Laetoli footprints (Introduction)

by dhw, Sunday, April 18, 2010, 19:48 (5332 days ago) @ xeno6696

MATT: At the exact moment of the Big Bang, everything was indeterminate. As I discussed from Seth Lloyd's book this last christmas, there was some areas that got cooler (via quantum coin flips) and hotter (more quantum coin flips.) It was this period of time that would decide the ultimate fate of our universe. As time grew it was the cool spots that gave the early structure for our universe as we see it today. So, if a supreme being had an intensely direct hand in the universe, it would have to be during this period of time due to the simple fact that many things could have gone wrong for life. -Both of us are adopting a premise here that we neither believe nor disbelieve in ... namely that the universe was designed. My own thoughts on the above would be that if a supreme being did indeed organize what you call the cool spots, without which life would have been impossible, he's hardly likely to have stopped there. Creating conditions that will allow for life does not mean that there will be life. Why would he prepare the ground, and then leave the massively complex remainder of the process (i.e. the mechanism for life, reproduction and evolution) to chance?-MATT: [...] what we do know about quantum theory is that it requires highly sophisticated technology to be able [to] influence these quantum pools of cooler areas. A great question for David would be: "How can a being without access to advanced technology do the kinds of things you claim?" -I see that David has already answered for himself, but my own answer would be that if a super intelligence couldn't "do the kinds of things" David claims, how could they be done by chance, which has no intelligence and no access to advanced technology, let alone any ability to use it?
 
MATT: I'm not a fan of the multiverse, but I do hate it when people outrightly assert that something is false before its had its day. That's how great ideas get killed.-This is where you and I join forces. Like you, I'm reluctant to dismiss theories that may possibly have explanatory merits to them (and I'm equally reluctant to dismiss personal experiences if they come from trustworthy sources). The fact of the matter is, there is NO explanation which doesn't require an enormous leap of faith, whether it be chance, a super intelligence, multiple universes, dimensions beyond our perception...There are times when it's all very frustrating, but others when one has to acknowledge that the mystery is endlessly fascinating. And it might not be such a bad thing that we don't have all the answers.