SCIENCE AND THEOLOGY

SCIENCE AND THEOLOGY AReaffirmation of God’s Existence P ROFESSOR Paul Davies, a well-known English physicist and author, is the Director of ‘BEYOND’, a research centre of the Arizona State University. He has several books to his credit, notably ‘The Goldilocks Enigma’. He states in one of his articles, ‘Flaw in Creationists’ Arguments’ (The Guardian, June 26, 2007): “Scientists are slowly waking up to an inconvenient truth―the universe looks suspiciously like a fix. The issue concerns the very laws of nature themselves. For 40 years, physicists and cosmologists have been quietly collecting examples of all too convenient “coincidences” and special features in the underlying laws of the universe that seem to be necessary in order for life, and hence conscious beings, to exist. Change any one of them and the consequences would be lethal.” He illustrates his point by citing the building blocks of the universe. The entire universe is made up of atoms, atoms which are a combination of neutrons, protons and electrons. A neutron is a little heavier than a proton. This proportion is extremely important. If it were the other way round, that protons were heavier than neutrons, then according to known laws, the atom could not exist. And when there are no protons, there can be no atomic nuclei and no atoms. No atoms, no chemistry, no life. This example shows that science today is facing unanswerable questions. For instance, what is the origin of the present laws of physics? Why do they take their present form? How is it that they are so well-established, etc.? Traditionally, scientists supposed that these laws were an integral part of the universe, that they were imprinted on the universe at its birth and fixed thereafter. Enquiry into the origin of nature and of its laws was not regarded as a proper part of science. But now these questions are vexing the scientists. The Cambridge cosmologist, Martin Rees, 60th President of The Royal Society (2005-2010), suggests that the laws of physics are not absolute and universal, but are more akin to local by-laws varying from The fundamental challenge to account for the impeccable order in the universe is that the concept of the universe presented by religion and modern science appeals to an agency outside the universe to explain its law-like order.