Dead Ringers

Sometimes so bad, but other times so very good...

Planets

Out there.

Down here.

Amazing stuff.

Fine Tuning for Androids

At the Christians in Science meeting here in Edinburgh tonight we were considering and discussing the idea of the fine tuning of the universe that gives rise to the Anthropic Principle. In a nutshell our universe appears to be very precisely set up for carbon based lifeforms such as ourselves to emerge from it.

So precise is this set up that some Christians have gone as far as to claim that it is direct evidence for the existence of a benevolent God at work behind the scenes who keeps humanity in mind and constructs a universe suitable for them to exist in.

I would agree more so with the folks who were at the meeting tonight (and with the viewpoint presented in the DVD we were discussing) that this fine tuning is more so evidence that is consistent with a theistic interpretation (whether or not that fine tuning arises from a twirling of cosmic dials or through an evolutionary development of a subset of parallel universes within a larger multiverse) rather than definite proof of a Supreme Intelligence/God at work.

As interesting as that all was there was a bit of a slight lack of robots and artificial lifeforms for me which got me thinking. What would the state of play be for such forms of life with regards to the Anthropic Principle?

I initially see two options here:

1. The original 'naturally' spawned creators of the subsequent artificial lifeforms co-exist with with each other and the artificial lifeforms can thus recognise the convenience and amicability of fine tuning in the context of their creators and agree with the consistency of that viewpoint in a theistic interpretation of the nature of the universe
2. The creators are no longer in existence (think a billion years or so down the line) for one reason or another. Exact knowledge of the artificial lifeforms own origins have also been lost. It would seem that in this scenario there is no reason to think that there would be an obvious connection between the universes properties and the form of life now inhabiting it.

If 2 is correct then maybe there would be something lost in the sense of one way of appreciating and rejoicing in God's providence for all His creation, but then on the other hand there would be an obvious discontinuity between the artificial life and the more natural process at work in bringing life into being throughout the universe.

This could be interpreted by the artificial lifeforms to mean that they were specially and instantly created by God which would be a misunderstanding of their place in the universe. Equally however this mystery could also be a driver into the lifeforms search for their true origins and thus reveal to them a wider understanding of the scope of God's creative plans for the universe.

Interestingly this sort of activity parallels pretty much what we humans are attempting to do so now through science and a better understanding of our own history.

Another idea that could be included in either scenario 1 or 2 above is that is perhaps that although the artificial lifeforms might not be able to associate themselves especially with some more human-centric fine tuning arguments there would still be plenty of other more generic arguments as to why the universe seems friendly to producing intelligent lifeforms of one form or another.

By looking at a wider perspective they might well conclude on a wider 'Genesis' Principle of which our current Anthropic Principle might be a smaller part of which would however remain hypothetical to the artificial lifeforms who construct the final, more encompassing principle. The presence of its possibility however might give them important clues on the nature of the universe and help them to explore and appreciate more the universal consistency of the purposes of God.

Christians in Science in Edinburgh

There's a lot of varied events happening around the Edinburgh that are science/religion related and for the local group of Christians in Science I have compiled a newsletter that you can download here.

There's a handy summary sheet on the last page for the next few months that is worth checking out if you're interested in finding something to go to.

God Creates New Bird

Much amusement over at the Onion.

Good News

I like news like this - New Ring Detected Around Saturn.

Its somewhat encouraging that something like this can still make headline news when it is so unrelated to our immediate all to often frivolous concerns or to the credit crunch or house prices or politics or.....

It kinda helps put our problems and concerns into perspective really and reminds us just how much else is out there waiting to be discovered and enjoyed if only we could get our collective act together here on our own world.

Would Jesus Play God?

This is the title for a talk and discussion evening that I am organising through 'Jesus and the Scientist' to be held at 7.30pm on November 2nd at Morningside Baptist Church, Edinburgh.

The theme for the evening is Christianity and new biotechnologies and how (or even if) the two interact with each other. We'll be discussing things like stem cells, genetic therapies and GM foods amongst other things and trying to bring some Biblically themed thoughts to these issues and hopefully place both helpfully in the context of today's culture and societies needs.

The speaker for the evening is Professor John Bryant, who is a geneticist based at the University of Exeter. John is a recent past President of the Society for Experimental Medicine and also chair of Christians in Science for many years. He is deeply involved in both teaching and research on biothics principles and matters in both academic and Christian arenas. John also lives in Devon which is certainly not a bad thing either.

If you can make it then please come along!

Ardipithecus Ramidus

A not very exciting post title there for some exciting news! The title is the name for a new species of proto-human that the latest issue of top science-journal, eh.. Science is making a big thing about and rightfully so.

Quoting Science itself:

"In its 2 October 2009 issue, Science presents 11 papers, authored by a diverse international team, describing an early hominid species, Ardipithecus ramidus, and its environment. These 4.4 million year old hominid fossils sit within a critical early part of human evolution, and cast new and sometimes surprising light on the evolution of human limbs and locomotion, the habitats occupied by early hominids, and the nature of our last common ancestor with chimps."

Given the importance of this new species its quite good that the journal is making not only articles about the discoveries available for free on its website but also the eleven (11!!) new peer-reviewed papers describing the species and its implications for human evolution.

The papers are interesting but the general news articles will probably provide a better introduction for the lay reader and summarise all the findings well. Check out them out here!

Obviously such finds as are detailed here present challenges to Christian's who insist on an ultraliteral interpretation of certain Biblical passages, but for me personally I find such new discoveries quite exciting. Charting the course of human evolution through time helps to show how life with a spiritual capacity and appreciation came about on this planet and ultimately how the relationship between ourselves and God developed.

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

This is the title of a new book (and existing blog) about a guy in Malawi who bought electricity and associated benefits to his home village using a bit of ingenuity and basically scrap materials found around the area.

I've seen the basic outlines of his story cropping up in a number of places both on and offline and am looking forward to getting hold of a copy of his book to find out more.

BBC News has an article today on his story which seems to be a good summary.