• The Material Universe

In a previous post, A Random Collection of Sticks,^<1> I presented two contrasting views of life. In one view, which is called Naturalism, the material universe is all that exists. In the other view, there is something more. Is it possible to know which view is correct? They cannot both be true.

The first step is to understand what exactly Naturalism means by "material universe." The whole material universe is governed by cause and effect. Every physical science, for example chemistry and physics, is built on careful evaluation of cause and effect relationships. Scientific theories are often expressed in mathematical equations that capture these relationships. The most prominent of these theories are Quantum Mechanics and Albert Einstein's Theory of Gravity. We do not need to understand those theories in depth in order to answer the question, "Is Naturalism True?" We only need to understand cause and effect.

Knocking over a string of dominoes illustrates everything we need to know about cause and effect. In the picture someone took the time to setup the row of dominoes, then tipped over the first one to watch the chain reaction. Focusing only on what we can see in the picture, the first cause is the person touching the first domino. The first effect is the tipping of that domino. Then the first domino hits the second, causing it to tip over, and so on down the line. The chain of cause and effect is as long as the number of dominoes.

Each cause creates an effect later in time, even if only a short time. It looks like the first domino tips over as soon as it is touched. However, a slow motion movie of this shows that it takes time for that first domino to start tipping. The first domino tips and pushes the second one. The slow motion movie shows again that it takes time for the second domino to start tipping after the first one hits it, and so on down the line. Each effect is a bit later in time than the cause.

The most widely accepted explanation of the origin of the physical universe is the Big Bang theory. It starts much like the opening of Genesis, in the beginning there was nothing. "Nothing" is a difficult concept. Nobody has ever experienced nothing. We cannot create it or find it. Even in the deepest regions of our universe, at a place as far away from any star as it is possible to find, there is still something. There is some light from those distant stars. There is some pull of gravity, even if we are in a place where it balances to zero. There is also something called the Quantum Vacuum:^<2>

According to quantum mechanics, the vacuum state is not truly empty but instead contains fleeting electromagnetic waves and particles that pop into and out of the quantum field.

We do not need to understand this. We do need to understand that there is no place in the physical universe where nothing exists. If there is no thing, then there is no cause and effect. There must be some thing to have an effect on some other thing.

I do not think it is possible to conceive of a place with nothing. In fact, it is very difficult to even talk about it. What do I mean by "a place with nothing." Where is that "place?" I must be thinking of some place inside our physical universe, which we know must actually contain some thing.

The next step in the Big Bang theory is similar to:

Then God said, "Let there be light;" and there was light.
Genesis 1:3, [NRSV]New Revised Standard Version Bible by National Council of Churches USA, 1989

The difference is that the Big Bang theory leaves God out, and simply says suddenly something existed. It was so dense that even light could not penetrate through it, but expanded rapidly until there was enough space inside this expanding universe for individual particles and waves of light to communicate between them.

As soon as something existed, cause and effect began. Physics began. Space began. Even time began. If there was no thing before the Big Bang there was no time. Time is measured by changing things. In fact, time is defined by changing things. That is also difficult to think about. Everything we know happens in a time sequence, like those dominoes falling over. It is even an error to say before the Big Bang, since that implies a time before, but there was no time.

According to physics, everything after the Big Bang is determined by a long and complicated chain of cause and effect. It is similar to a long and complicated series of dominoes, each tumbling into it neighbors.

If there is nothing outside the material universe that can change things inside it, then everything after the Big Bang is determined by the initial state inside that rapidly expanding, ultra dense, bubble that turned out to be our whole material universe.

In my next post we will start exploring the consequences of Naturalism,^<3> the assertion that all of reality is part of the material universe. What do you think? Do you have questions about this post? Please let me know in the comments.