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Torah Authenticity
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» Torah and Quantum Mechanics

 

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<<Previous: Claims only G-d Makes

Judaism is the mother of all monotheistic religions. Here are some indications of the truth of monotheism.
  •  Universe Testifies - the Torah states the universe was called into existence from nothing by an intelligent Being. Modern scientific discoveries have found that all the Physics, the laws and the values of physical constants, everything seems to fit together just right to produce life. Scientists originally thought that it doesn't really matter what the physics, biology, chemistry, etc. was. They could take a wide range of properties and values, and things still would be capable of sustaining complex life forms of some sort. Instead though, scientists have discovered that the various rules and quantities must all fall into an extraordinarily narrow range of life-permitting values in order to sustain complex life forms of any sort whatsoever anywhere in the universe. This is known as the "fine tuning" of the universe.

    For example, if one of these constants is changed merely by one part in 10119 in either direction, the universe would have collapsed in on itself shortly after the Big Bang, or flew apart so fast that no matter coalesced into stars and planets. If another were slightly out of range, no elements heavier than helium can form. No carbon, no life. Not even any chemistry. You have to do a bit of research to appreciate the scale of all this, but it's huge. We are talking about over two hundred physical parameters within the solar system and universe[1] with more and more being discovered as our understanding increases. These fundamental constants and quantities, which are not predicted by any theory, all appear to be carefully chosen.

    Most scientists reject the idea of a "lucky coincidence" and speculate instead that there are multiple universes. Where these multiple universes exist or how a multi-universe "generator" came into existence, so finely tuned as to produce an array of universe with different characteristics is, of course, a total mystery.

    Cosmologist Paul Davies said: "These rules look as if they are the product of intelligent design. I do not see how that can be denied."

    Furthermore, we find astonishing displays of genius and perfection. For instance water is simultaneously ideally fit for the molecular scale reactions in cells, as well as the large scale needs of plants and animals, and further to the large scale needs of the earth's atmosphere and eco-system. And the architecture of atoms which forms water's properties is likewise ideally fit for many other necessities all the way up to the unfolding of the Big Bang. Likewise for oxygen and many others. There are countless circles within circles here, like a vast Rubik's cube. And they all fit nicely into beautifully simple mathematical equations. see here for more.
     
  •  Universe is Understandable to Man - the Torah states that G-d's purpose in creating the universe was man. Scientific progress has shown so far that all phenomena in the physical universe after the Big Bang is understandable to man. Even the weirdest, most bizarre quantum mechanics, black holes, etc. can nevertheless be fit into human-made mathematical models that we can understand and use to make predictions. Albert Einstein said: "The most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is comprehensible."

    The universe works with the same logic that is hardwired into man's brain. The very fact that we can discover a fundamental axiom of nature or that we can conceive a formula describing how an electron works, means that the thought processes that go in our minds reflect the way the real world works (Inner Space ch.11, Aryeh Kaplan).
    All this indicates that it is all for us. On this the Ramchal writes (Daas Tevunos siman 40):
    "certainly G-d could have established the world through His omnipotent system, in such a way that everything would be totally incomprehensible to us, not before not after, without cause and effect. If He had done so, no one (atheist) would be able to open their mouths for we would not be able to understand anything whatsoever... but because He wanted us to understand a bit of His ways and attributes - on the contrary He very much wants us to exert ourselves on this..."
  •  Universe is Built Around Man
    The more we discover about the universe, the more we see how it is designed specifically and optimally for a human like creature on a planet like earth. There are countless different factors showing that the universe is built or "pre-fabricated" from the earliest beginnings for man. Dr. Michael Denton wrote a powerful book on this called "Nature's Destiny". Must read. The only thing more amazing is how he can remain an agnostic. Here is the book description:
    While others search the skies for extraterrestrial life, Michael Denton has examined the recent discoveries in all the sciences to ask - Could life elsewhere be substantially different from life on Earth? Drawing on a staggering knowledge of physics, biochemistry, geology, and evolution, Denton builds a step-by-step argument for human inevitability. Life requires water, DNA, and protein; it can only flourish in an Earth-like environment. Building on these claims -which, until recently, were impossible to defend - Denton dares to address the boldest question of all - Is a homo sapien-like creature the only possible highly intelligent being in the universe?
    Similarly, Dr.Robert Lanza wrote in his book "Biocentrism" (pg.83):
    "The world appears to be designed for life, not just at the microscopic scale of the atom, but at the level of the universe itself. Scientists have discovered that the universe has a long list of traits that make it appear as if everything it contains - from atoms to stars - was tailor-made just for us. Many are calling this revelation the "Goldilocks Principle," because the cosmos is not "too this" or "too that," but rather "just right" for life. Others are invoking the principle of "Intelligent Design," because they believe it's no accident the cosmos is so ideally suited for us.. the discovery is causing a huge commotion within the astrophysics community and beyond.
  •  Universe is Symmetrical Around Our Solar System
    Recent studies in the cosmic background radiation permeating the universe have revealed an axis of symmetry around the universe. Scientists expected it to be randomly distributed. But instead they were shocked to discover that the universe displays symmetry. This axis of symmetry is none other than the Earth's equinox plane!. This has been called the "Axis of Evil" by scientists, because it is something which makes them very uncomfortable. see here for more. An interesting video documentary was made by christians on this called "the Principle". This phenomena is very real and the academics are trying hard to downplay it.
     
  •  Life Testifies - despite all of our scientific progress, we still cannot get anywhere near to getting anywhere close to making the simplest organism which can grow and reproduce. All the news about creating life in the laboratory is just plain nonsense hyped up by the secular media as explained here (it is always a case of either modifying a living organism and hoping it will survive or it is something which does not reproduce). Systems of horrendous irreducible complexity have been found to inhabit cells as the British philosopher at the Oligarch explains [5]:
    At the heart of Darwin's Theory is random change and natural selection. Computer Scientists have been experimenting with "Genetic Algorithms" for a long time now, and its clear they have enormous limitations. A computer program to play chess, for example, looks several moves ahead and chooses the move that will lead to the strongest position in the future. The power of a chess playing computer is determined by the number of moves it can look ahead. Any modern computer can beat the average human chess player, but it took a massive supercomputer to beat Kasparov in 1997.

    As the computer looks further into the future the number of combinations it must analyse increases exponentially. Chess playing algorithms regularly make short term sacrifices for longer term goals. Genetic Algorithms, however, can not do this because they are concerned only with the strength of the next generation. It does not matter how large the population or the length of time, Genetic Algorithms just can not solve Chess problems. Genetic Algorithms are also unable to build a structure such as a bridge which is only useful once it is complete and requires a complex series of meanwhile wasteful steps. Most of the scientific resistance to evolution in the past has come from mathematicians and engineers who have complained about this truly enormous problem. Biologists, on the other hand, tended to wave the theory through - but recent scientific advances in microbiology have been changing that.

    Since the discovery of DNA Biologists have been gradually learning that the basic cellular unit underlying all known life on Earth is enormously complex. Far more complex than the latest Intel CPU for example. It's so highly mechanised with concepts such as hardware and software that many at the forefront of microbiology believe a genetic algorithm could not possibly have produced it. Time does not help, its technical structure, they say, simply exceeds what genetic algorithms are capable of ever producing.... Biologists used to just wave the original cell into existence with stories about some lightning and some soup, but now they are really marvelling at how absolutely mind bogglingly complex cells really are. Forget all the rest, many say, how on earth could a random gradual change have ever produced a device like this even in a zillion years?" (here are some videos on cells)
     
    Hence, even with infinite universes and infinite time, it would not help to explain the complexity of the cell for its technical structure exceeds what a random gradual change can ever produce (if anything) as explained there [5]

    Moreover, as Denton wrote in his book "Evolution - Still a Theory in Crisis" (ch.11):
    More than thirty years ago, I wrote:
    "It would be an illusion to think that what we are aware of at present is any more than a fraction of the full extent of biological design. In practically every field of fundamental biological research ever-increasing levels of design and complexity are being revealed at an ever-accelerating rate. The credibility of natural selection is weakened, therefore, not only by the perfection we have already glimpsed but by the expectation of further as yet undreamt of depths of ingenuity and complexity" (Evolution, a Theory in Crisis, pg.82)

    These sentiments have proved remarkably prescient. The complexity revolution has continued-and continues - unabated! A 2010 Nature article asks "if there's a way to make life simpler" (Nature no. 7289) and quotes Jennifer Doudna, a biochemist at the University of California, Berkeley: "It seems like we're climbing a mountain that keeps getting higher and higher... The more we know, the more we realize there is to know." Many recent papers capture the growing complexity of living systems, particularly at the molecular and cellular level.

    Stunning complexity is everywhere in current biology. Even the recruitment of a single gene into a new gene circuit is no simple matter, as pointed out in Chapter 7 in the section on ORFan genes. In fact, the mere "turning on" of a gene is accompanied by a vast complex of regulatory mechanisms to ensure the expression of the gene in the right place at the right time and in the right amount. Such controls are obligatory to avoid molecular chaos in the cell. The complex sorts of regulation that apply are indicated in a recent paper on the control of Hox gene expression.

    What has been discovered at the heart of life is what I have previously termed "the third infinity." Whereas the cosmos is an infinity of the very large, and the atom is the infinity of the very small, the organism is the infinity of the very complex. That such an infinity might have come about in finite time as a result of any sort of undirected random process seems impossible. Only metaphor can capture the reality now unfolding, for the infinity does indeed beckon through "caverns measureless to man," to quote from Samuel Coleridge's famous poem.

    The complexity of living systems is so great that there is now an almost universal consensus, as we saw in the discussion of ORFan genes, that the simplest of all biological novelties-a single functional gene sequence-cannot come about by chance mutations in a DNA sequence. And if an individual gene sequence is far too complex to be produced by chance, then the sudden origination of a morphological novelty like a feather, a limb, or even such a comparatively simple novelty as an enucleate red cell-all novelties vastly more complex than an individual functional gene sequence-is by any common-sense judgment far beyond the reach of any sort of undirected "chance" saltation...

  •  Engineering Testifies - we all know that the capability and strength of a human engineer or programmer lies in how much he can think through and develop his contraption in the planning stage. The more he can think it through, the greater his capability. But the engineer or programmer who skips the planning stage and merely follows short-sighted, nearby improvements will eventually tangle himself and converge into a hopeless and useless mess of nonsense. There are countless examples of engineering in living things many of which have inspired artificial designs by human engineers. These products of human technology are feeble imitations of those in nature, usually not coming anywhere near close to the perfection and superior performance of those in living things. Studies of these systems often reveal their absolute perfection from first principles - "Time and again we see that the nervous system functions at the limits of what the laws of physics allow" (William Bialel, 1997). This is besides the mind boggling technical sophistication underlying all cells which testifies that they are the handiwork of an Engineer of awesome wisdom, awesome power, and awesome ability. We have compiled a few video examples of engineering in nature here.
     
  •  Energy Testifies - one of the core laws of physics is conservation of energy. This law states that energy is never lost or gained. Thus, two things are beyond the capacity of man or any machine - One, to create new mass or energy. Two, to destroy mass or energy. Both are impossible due to the conservation laws. Even for something like a Black Hole, when mass or energy falls in, the Black Hole increases in Mass. When it radiates energy (Hawking radiation), the black hole decreases in mass. Everything always balances out. Nothing is ever created or destroyed. Things can only change form. If so, where did the initial energy of the Universe come from? Is it conceivable that enormous energy such as that produced by the sun does not have a Source? This indicates there is some sort of Power outside the laws of physics. (R.Yitzchak Fenger)
     
  •  Simplicity Testifies - the genius in an engineer is in being able to make something complex with as little material as possible and as efficiently as possible. Consider that all matter on earth, consists of atoms which are comprised of a mere 3 particles - protons, electrons, and neutrons (the latter serve only to stabilize the nucleus). Everything we see is built from these three particles. They are sufficient to build everything including all the various biomechanical reactions required for all types of life. Furthermore, everything we see on our planet is just the interaction of electrons.

    Likewise, consider all living things are composed of cells (with DNA, RNA, ribosomes, etc.). The base-4 DNA codes for 20 basic amino acids. These 20 building blocks are enough to build the simplest bacteria as well as the most complex organisms with all the myriad specialized organs. The basic cell design gives every indication of being perfectly fit from first principles for its job of constructing a plenitude of life on earth. Now, let us consider how many times human engineers and programmers have to redesign their work, often completely from scratch, when doing major upgrades. Likewise consider all the annoying service packs you have to download regularly from Microsoft and how bloated your hard drive becomes. Now consider that the entire Human genome (DNA) is a mere 700mb of data. Does this simplicity not reflect vast genius and foresight?
     
  •  Information Testifies - Scientists have invested millions of dollars in building giant radio telescopes to scan the heavens hoping to find signs of extra-terrestrial intelligence. They search for non-random radio signals from space such as prime numbers (1,2,3,5,7..).

    In other words they are searching for information. All known information is produced by a mind. Instructions, music, messages, etc., are a non-tangible entity encoded by a conscious mind. Random noise always destroys information. DNA, the most complex information code mankind has ever confronted testifies that it is the work of a Supreme Consciousness. There is much to say on this. See here:
     
  •  Reason Testifies - it follows rationally that "something" must be Eternal and un-caused otherwise nothing would exist in the present. Some atheist and anti-theist physicists such as Lawrence Krauss claim to refute this premise with "quantum particles" which fluctuate in and out of observable existence due to quantum mechanical uncertainty rules. Thus, the world can simply pop out of nothing whatsoever. But as American philosopher Edward Feser explains:
    "This is, of course, a summary of the argument of Krauss's book. And the problem with it, as everybody on the planet knows except for Krauss himself and the very hackiest of his fellow New Atheist hacks, is that empty space governed by quantum mechanics (or any other laws of physics, or even just the laws of physics by themselves) is not nothing, and not even an "example" of nothing (whatever an "example of nothing" means), but something. And it remains something rather than nothing even if it is a "good first approximation" to nothing (which is what Krauss presumably meant by "good first example"). When people ask how something could arise from nothing, they don't mean "How could something arise from almost nothing?" They mean "How could something arise from nothing?" That is to say, from the absence of anything whatsoever -- including the absence of space (empty or otherwise), laws of physics, or anything else. And Krauss has absolutely nothing to say about that, despite it's being, you know, the question he was asked, and the question he pretended to be answering in his book."
  •  Diversity of Life Testifies - if the Eternal were just some kind of natural process, then it would not produce such a huge diversity of biological systems. Something which is bound to a nature such as a natural process, always does the same thing. But something which acts by intelligence and free will - will have different actions [9]. In nature we find just about every sort of system imaginable and some beyond imagination. There are creatures with mirror eyes, electric probes, biological pistols, and many, many other amazing systems, leading many scientists to maintain that all possible configurations of creatures and plants have been actualized in nature. We have tried to compile a few example videos here [6]. must see. All this diversity points to the infinite wisdom and ability of the Creator.
     
  •  Morality Testifies - we find that all human beings regardless of culture or era possess a common sense of morality which impels him or her to right conduct. This supports Judaism's view of ethical monotheism, namely, that the one G-d is the source of ethics, of morality. Morality is an objective code of right and wrong. It does not emanate from human opinion. Rather, it emanates from G-d and therefore transcends human opinion. see this video for more. If you ask, what about the Nazis who freely murdered Jews? Answer: the Nazis agreed that murdering a German is evil. So even they knew that murdering a human being is evil. This is why they first debased the Jews to subhuman status with waves of lies and propaganda before they could implement their hateful plan. Likewise we find today the Arabs spread propaganda that Jews are descendants of monkeys and pigs so they can justify the murder of Jews.
    (note that if a person or society corrupts themselves sufficiently they eventually lose their sense of morality in those things. On this the Talmud says (Kidushin 40a: "if a person repeats a sin several times, it becomes as permitted to him", i.e. he loses any sense of conscience on it due to changes in his soul. see chapter 1 of "the Gates of Holiness" by R.Chaim Vital for more)
     
  •  What Caused G-d? - This question is based on ignorance as to what eternal implies. The Manoach Halevavos commentary on the Shaar Yichud ch.5 [8]:
    That which a thing cannot make itself applies only to something created. But that which is Kadmon (eternal, without beginning) and infinite, behold, in truth, it did not make itself. This is the reason why the question of "how did G-d make Himself?" is not relevant.
    i.e. only the non-eternal needs a cause. The next question is can the universe be eternal?
    The Shaar Yichud discusses the conditions which disqualify something from being possibly eternal. ex. not composite, no boundaries, no "properties", ex. natural laws, not machine-like, etc.
    For example, a video game has certain characters, each one having certain properties, abilities, or position on the screen, etc. These things must have been set by a computer programmer. They cannot just exist eternally, without beginning. So too anything with properties, boundaries, position, etc. cannot be eternal. If it has any of these things, then something else must have previously set/defined its properties, boundaries, etc. to be what they are. Hence, something must have existed previously and thus this thing cannot be eternal. For that which is eternal cannot have anything preceding it. see the Shaar Yichud here for more details.
     
  •  Where is G-d? - in the Shaar Yichud ch.10:
    One of the Sages was asked on the Creator: "Where is He?" He answered: "in the mind".
    The asker replied: "I did not ask you on this!" (Tov Halevanon commentary: I did not mean to ask on existence in the mind, namely, intellectually where is He. Rather I meant, concretely - where is He in space?)
    The sage answered: "You asked me on attributes which apply to created things, not to the Creator".
    (i.e. only created things can be seen. Because we can only see things with boundaries and properties. But as before, that which is Eternal cannot have any of these things).
     
  •  Beauty in Nature - there is great beauty in nature. Whether in a sunset, the star lit sky, the various plants and animals. The universe is a superb work of art. Compared to human-made works of art, nature wins hands down. All this points that there is a master Artist behind it all.
    Likewise for the elegance and beauty of the laws of physics and their display of great order and rationality. Wouldn't an atheistic, essentially random universe appear mostly random? Furthermore, we find much of nature permeated by the golden ratio. This ratio is considered the most aesthetically pleasing to the human eye. Wouldn't this indicate it was meant for us to behold?
     
  •  Mathematical Order in the Universe - according to philosopher Adam Weishaupt:
    Mathematics is in fact the surest proof of cosmic mind and intelligence. It is absurd to propose, as materialistic science does, that mindless matter is miraculously able to organize itself in a host of complex ways according to the "laws of physics". No scientist has ever explained where the laws of physics come from and how they are possible. Why those laws and not others? Why any laws at all? Why not eternal randomness and chaos? Why should matter be subject to law at all? Why should matter have any connection with mathematics? In fact, the cosmos "learned" mathematics over many eons by nothing more sophisticated than trial and error, evolutionary natural selection and dialectical progression: the principles that have guided all existence since time immemorial. The cosmos in itself - dimensionless energy - continually "spilled" out of itself into dimensionality. It is the nature of Will never to be "contained". It will always try to reach beyond itself. (i.e. without "will" things just follow the path of least resistance).
  •  Harmony and Uniformity of the Universe - we find that everything follows one order. There is a uniform movement of the laws of physics. If there were more than one divinity we should see changes or conflicts in the natural laws. Sometimes this way, sometimes that way. Instead we find as Hawking said: "The overwhelming impression is one of order. The more we discover about the universe, the more we find that it is governed by rational laws".
    Furthermore, we find the wisdom manifested in the formation of an elephant, despite its huge body, is no more wondrous than the wisdom manifested in the formation of a tiny ant. i.e. the nature of wisdom is the same everywhere, be it a blade of grass or an ant or an elephant or even an atom, it is all the same character of wisdom. namely divine, bottomless wisdom. It all points to a single Master over everything. The great scientist Sir Isaac Newton saw "a monotheistic G-d as the masterful Creator whose existence could not be denied in the face of the grandeur of all creation" [12]. Though most modern scientists assert it is all an accident and no intelligence was involved, they are finding out the hard way just how ridiculously complex each and every thing truly is. G-d is giving them a run for their money, for even the "simplest" bacteria turns out to be an intense world of bewildering complexity. Likewise for the physicists trying to understand the "simple" atom. It too is an endlessly complex mathematical structure. After all, who can fully understand G-d's handiwork?
     
  •  Where does all this wisdom come from? Sir Isaac Newton, one of the most influential scientists of all time said of himself:
    I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the sea-shore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.
    This is how scientists used to be. In truth, all the various animals, beasts, birds, fish, insects, plants, etc. etc. are absolutely astonishing. Each one of them is an intense world that one can study years and years, and nevertheless know only a little bit of how it works. Despite all of our technology, we are only playing, toying with nature. Mixing this, joining that. Applying stem cells here or there. Likewise, we are only toying with the many natural laws which are placed before us. we play with the laws of motion, gravity, electromagnetism, optics, thermodynamics, quantum mechanics, etc. The wisdom manifested before us is literally infinite. It is unbelievable when one considers all that is happening seemingly on its own. Hence, even if one were not religious, provided he had some humility and intuitive knowledge, he would wonder always that there exists before him some kind of unbelievable, awe-inspiring wisdom - and we cannot fathom in any way the source of this wisdom. Nobody knows where this comes from. Except those few who know that it is all only a hint to us, a ladder to come to know Him [14]

    Furthermore, today science is bringing scientists to a greater state of awe than even a Newton. This is because the classical model of science sought a systematic grasp of G-d's laws, whereas today, science leads us to realize that this is probably impossible. Indeed the contemporary scientist is revealing a new kind of knowledge: one that is so vast and awesome in its scope and implications, that it boggles our common, rational view of life and nature. Instead it leads us to a state of complete awe and wonder of the creation.

    Albert Einstein believed in a transcendent source of the rationality of the world that he variously called "superior mind," "illimitable superior spirit," "superior reasoning force," and "mysterious force that moves the constellations." This is evident in several of his statements:
    "Whoever has undergone the intense experience of successful advances in this domain [science] is moved by profound reverence for the rationality made manifest in existence...the grandeur of reason incarnate in existence.."

    "Certain it is that a conviction, akin to religious feeling, of the rationality or intelligibility of the world lies behind all scientific work of a higher order... This firm belief, a belief bound up with deep feeling, in a superior mind that reveals itself in the world of experience, represents my conception of God..."

    "Every one who is seriously engaged in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that the laws of nature manifest the existence of a spirit vastly superior to that of men, and one in the face of which we with our modest powers must feel humble..."

    "My religiosity consists of a humble admiration of the infinitely superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble minds. That deeply emotional conviction of the presence of a superior reasoning power, which is revealed in the incomprehensible universe, forms my idea of God."..
    Though Einstein could not believe that this Power would be involved on our planet. But advances in microbiology and the cell have revealed a whole "universe within" in the workings of living things on our planet as can be seen here.
     
  •  Unity in Math - yet another area where we are discovering signs of unity is in the abstract world of mathematics. We find these weird inexplicable connections between seemingly totally unrelated things in math. For instance Euler's formula which relates 5 of math's very important numbers into one beautifully simple equation. Mathematicians still marvel at it; many considering it to be the most beautiful equation in mathematics. It's just too coincidental to be a coincidence. All this perfection and wisdom points that it is the work of an absolute Intelligence. See here interesting words by a school math teacher. Here is an excerpt:
    I read a stat one time that said that a mathematician is 2.5 times more likely to believe in G-d than a biologist. No idea how legit that stat is at all but I can totally believe that. Math to me is like an exploration of creation. Of the Divine. It's all theoretical and abstract. You really spend your time thinking in this absolute truth mindset. You think a lot about infinity and complexities beyond your understanding. You get to practice trying to understanding something which you can never fully understand. To me math and G-d are so intertwined. G-d made math and in math I can learn about how G-d works. Every time you go a little deeper into the math it's like you get a tiny glimpse into His mind. And the more you learn, the more you realize there's so much more you'll never understand...
    She ends off with a quote from Mike Roshko, a mathematician of the University of Alberta:
    For me, it's amazing the way in which the seemingly different areas of mathematics fit together. When you begin studying advanced math, you tend to think of geometry, algebra, analysis and so on as separate entities, each beautiful and elegant on its own.

    But as you go on, you realize that these different areas are connected in the most astonishing yet natural ways. You may discover that what you thought of as purely a part of geometry turns out to be an essential part of algebra. And what we're dealing with is not just something we've made up. It's a reality. It's there.

    And it all intertwines and works so perfectly, so beautifully, that you realize that Somebody or Something must have done this. It simply could not have happened by chance. It's a kind of revelation, I guess. And it's very convincing." (see there for more)
  •  Physical Reality is Ghostlike - classical physics maintained that reality consists of objects whose behavior can be modeled by mathematical rules. But as we probe lower and lower approaching the atomic level, the objects becomes less and less real. Instead everything behaves more and more like an abstract mathematical statement rather than a tangible object. If you try to look at things as real objects, you will be trapped by contradictions (for here is the interface where the physical reality begins to transition to the spiritual reality).

    Likewise, for the laws of physics that govern them. Gravity appeared simple at first. It just pulls things together. So it appears quite simple and machine like. "Something" is pulling things together. That's all. But as one probes deeper the laws of physics, here too it begins harder and harder to explain things in terms of machine-like, cause/effect phenomena. It seems more and more that there is some sort of "over-all Intelligence" keeping track of everything. For example, in quantum mechanics an unobserved photon exists in all possible states simultaneously, but when observed or measured, exhibits only one state. The act of observing it affects the physical reality.

    At first, it was assumed that the act of measuring somehow interfered and contaminated the experiment, but more sophisticated experiments have shown that this has nothing to do with the measuring apparatus. The mere ability to obtain information affects the reality[16]. Even crazier is that even if this ability to obtain information is delayed into the future, it will affect the reality.[17]. Are these photons or electrons "aware" that information is obtainable and "decide" to change how they act? (see here and also   here for a nice introduction)

    Another example, "entangled particles" such as photons of light remain connected so that actions performed on one photon affects the other photon, even when the two are separated by hundreds of miles or even more. The phenomenon so riled Albert Einstein he called it "spooky action at a distance." According to his theory of special relativity, this weird behavior was impossible since the particles "communicate" with each other faster than the speed of light or even instantly. Several studies have now confirmed that, no matter how far apart entangled particles are, how fast one particle is measured, or how many times particles are measured, their states become inextricably linked once they are born together[18]. Think of them as being a single quantum entity which exists in two different places at the same time.

    All this indicates that our physical world does not have any independent, objective existence. Rather, it is some sort of virtual reality produced by the mind of a Superbeing who is overseeing everything and keeping track of everything including what our minds perceive. All the strangeness and contradictions one encounters goes away once a person realizes this. Indeed, in the book Tanya Shaar Yichud v'Emuna ch. 7: "G-d's Thought and Knowledge of all created beings encompasses each and every creature, for this is its very life-force and that which grants it existence from absolute nothingness."

    Great scientists have also expressed similar sentiments. Max Planck, founder of the quantum theory and one of the most important physicists of the twentieth century, said:
    "As a man who has devoted his whole life to the most clear headed science, to the study of matter, I can tell you as a result of my research about atoms this much: There is no matter as such. All matter originates and exists only by virtue of a force which brings the particle of an atom to vibration and holds this most minute solar system of the atom together. We must assume behind this force the existence of a conscious and intelligent mind. This mind is the matrix of all matter".
  •  Theory of Everything - while science struggles to explain the existence of the universe through narrow theories which only raise more questions than they answer, Judaism presents a unified theory of everything which answers all the questions. The fundamental reality is not the physical, not atoms, not subatomic particles, not energy - it is life. Life is the underlying reality. It is the underlying essence of everything, and it is what grants existence to physical matter and animates the bodies of all living creatures through infusing the available physical means. The reality is a reflection of life and the LIFE is the ONLY reality - there is nothing else. The ultimate reality is G-d, eternal life (whatever that means), and the source of all life. see here for details.
     
  •  Inexplicable behavior in Plants another interesting area which supports the above view of life is the inexplicable complexity of plants. Nagging research has provided mounting evidence that plants communicate and make complex intelligent decisions . See this report in the New Yorker (2013) titled "the Intelligent Plant". We also find highly intelligent behavior in creatures as small as single celled-Amoebas. They stalk their prey and make all sorts of complex decisions - despite not having any brain. Michael Denton in "Nature's Destiny" (ch.10) compares their level of intelligence displayed to that of cats. see his book for more or this article in nature.com). This indicates there is more to a living creature than meets the eye. It seems there is some sort of non-physical component.

    One can observe that there is a fundamental difference between a man-made machine and a living organism. Any kind of man-made machine functions in a "direct" manner, namely, one thing reacts which causes another thing to react, which causes another, etc. "motorically". For example, a mechanical clock has a battery or spring which causes one gear to turn, and that gear causes another gear to turn, etc. until eventually the hands of the clock turn. Similarly, a computer CPU has a voltage applied to a crystal oscillator which drives one circuit/transistor and that circuit/transistor drives another, etc. Every living thing, however, does not function like this. Rather it all runs simultaneously, together, everything interdependent as if some kind of invisible "force" is simultaneously animating and guiding all the available means to "life". This "force" is not physical. see here for more.
     
  •  Life Force many believe all living things contain within and around them a field of energy unseen to the naked eye. Much of Chinese medicine such as acupuncture is based on this. Some claim the field can be detected with special cameras (Kirlian photography) which detect the phenomenon of electrical coronal discharges. A leaf for example is permeated and surrounded by an aura or "flares" of this energy. Weirder still is that this energy persists even if a portion of the leaf is cut off. This is known as the phantom leaf effect. This has led some researchers to conclude that living things not only have a physical body made of atoms and molecules but also a counterpart body or life force (nefesh?) which they termed the Biological Plasma body. For example, Russian scientist Konstantin Korotkov claims to have photographed the soul leaving the body at death. In Israel, another Russian scientist decided to do some before and after tests of this aura when Jewish males donned Tefilin and claim to have found measurable differences. see this video (hebrew) or this article in english. This area is highly controversial but interesting nonetheless.
     
  •  Physics Testifies - a very general principle of physics is that entropy (disorder) will always increase with the elapse of time. This is known as the second law of thermodynamics. Chaos prevails over order. This is why all machines deteriorate over time. Mysteriously however, living things defy this law of physics. The continuous process of life produces greater and greater order on its own and steadily increases information (DNA). This phenomena occurs not only long term but also for individual organisms. For the building-up of living matter out of its non-living constituents also represents an increase in atomic and molecular order, i.e. a decrease in entropy. "We ourselves are configurations of ridiculously tiny entropy (i.e. ultra-high order)" (Penrose, Emperor's New Mind, ch.7). How can a single-cell go on its own and build complex structures for itself? How can a plant seed go and build branches and leaves on its own. The order in the molecular configuration appears to far exceed the original state of order, even with the sunlight and water. This process is not at all understood. Not even for the simplest bacteria. Does this not indicate that there is more to life than the physical? (more on this next point)
    (Interestingly, the blessing on fruits is "Blessed are You.. who creates the fruit of the tree" (present tense, not past tense). For G-d creates the fruit miraculously, even today. Just that He does this in such a way that even the scientists can't see it. There are too many things happening simultaneously at the cellular level for humans to see the hand of G-d. This is similar to the string of massive hurricanes in 2017. Their formation and development is too complex for humans to analyze. We cannot point to anything specific. It all looks natural. Yet, it is in this vast sea of complexity where G-d operates in a hidden way to preserve free will.)
     
  •  Life is not a Machine - it is dawning on scientists that the DNA only provides the raw materials for living things. But the assembly of biological structures, etc. is done by something invisible. Many are convinced there are invisible higher order factors involved. Dr.Michael Denton, a world famous geneticist who is an agnostic recently gave an interview titled "the Coming Downfall of Mechanistic View in Cell Biology". There he says:
    "the mechanistic explanation of cells has really broken down. When you look at the literature now, more and more. the bolt properties to explain higher structures of the cyto-architecture of cells, you've got to look at collectives, to the properties of collectives, and higher order things. You can't see it from below. So this is in fact the beginning of a long process. In mainstream science, it might take one or two decades. But certainly, you are seeing at the level of the cell, a breakdown of that great mechanistic, mechanical idea which has dominated science certainly in the last century, in the DNA age, the genetic age, where 'everything is in the genes sort of thing'. You are seeing in fact that everything isn't in the genes. Everything isn't in the molecules. Everything isn't in the bricks. The architecture of the house is somewhere else... The former is an active principle in nature which organizes matter into the form of a living thing... basically what it is, is there are causal factors in addition to what happens at the molecular level... But it is very difficult to think about this because when we think of a complex system, we think of a machine. To start thinking of something that's not a machine is a big paradigm shift and also it's not exactly clear where this is all going. But what's happening is the machine analogy I think is failing..." (from here)
    we know from our sources where this is all going. see the earlier prediction from the Zohar.

    Dr.Denton himself hints at this in an interview [26]:
    Something that everyone working in fundamental biological research can hardly fail to see is that things are getting more and more complicated every decade as our understanding increases. The endless complexification of biological systems with advancing knowledge was the subject of a recent article in Nature...

    As far as where science is going in the future, I think that it's going to be increasingly obvious as the scientific revelation rolls on that you cannot account for life in the universe without proposing that there's some intelligent order behind it. And I think this is going to grow more obvious with each year as biological science advances. Already biological systems are, as currently understood, complex almost beyond conception - think of the millions of neuronal path finding cells navigating through the ever changing biochemical matrix of the developing brain and laying down the circuitry of the nervous system, or the zoo of regulatory micro RNAs regulating gene expression, or the complex, ever-changing 3D topologies of the genome during development.

    Or consider the fine-tuning of nature to have living things here in the universe and thriving on a planet like the earth. In this area the criteria are becoming more and more stringent as knowledge advances necessitating an ever-greater degree of fine-tuning of nature's laws toward the end of life. I also see this ongoing revelation as one of the great purposes of science in human history. So if you ask me where science is going in the future I think it's essentially going to be drawn towards some form of intelligent design to account for the world we see around us. And I think that's perhaps the destiny of science, and this was perhaps its destiny from its inception. It's perhaps a somewhat extreme or radical view of the scientific adventure but I think that's what it's about.
    Many other brilliant minds echo similar sentiment or more such as Oxford professor Anthony Flew. Here is a quote from his book:
    It's time for me to lay my cards on the table, to set out my own views and the reasons that support them. I now believe that the universe was brought into existence by an infinite Intelligence. I believe that this universe's intricate laws manifest what scientists have called the Mind of God. I believe that life and reproduction originate in a divine Source. Why do I believe this, given that I expounded and defended atheism for more than a half century? The short answer is this: this is the world picture, as I see it, that has emerged from modern science...


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