Sunday, October 21, 2007

God

According to the uncertainty principle of quantum physics, our senses, and hence our observations/perspectives/views are subjective in nature. "Note also that the product of the uncertainties, of order 10^−35 Joule-seconds, is so small that the uncertainty principle has negligible effect on objects of macroscopic scale, despite its importance for atoms and subatomic particles." (wikipedia)

Though the uncertainty is negligible it is an uncertainty.

On the other hand most physicists have said that this is nothing but a "measurement" and not an observation. A measurement which has to be defined in terms of quantum mechanics and not physics applicable to macroscopic objects.

Besides this I would also like to ask that since our senses are not 100% don't we depend on the "subjective" faculties of our mind to fill into the gaps? Example:- The vase which also looks like 2 faces, or the 3 dimensional cube mapped onto 2 dimensions.

The above, makes possible different perspectives of the same reality (probably the basis for libertarianism). This combined with the fact that there exists a reality independent of the mind gives some room for stuff like "God". And many many other entities and probably the whole concept of religion/spirits/ghosts etc.

When people ask me why I do not believe in God. I ask them to define God. Either there is no definition for God, or the definition given is ambiguous/a paradox at best. So I say by definition, God does not exist.

Consider the observation of certain physical phenomenon like the photo-electric effect and interference of light waves (alternating dark and bright strips occuring on a screen when light falls on it only through 2 slits). Something we learn in high school physics.

While blind faith would squarely attribute this to God. A vibrant mind gifted with reason would try to approach the problem mathematical. It would make assumptions to aid the process. Assumptions to modularise the problem. This is possible only through creative imagination, a romanticism if you will. The mind assumes the light to be a wave and them proceeds to mathematically to derive a "formula" for the phenomenon of interference. Similarly we assume that light travels in the form of packets (photons) and thus causes the photo-electric effect (release of electrons from a metal surface when light falls on it).

So though our senses and observations might not be 100% perfect. Our reasoning and creative mind combined with all the tools it has created should more than make up for that. Notice the irony here. Tt is our mind which has made God. The mind is hungry for an explanation. It is our choice as to whether we believe in blind faith or reason and find out.

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