Can you calculate odds, for a start,
DNA would by chance life impart?
It's a big leap to say,
That it's just nature's way —
Is this abiogenesis smart?
It's too much, it just beggars belief,
Such farfetched ideas cause grief.
To have faith is perverse
When there's evidence scarce.
There's not been time enough, to be brief.
Abiogenesis (A-bi-o-GEN-e-sis) is the supposed development of living organisms from nonliving matter (also called autogenesis or spontaneous generation). It is the consensus opinion amongst mainstream science that life first developed between 4.4 billion years (since isotopes of molecules required by biochemistry became stable) and 4 billion years ago (with the likely first microbial algaes).
What is being said is that within some 400 million years, the essential components necessary for evolution of species by DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) replication developed from scratch — the subsequent 4 billion years of evolution being footnotes in the "playing-out" of this mechanism (autopoiesis).
However, the hypothetical random-process based models, put forward to explain how the DNA's mechanisms might originate within this time frame, are based on assumptions that have limited credible supporting evidence at this time (April 2008). This does not mean that these hypotheses are thus proven untrue, just that significant further study is required to support their viability.
But to accept that they are likely to be true is merely an article of faith. That said it's important not to "leap from the frying pan into the fire", i.e., not all faith-based hypotheses are equally valid — rather we need to be humble as to what we do and do not know and continue searching for truth.
Showing posts with label Cosmology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cosmology. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
The Omega Point
The Omega Point's near the world's end
Where complexity/consciousness tend.
We are singular points
That the alpha anoints;
We're aware that our beings transcend.
The French Jesuit and paleontologist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881–1955) came up with the expression the Omega Point. In his theory, the universe is evolving towards higher levels of physical and mental complexity, which Teilhard called the Law of Complexity/Consciousness. For Teilhard, this is only possible if a higher form of consciousness is attracting the universe to itself. Thus Teilhard postulates the Omega Point as the critical point (or complex) of consciousness — in chaos theory terms a strange attractor giving rise to fractal self-similar images.
Similar expressions are used by the American mathematical physicist Frank J Tipler (b. 1947); his 1994 book The Physics of Immortality describes a Singularity, a point in the future of infinite computational facility. Both Teilhard and Tipler see their theories as underpinning a rational understanding of certain mysteries of Christianity. In their terms, the Omega Point is for all intents and purposes God; indeed, the expression alpha and omega, "the first and last", is frequently used to signify God's eternity.
Where complexity/consciousness tend.
We are singular points
That the alpha anoints;
We're aware that our beings transcend.
The French Jesuit and paleontologist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881–1955) came up with the expression the Omega Point. In his theory, the universe is evolving towards higher levels of physical and mental complexity, which Teilhard called the Law of Complexity/Consciousness. For Teilhard, this is only possible if a higher form of consciousness is attracting the universe to itself. Thus Teilhard postulates the Omega Point as the critical point (or complex) of consciousness — in chaos theory terms a strange attractor giving rise to fractal self-similar images.
Similar expressions are used by the American mathematical physicist Frank J Tipler (b. 1947); his 1994 book The Physics of Immortality describes a Singularity, a point in the future of infinite computational facility. Both Teilhard and Tipler see their theories as underpinning a rational understanding of certain mysteries of Christianity. In their terms, the Omega Point is for all intents and purposes God; indeed, the expression alpha and omega, "the first and last", is frequently used to signify God's eternity.
Autopoiesis
With God's infinite scope and potential,
Intervention is just nonessential.
Evolution's His law
That will form in us awe:
Autopoiesis — means providential.
Autopoiesis (au-to-POY-es-sis) means: auto-creation (from the Greek: auto - αυτό and poiesis - ποίησις for creation or production).For some theologians posing a God who would intervene in evolution creates more problems than it solves.
Two examples:
Intervention is just nonessential.
Evolution's His law
That will form in us awe:
Autopoiesis — means providential.
Autopoiesis (au-to-POY-es-sis) means: auto-creation (from the Greek: auto - αυτό and poiesis - ποίησις for creation or production).For some theologians posing a God who would intervene in evolution creates more problems than it solves.
Two examples:
- Why would God choose to design a world that requires his occasional maintenance actions to achieve his purpose when a more efficient design might be opted for?
- If God chooses to give us free will to love and believe in Him, would he not ensure circumstances to be such that faith in His existence is not compelled by scientific evidence?
Cold Dark Matter
Are there forces of virile attraction
Guiding all of creation? His action
Seen in fractal-based forms
Emerges and warms
Cold dark matter (a MACHO abstraction).
But expansion rates still seem to rise.
Mass of MACHOs and WIMPs can comprise
About 20%
(Normal stuff makes no dent),
Plus new forms in dark energy's guise.
It takes faith to believe in such stuff.
As they're not seen directly, it's tough.
We're just asked to accept,
Since some men are adept
With such leaps — could it be just a bluff?
virile: characteristic of a potent and active male figure
The cold dark matter (or CDM) assumption of the standard model of cosmology is that most of the matter in the universe consists of material that cannot be observed by its electromagnetic radiation. However, CDM is inferred through its gravitational attraction and warping of space-time. One prediction of the theory is the existence of MACHOs (massive compact halo objects), whereby much of the CDM consists of condensed objects such as black holes, neutron stars, white dwarfs, very faint stars, or other non-luminous objects.
In addition to MACHOs there are thought to be weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs); these particles are elusive and as of March 2008 remain unobserved.However, the observed acceleration in the expansion of the universe cannot be accounted for by the effects of CDM alone. CDM accounts for some 27% of the mass-energy required (and "regular" matter of familiar atoms accounts for some 5%).
The remaining curvature of space-time is thought to be contributed by "dark energy", which makes up the remaining 68%.There are contending theories that require less multiplication of entities, but at the expense of tinkering with the equations of general relativity.
Guiding all of creation? His action
Seen in fractal-based forms
Emerges and warms
Cold dark matter (a MACHO abstraction).
But expansion rates still seem to rise.
Mass of MACHOs and WIMPs can comprise
About 20%
(Normal stuff makes no dent),
Plus new forms in dark energy's guise.
It takes faith to believe in such stuff.
As they're not seen directly, it's tough.
We're just asked to accept,
Since some men are adept
With such leaps — could it be just a bluff?
virile: characteristic of a potent and active male figure
The cold dark matter (or CDM) assumption of the standard model of cosmology is that most of the matter in the universe consists of material that cannot be observed by its electromagnetic radiation. However, CDM is inferred through its gravitational attraction and warping of space-time. One prediction of the theory is the existence of MACHOs (massive compact halo objects), whereby much of the CDM consists of condensed objects such as black holes, neutron stars, white dwarfs, very faint stars, or other non-luminous objects.
In addition to MACHOs there are thought to be weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs); these particles are elusive and as of March 2008 remain unobserved.However, the observed acceleration in the expansion of the universe cannot be accounted for by the effects of CDM alone. CDM accounts for some 27% of the mass-energy required (and "regular" matter of familiar atoms accounts for some 5%).
The remaining curvature of space-time is thought to be contributed by "dark energy", which makes up the remaining 68%.There are contending theories that require less multiplication of entities, but at the expense of tinkering with the equations of general relativity.
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