Death and how to contemplete it ???

[apache]

Very very fine dividing line between philosophy and science when it comes to quantum physics. It could be regarded (rather fittingly) as either, or both, or neither.

 

[Neil]

Very very fine dividing line between philosophy and science when it comes to quantum physics. It could be regarded (rather fittingly) as either, or both, or neither.

Well put like that, not far from religion, either.

There's a bit too much faith in most of those propositions, for me, though...

 

[apache]

You could say that there's an element of faith in quantum physics too, in that it's a theory built to fit the otherwise inexplicable - just like many religions. However, science goes some way to disprove the existence of God if you were to regard Steven Hawking's theories of time.

 

[Neil]

You could say that there's an element of faith in quantum physics too, in that it's a theory built to fit the otherwise inexplicable - just like many religions.

That's really what I meant.

Same applies to some philosophical propositions, despite how incongruous that may sound.

However, science goes some way to disprove the existence of God if you were to regard Steven Hawking's theories of time.

Does it?

Never read his stuff.

Surely the scientific position is just to keep an open mind, and say there's no independently verifiable evidence to support the existence of the supernatural. Can't help but think that many of the scientific, assertive atheists behave almost as "religiously" in their stark intent to be the antithesis of faith and "religion" - but in the end, leave the impression of making a blind, "leap of faith" in the other direction, and rationalising it with social and psychological arguments for society clinging to the supernatural.

I say that as a firm, fence-sitter, and atheist (well probably more accurately, agnostic) myself...

 

[apache]

Hawking postulated that if the universe started from a singularity, there was no space before that. If there is no space, there is no time. If there is no time, there is no existence, no God, and certainly no time for a God to create a universe.

Admittedly, without evidence that there was indeed 'nothing' before the singularity, then there is just as likely to have been a mound of turtles sitting waiting for the universe to appear on their backs!

 

[Neil]

Hawking postulated that if the universe started from a singularity, there was no space before that. If there is no space, there is no time. If there is no time, there is no existence, no God, and certainly no time for a God to create a universe.

Admittedly, without evidence that there was indeed 'nothing' before the singularity, then there is just as likely to have been a mound of turtles sitting waiting for the universe to appear on their backs!

Well as I hinted - for many, science is the new religion, the new "faith".

I get that very clever people postulating ideas, that aren't without some rationale, is perhaps more rigourous that simply "A wizard done it..." but all the same, a leap of faith of similar bounds for those that buy into it.

I guess you could say the motivation is clearly different, though - at least scientists appear to be trying to understand and find out, whereas many religions can seem corrupt, controlling, self-serving, with desparate appeal to (some would say ultimate) authority and playing the incomprehensible card.