THE PHYSICAL TESTIFIES TO THE METAPHYSICAL
In 1978, The Encyclopaedia of Ignorance was published in London. These words were prominently displayed on its cover page: “Everything you ever wanted to know about the unknown.”
In this volume, 60 famous scientists surveyed different fields and mentioned some things most people know little or nothing about. In addition, the Encyclopedia contained papers on things we do not know, which lie on the edge of knowledge.
“Compared to the pond of knowledge, our ignorance remains Atlantic. Indeed, the horizon of the unknown increases as we approach it. The usual encyclopedia states what we know. This one contains papers on what we do not know, on matters which lie on the edge of knowledge.”
Here, we are giving an excerpt of an article titled, ‘The Top Ten Secrets of Science’ that appeared in the Sunday Times, London, dated December 4, 1977, p. 13, that shares the words of 10 of these scientists.
The Top Ten Secrets of Science
In The Encyclopaedia of Ignorance, to be published next Thursday, some 60 well-known scientists survey different research fields, trying to point out significant gaps in our knowledge of the world. They write at very different levels, at very different lengths. However, last week, we contacted some authors dealing with significant branches of science and asked them to name a single unsolved problem that they found especially important or interesting. They give their choices below, together with those of two—Professor John Maynard Smith and Dr. Francis Crick—who could not be contacted and which have been taken directly from the book.
1. Why is the universe so uniform? Ian Roxburgh, Professor of Applied Mathematics, Queen Mary College, London: “The universe is astonishingly uniform. No matter how we look, the universe has the same constituents in proportion. The laws of physics discovered on Earth contain arbitrary numbers, like the ratio of the mass of an electron to the mass of a proton, which is roughly 1840 to one. But these turn out to be the same in all places at all times. Why? Did a creator arbitrarily choose these numbers? Or must these numbers have the particular uniform value we observe for the Universe to exist?”
2. Is there a Z-particle? Abdul Salam is a professor of theoretical physics at Imperial College, London. “In the fleet decade, we need to confirm or disprove the existence of the so-called Z-particle. If it does exist as predicted by current theory, it will clinch the unification of two of the four forces we know in nature. [The four forces are gravity, electromagnetism, the strong nuclear force that binds the atomic nucleus, and the weak nuclear force involved in radioactivity. Recently, Professor Salam and others have made some progress towards unifying the weak nuclear force and electromagnetism. The discovery of the Z-particle would lend strong experimental support.]
3. What preceded DNA? Dr. Graham Cairns-Smith is a lecturer in chemistry at the University of Glasgow. “We need to discover new genetic material that is as different as you like from DNA. [Francis Crick and James Watson discovered the double helix structure of DNA in Cambridge in 1953.] I do not believe DNA could have been made on the primitive Earth. Life must have started with something else, and DNA evolved later.”
4. How are genes switched on and off? Sir John Kendrew is the chairman of the European Allender Biology Organisation, Heidelberg. “We know something about how genes are switched on and off in bacteria, but next to nothing about how it is done in higher animals? [It is by switching genes on and off that the cells of a single organism, which all contain the same set of genes, can do such different jobs and become constituents of nerves, skin, etc.]
5. Why do we have an immune system? The body’s immune system defends us against infection, is responsible for allergies, and makes organ transplants difficult. But according to Dr. H. S. Micklem of the University of Edinburgh, “The most interesting question is not how the immune system works, but why it is there at all: Invertebrates seem to get along quite well without one, but it is incredibly complicated in vertebrates. The idea that it was needed to detect small changes in the cell surface which might lead to cancer has been popular in the last ten years, but there is much data to suggest it is not good enough.”
6. How can we measure evolution? John Maynard Smith, Professor of Biology at the University of Sussex, thinks that the theory of evolution has a built-in problem. “The essential components of the theory of evolution are mutation (a change in a gene), selection (differential survival or fertility of different types) and migration. The theory tells us that each of these processes, at a level far too low to be measurable in most situations, can profoundly affect evolution. Thus, we have three processes that we believe determine the course of evolution, and we have a mathematical theory that tells us that these processes can produce their effects at levels we cannot usually hope to measure directly. It is as if we had a theory of electromagnetism but no means of measuring electric current or magnetic force.”
7. How is the nervous system built? Francis Crick, Salk Institute, California. “Perhaps the most challenging problem in developmental biology is constructing an animal’s nervous system. Many years ago, it was shown by Roger Sperry that if a newt’s eye were removed so that the optic nerve from its eye to its brain was broken, then even if the eye were replaced upside down, the optic nerve would regenerate from the retina, grow towards the brain and connect up again. After a period, the animal could see again with this eye, but it always saw upside down. In other words, the new connection had been made ‘correctly’ except that the eye did not know it had been inverted. The results show that fairly precise processes are at work to make the correct, rather intricate, connections needed between one set of nerves and another, but exactly what these mechanisms are, we do not yet know.” [In other words, the fact that it was upside down shows how specific the links are.]
8. Does the quantum theory apply to gravity? Sir Herman Bondi, Chief Scientist, Department of Energy. “If we follow Einstein’s widely accepted theory of gravity, then any rapid change in the source of a gravitational field—two stars revolve in orbit around each other, for example—should radiate gravitational waves at the speed of light. All other forms of recitation are ‘quantized,’ that is, they are not continuous but come in discrete but minute packets. It is hardly conceivable that gravitational waves are quantized too, but nobody has succeeded in establishing the equations, though many have tried.”
9. How do different parts of the brain link up? Professor Horace Barlow, Cambridge. “We are almost ignorant about how different parts of the brain communicate. For example, what goes on between the parts of the brain concerned with hearing and the rest when we recognize a familiar voice? You can draw an analogy with speech. Sound waves carry it, but it is far more meaningful than a baby’s babbling, which is carried by sound waves. In the brain, nervous impulses are the equivalent of soundwaves, but we have no idea how they become meaningful.”
10. How old is man? Dr. Donald C. Johanson, Museum of Natural History, Cleveland, Ohio. “Fossil discoveries in Europe, Africa and Asia are pushing human origins back in time. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that the scenario of human evolution is much more complex. The probable time was three to ten million years ago. There appears to have been a great diversity of possible human ancestors, and we don’t know how they were related. [This is due partly to Johanson’s discoveries in Ethiopia and others of even older fossils made in Pakistan] (Excerpt of the article in Sunday Times, London, December 4, 1977, p. 13)
Commentary
Given the full scope of existence, life is a phenomenon that cannot be explained without accepting the guidance of a Creator. Scientific study reveals a numerical proportionality in the universe, suggesting the work of a mathematical mind in its creation. Human anatomy contains such wisdom that no natural explanation can adequately account for it. If an animal’s eye is removed, reversed, and reinstalled, it will still see, but everything will appear inverted. The various parts of the body, which function with extreme precision, result from a very delicate structure. From a scientific standpoint, sound is a mechanical wave, but when these waves enter the human brain, they become meaningful speech. These and countless other wonders abound in our world. It suggests that this world is not an accidental but a planned event. Behind it is a superior mind, controlling it with enormous power. The organization of the universe and its profound significance ultimately point to one conclusion—human ignorance about the world unveils a profound truth: the existence of a God that is governing the universe with immense wisdom. Looking at these scientific investigations, it can be said that the ocean of knowledge is steadily moving towards acknowledging God.
Modern Knowledge Is Advancing Towards Acknowledgement of God
Current natural investigations astonishingly lead humans to a “supernatural” destination. In every scientific field, researchers, in their quest, eventually reach a point where the limits of natural law have ended, and the operation of supernatural powers has begun.
For instance, the structure of the human brain was considered a mystery until about fifty years ago. Today, scientists believe they have uncovered many layers of this mystery. However, the addition of our knowledge about the human brain astonishingly contradicts the old assumptions. It was previously assumed that the human brain evolved to its current state 14 million years after the Miocene period. However, recent information shows that the human brain is so complex that the abovementioned period would not have been sufficient for its evolution.
A question regarding the human brain is how it changes “moods.” Researchers in this field have attempted to alter moods using drugs artificially. These drugs can reduce, increase, or change various states of the mind. For example, they can decrease or increase sleep, affect sexual desires, decrease or increase memory performance, and so on. However, researchers in this field are somewhat perplexed by the results of their research. They don’t know where they’re heading: The researchers are slightly perturbed since they feel they don’t know where they are headed. Perhaps they are stepping into the realm of metaphysics. (Times of India, 28 January 1978)
There is so much about the universe that we still do not understand. The universe is such an astounding phenomenon that its satisfactory explanation is impossible without accepting that it has a Creator. Scientific study reveals that the universe has mathematical proportionality. This is evidence that a Supreme Mind is at work in its creation. In the structure of man’s body, so much extraordinary wisdom is visible that no material explanation can account for it. The different parts of the body that work with immense accuracy result from a highly delicate design and order. In the scientific sense, sound is the name for some waves, but these waves, entering man’s brain, assume the form of meaningful speech. These sorts of amazing things found in our world are definite evidence that this world is not some chance accident but, instead, that it has come into being in line with a well-thought-out plan. This indicates the existence of a grand planner behind the world, the One Creator—God Almighty, and a Supreme Mind controlling it. Nothing else can explain the order and meaningfulness of the universe, which modern science has so brilliantly unravelled for us.
In light of modern scientific findings, it can be said that the river of man’s knowledge is advancing towards the acknowledgement of God. On the other hand, recent research findings of the physical world that have emerged are leading man toward a metaphysical destination. In every field of scientific knowledge, when researchers move ahead in their search, they finally arrive at a place where it appears that the limits of physical laws have been reached and that for a proper understanding of things, there is no choice but to recognize the role of the metaphysical.