God. While God has his purposes for veiling his existence to some degree or another (see for example HERE and HERE). Also, in a Christian worldview demons only want to attract attention to themselves only if it will lead to greater evil. If demons openly revealed themselves it would lead more people out of atheism. Something which demons wouldn't want. Demons would want humans to either not believe in them (and so allow for atheists to continue on their way to hell); or they would want humans to believe in them so that they either live in fear of them or think they have power over demons to do their bidding. When in actuality they are doing the malevolent will of those demons.

I personally don't believe that the concept of a multiverse is necessarily inconsistent with Christianity. What I do object to is appealing to the multiverse to explain fine-tuning away (and hence remove the need for a personal Creator).

Related videos

https://youtu.be/5c97Peb50IA
How Could One Argue that the Universe Didn't Have A Cause?

https://youtu.be/TK-X3x9tyqY
What about Multiverses and Parallel Universes due to Chance?

https://youtu.be/7FS78DPliLM

Does the World Ensemble Hypothesis Violate the Canons of Science?
(here Craig honestly admits that we should take the multiverse theory seriously)

Would Multiple Universes Undermine God? Interview of Robin Collins
Part 1. http://youtu.be/u9VE8dF6zDw
Part 2. http://youtu.be/QGEPGF-09Wc

More videos of Robin Collins being interviewed:
http://misclane.blogspot.com/2013/06/robin-collins-interviews.html

https://youtu.be/Gj_fLi_K7jA

Is [It] True? Fine-Tuning the Universe - Robin Collins at Pepperdine

See also This Blog:
Intelligent Design videos by Illustra Media
misclane.blogspot.com/2013/05/intelligent-design-videos-by-illustra.html

Fine-Tuning for Life in the Universe by Hugh Ross
http://www.reasons.org/articles/fine-tuning-for-life-in-the-universe

RTB Design Compendium (2009)
http://www.reasons.org/articles/rtb-design-compendium-2009

Scientific Evidence for the Christian Faith - Hugh Ross, PhD
http://misclane.blogspot.com/2013/12/scientific-evidence-for-christian-faith.html

What to Read: The Fine-Tuning of the Universe for Intelligent life
http://letterstonature.wordpress.com/2013/09/10/what-to-read-the-fine-tuning-of-the-universe-for-intelligent-life/

The Fine Tuning Argument in 12 Quick Points
http://www.saintsandsceptics.org/the-fine-tuning-argument-in-12-quick-points/

https://youtu.be/mT3R-WSN1XQ

The Multiverse and the Christian Faith | Jeff Zweerink, PhD

Monday, May 27, 2013

Intelligent Design videos by Illustra Media

The Privileged Planet

This is a video is based on the book The Privileged Planet: How Our Place in the Cosmos is Designed for Discovery by Guillermo Gonzalez and Jay Richards. Any well stocked library will I have a copy of the book. Many of the local public libraries around me do.

The book and video argue for a simultaneous correlation between the cosmic and terrestrial conditions that make rational sentient life possible on earth with that sentient life on earth to be able to make otherwise unlikely scientific discoveries. The evidence seems to suggest that a cosmic designer intended to both promote sentient life on earth and have that rational sentient life make scientific discoveries about the universe and so to ask deep questions about origins. This obviously has theological and theistic implications.

Some of the common objections to the Privileged Planet Hypothesis include the following:

1. If we humans didn't exist on earth, we wouldn't be around recognize how much we're able to discovery. Therefore the hypothesis is moot.

2. The hypothesis only makes its conclusions based on the sample size of one example (i.e. humans on earth in this universe) rather than multiple sentient beings on various planets and various universes. Therefore you cannot gauge apparent designed advantages or disadvantages.

3.If we were able to make much fewer scientific discoveries, people could still propose the hypothesis because we wouldn't know how much more discoveries were possible. Therefore, one can't determine the existence of or gauge the intentions of a cosmic designer. Conversely, maybe there are many more scientific discoveries we could have made if things were slightly different. Therefore, that too would make it difficult (or impossible) to determine the existence of or gauge the intentions of a designer. Maybe by design or by bad luck (if there is no designer) we're being "cheated" out of a vast amount of scientific knowledge and discovery. But we wouldn't even know it even if it were true.

4. In essence, the Privileged Planet hypothesis is basically painting concentric target circles wherever the arrows have landed. So, of course you get apparent coincidental and remarkable 'hits'.

The problem with these objections are similar to objections to the fine-tuning of the universe. See for example this video by William Lane Craig where he gives a useful analogy. Or this analogy explained by Deborah Haarsma. It seems to me that what these objections forget (or at least under appreciate) is all the ways in which it so happens we are able to make scientific discoveries because it JUST SO HAPPENS that certain conditions are such that we can make those discoveries.

Here's an analogy that can of help us appreciate the good fortune we have. Imagine a boy who wants to learn more about the world around him and he secretly discloses this to a newly made rich friend of his financially strapped poor father. The boy unfortunately has difficulty seeing objects both far and near. Then one day a package is dropped at his front door. The package so happens to have a pair of bifocal eyeglasses inside it. He tries them on and they enable him to see much better. In fact, they seem to almost perfectly be the right prescription. As the days go by, he continues to get more and more packages. One day he receives a magnifying glass. Another day he receives a telescope. Later a microscope. Another day he receives a miniature model car which he has to assemble and along with the car are trifocal and multifocal lenswear which he can use to help him assemble it. Now given the scenario, wouldn't it be reasonable for him to conclude that it was his father's rich friend who was sending him these gifts so that he could pursue his passion for discovery rather than that packages were accidentally being dropped off at his house? Even if the the packages were dropped off at the wrong house, one could conclude that they were being dropped off intentionally for the purpose of someone making discoveries and doing science. True, he wasn't receiving volumes of an encyclopedia on a regular basis. He had to make the discoveries for himself. But the point of the analogy should be obvious. Without those tools to enhance his vision, he wouldn't be able to see the things he does and make the discoveries he did. Similarly, there are many coincidences in our earthly circumstance that serendipitously work out for our scientific advantage. And just because the child didn't get access to better investigative tools (e.g. surveillance aircrafts, the Hubble space telescope, or to an electron microscope) doesn't negate the fact that he DOES have equipment that enhances his vision. When it was more probabilistically likely that the child (or we humans on planet earth) should have not had such advantages.

If I understand Gonzalez correctly, of the 65 places in our solar system where one can observe solar eclipses, "it's an amazing coincidence [that] the one place that has observers is the one place that has the best eclipses." http://youtu.be/-mdjM4-gRGg?t=7m25s

Here are various YouTube links to the video.