Cosmologists Are Humbled

Cosmologists, more than any other profession, understand that, as science marches on in understanding reality, humility is warranted by what we don't know. That said, the following videos offer interesting looks into the current status of our knowledge and also our ignorance.

Leonard Susskind - Why is Quantum Gravity Key?

Untangling String Theory

3 Important Questions No One Knows The Answers To

Theologians Are Backed Into A Corner

"How did the universe begin? Some scientists claim that the universe did not have a beginning. Some theologians contend that the universe did not need a beginning."

The theologians in the video are attempting to accept that the universe probably had no beginning by saying that: "God could create an infinite universe"; "God is not the 'cause' of the world, He is the 'reason' for the world." Ah, the dishonesty of apologetics. Yes, the gaps, indeed, are closing.

Click on the link below for the latest cosmological information regarding the beginning of our universe:

Did the Universe Have a Beginning?

We May Not Be So Special

"Was life on Earth a fluke? Perhaps not. New research suggests that the emergence of life on Earth, while far from a guaranteed outcome, was in fact a probable event – although the odds of intelligent life evolving remain rather less favourable."

I sure wish the religious who talk about "intelligent design" would learn more about physics, cosmology, mathematics, and how the natural world, the only one we really "know", operates.

Click on the link below:

Astronomer Calculates The Odds of Life Emerging on Earth

Are We Close To Having A Testable "Theory Of Everything"

"What is reality? What is the standard model trying to tell us? Are we living in the 11 dimensions of string theory?
"The holy grail of physics is a theory of everything. It may show the origin of all forces coming from one master force, and the origin of all particles coming from one super particle. It would be the ultimate answer to every question that asks why something is the way it is.
"We don’t have a theory of everything, but we do have something that comes close. This is called the standard model of particle physics. This model explains the subatomic makeup of all the atoms, explains chemistry, magnetism, nuclear physics, and many other things.
"But the Standard Model does not predict absolutely everything. There are 19 parameters that it does not predict. These parameters have to be calculated through measurement and put in as constants within the model."

Click on the link below:

What is reality? What our best equations may be trying to tell us

Finally, He Does An Episode Without Magical Thinkers

There is a PBS series on YouTube called "Closer to Truth." The host, Robert Lawrence Kuhn, usually includes opinions from philosophers and theologians on how to get "closer to truth." I am a prolific commenter on the series, criticizing him for including such magical thinkers. However, the episode below is a welcome exception: all scientists!!! Click on the link below:

Will the Universe Ever End?

Are There Extraterrestrials?

"Our galaxy is home to billions of habitable planets. Chris Crowe guides us through the heavens on a journey to explore how many Earth-like planets our Universe contains. By examining the latest exoplanet discoveries he conveys his confidence that they’re definitely out there somewhere…"

Certainly not confirming, but interesting speculation. Click on the link below:

Extraterrestrials - Why They're Almost Certainly Out There. . .

Is Our Reality A Computer Simulation?

There are many physicists who accept the possibility that our reality is a computer simulation, for example:  (link), (link), (link), (link), (link), (link). However, the link below reports the lastest research that challenges that speculation:

Mathematical roadblocks with quantum mechanics indicate that the so-called simulation hypothesis is impossible.

The Multiverse Simplified

"It’s only due to the fact that the Universe has been around for a finite amount of time that we can only observe a specific part of it. This is the most simple definition of Multiverse that’s out there: the idea that there’s simply more, unobservable Universe out there beyond what we can see."

The Multiverse For Non-Scientists

"the multiverse is a consequence of the best science we have available today, but it doesn't make any scientific predictions we can put to the test."

What Is (And Isn't) Scientific About The Multiverse

"Is the multiverse real? What could be more startling than many universes – multiple universes, innumerable universes, perhaps an infinite number of universes? But does the multiverse really exist?"

The Multiverse: What is Real?

A Science-Based Look At "Fine-Tuning"

"What is fine-tuning in cosmology? Here’s the claim: cosmic conditions that allow complex structures — galaxies, stars, planets, people — depend on a few “constants of nature” lying within tight ranges of values. But is fine-tuning valid?"

Atheists are frequently challenged by religious apologists regarding the "fine-tuning" of the universe we live in as evidence of a God. At the 14:00 mark in this video, physicist Fred Adams explains the parameters of what is involved with "fine-tuning" and talks about how our universe could have been MORE finely tuned for MORE life within it. In fact, he claims that given enough time we could design a better universe. Perhaps God can enroll in some classes.

What's Fine-Tuning in Cosmology?

A Humbling Perspective

I challenge any theist to support the claim that an "All Omni" God is controlling our reality after watching this. Oh, add the fact that physics tells us that we know ALL of the forces that can affect us and that there is no evidence for any supernatural effects from an entity inside or outside our reality.

Visualizing Infinity. Is the universe infinite? the largest scales

Why Is There Something Rather Than Nothing?

This question is one of the biggie questions from religious apologists. Ironically, they present it as the ONE question that they think always stumps atheists. As with the First Cause and Design arguments, as well as the beginning of life question and all other unsupported arguments, science pushes on in narrowing the gaps into which the religious place God. Dr. Michael Shermer's article below uses present science to support a purely natural and plausible explanation as to "Why there is something rather than nothing".

Click on the link below:

https://www.skeptic.com/reading_room/why-is-there-something-rather-than-nothing/
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***If you disagree with this article, how do you justify or verify that your beliefs are true? What is your view regarding the value of evidence?***

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It's At Least As Plausible As "God Did It"

Quantum Theory and Relativity reveal that "nothing" is complicated with virtual particles. "Whole universes can pop into existence." God is NOT necessary!!

Lawrence Krauss: A Universe From Nothing

Lawrence Krauss: Atheism And The Spirit of Science

The Arrow Of Time Is Real, But Still A Mystery

"We do understand the arrow of time from a thermodynamic perspective, and that’s an incredibly valuable and interesting piece of knowledge. But if you want to know why yesterday is in the immutable past, tomorrow will arrive in a day and the present is what you’re living right now, thermodynamics won’t give you the answer. Nobody, in fact, understands what will."

An analysis of this major issue in physics.

Where Does Our Arrow Of Time Come From?

Dark Energy: As Strange As Dark Matter

"Dark energy appears to be energy inherent to space itself, and is causing the Universe to expand at an exponential rate. Although there are some differences between dark energy and inflation, there are some unique similarities, too. Could these two phenomena be related? And if so, does that mean the beginning and end of our Universe are connected?"

Are The Beginning And End Of The Universe Connected?

Understanding Dark Matter Through A New Natural Law?

"None of these explanations are completely satisfying, say the authors. Their paper doesn’t go into the details, but it falls right in the middle of an ongoing discussion about the validity of the dark matter model. This work demonstrates a regularity in the data, says McGaugh. “How you interpret that is a whole 'nother can o' worms.” There’s no doubt that scientists will be elbow deep in that can before long."

A Natural Law for Rotating Galaxies… What Does This Mean for Dark Matter?

Dark Matter: It Is So Mysterious That It May Not Exist

"Dark matter was proposed to help explain a variety of cosmic puzzles, such as why galaxies can spin as fast as they are observed to without being ripped apart. However, the nature of dark matter remains a puzzle in itself. Now scientists analyzing more than 150 galaxies find that dark matter might not explain their new observations, which they say hints that dark matter might not exist and that a new law of nature might be needed to solve all these mysteries."

New Findings Muddy Understanding Of Dark Matter

The Latest On Dark Matter Detection

"After 20 years working on WIMPs, supersymmetry and dark matter, he has no doubts about the course of research. 'The Higgs boson was postulated in 1964 and discovered in 2012,' he says. 'I am not really surprised it has taken us 30 years and we haven't seen anything yet. It may take another 20. Right now, it would be premature to give up.'”

Dark matter: What's the matter?

The Passion Of Neil deGrasse Tyson

"Neil deGrasse Tyson is one passionate astrophysicist, and this collection of his most expressive, charismatic moments proves it. Thank you for all the nice comments and support!"

Those 6 Times Neil deGrasse Tyson Couldn't Contain Himself

The Universe May Have Had No Beginning?

"The universe may have existed forever, according to a new model that applies quantum correction terms to complement Einstein's theory of general relativity. The model may also account for dark matter and dark energy, resolving multiple problems at once."

No Big Bang? Quantum equation predicts universe has no beginning

What's Happening Now With String Theory?

"In cosmology, string theory 'packages physical models in a way that’s easier to think about,' Silverstein said. It may take centuries to tie together all these loose strings to weave a coherent picture, but young researchers like Beem aren’t bothered a bit. His generation never thought string theory was going to solve everything. 'We’re not stuck,' he said. 'It doesn’t feel like we’re on the verge of getting it all sorted, but I know more each day than I did the day before – and so presumably we’re getting somewhere.”"

The Strange Second Life of String Theory