Pseudo-Creation of the 'Big Bang' Adolf Grünbaum
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translated into the more precise language physics, would take only 10-42 of a second absorb the entropy from any localized of physics. In fact, they represent to grow to a sphere the size of a proton structure, like a galaxy or a planet, that vernacular statements pertaining to the containing a vacuum energy equivalent spontaneously forms—induced by ran- seeming violation, at the beginning of to all the visible mass in the current dom statistical fluctuations of the type the universe, of two of the most fun- universe. observed by COBE. damental laws of physics. The no free Far from providing the evidence for lunch argument claims a violation of "Far from demonstrating the a creator sought by believers, any the first law of thermodynamics in need for a creator, the results observations that support the inflation- producing the universe. The argu- from COBE provided support ary big bang theory, such as the data ment from design asserts that the from COBE, make the existence of a second law of thermodynamics must also for the decade-old extension of creator that much more unlikely. The have been broken at the beginning of the big bang theory called `infla- currently existing structure of the time. tion.' " universe, including the laws of physics, Despite this intuition, the fact that could very well have been spontaneously organized matter and energy are now Likewise, the organization of matter generated after the Planck time, by the distributed throughout billions of light- into galaxies and planets does not require natural processes of self-organization years of space does not imply a violation a violation of the second law of ther- and perhaps even a kind of Darwinian of either the first or second law of modynamics—now or in the past. natural selection from among a random thermodynamics. The inflationary Though the universe starts as a black sample of all possibilities. Those who model, together with Einstein's general hole of maximum entropy, or maximum look to science to bolster their faith in relativity, shows how a quantum fluc- disorder, it explodes into an expanding the fantasies of a creator and an invisible tuation at the Planck time, allowed by relativistic gas having less than its world of the spirit won't find it in the the uncertainty principle of quantum maximum allowable entropy. Thus the ripples of the big bang or any other mechanics and violating no principle of microwave background is easily able to scientific observation. • Pseudo-Creation of the 'Big Bang' Adolf Grünbaum he international press has recently followed by the expansion of the debate over whether the universe is the widely reported the discovery, by universe ever since. As a theoretical work of a majestic guiding hand" means of satellite data, of strong new model of cosmogony, the big bang (Pittsburgh Post Gazette, April 25). observational support for the "big bang" theory has enjoyed the endorsement of In this vein, it has even been asserted origin of the universe. The so-called big a majority of astrophysicists since the that the big bang theory vindicates the bang refers to a cataclysmic explosion mid-1960s. But the new findings are Christian doctrine of creation out of being celebrated as representing one of nothing, which is familiar since the Adolf Grünbaum, the Andrew Mellon the most important advances in cosmol- second century. Thus, in 1951, Pope Pius Professor of Philosophy and Chairman ogy during the current century. XII claimed such vindication in a famous of the Center for Philosophy of Science In fact, the headline of the April 24, address to the Pontifical Academy of at the University of Pittsburgh, is the 1992, front-page article in the New York Sciences. More surprisingly, in a 1980 author of Philosophical Problems of Times characterizes the new scientific book God and the Astronomers, the Space and Time. He is a laureate of the results as providing "Profound Insight astronomer Robert Jastrow expressed Academy of Humanism. His latest book, on How Time Began." Even more the same view. But, more cautiously, in Validation in the Clinical Theory of ambitiously, under the headline "Big his contribution to the 1988 Vatican Psychoanalysis, will be published this fall Bang Theory Ties Scientists, Theolo- Observatory volume Physics, Philo- by International Universities Press gians," American Associated Press sophy and Theology, Pope John Paul (Madison, Conn.). This article originally writer David Briggs claimed that "The II recommended that at least some appeared in Italian translation in the momentous findings supporting the 'big theologians become scientifically literate, Milanese newspaper IL SOLE-24 ORE bang' theory of creation provide com- because "Such an expertise would (May 3, 1992, p. 24). mon ground for two old antagonists— prevent them from making uncritical and religion and science—in the eternal overhasty use for apologetic purposes of 14 FREE INQUIRY such recent theories as that of the 'Big already existed in some form or other, Heaven and Earth?" And he rejects the Bang' in cosmology." because there simply was no time at all answer of someone who answered that I believe that the current pope's advice before the finite past during which the God was busy preparing hell for those was very good. Indeed, it is incorrect to physical world did not exist yet! who would ask this question. Instead, claim that the big bang model based on Therefore, it is ill-conceived to ask the Augustine tells us that there simply was Einstein's general theory of relativity big bang theorist, "What earlier external no time before creation, because God features a first instant or a "beginning cause, either natural or supernatural, created both time and matter. One of time" at which the big bang occurred. made the world come into existence out contributor to the aforecited 1988 Nor does that astrophysical model justify of a temporally prior state of nothing?" Vatican Observatory volume, C. J. the idea that there were times when there This question presupposes some com- Isham, regards Augustine's reply that was absolutely nothing at all, and that "time itself was made by God" as an external divine cause was required to "The theological hypothesis of "profound." Yet it is very unsatisfactory. produce the transition from this alleged creation ex nihilo surely adds no The notion that time itself "was made" along with matter presupposes a ficti- temporal state of nothing to the big bang understanding to the big bang cataclysm. Furthermore, the incorpora- tious super-time. And it makes no sense tion of quantum theory into the model model." to treat time itself as being on a par with does not support the notion that, before objects like stars or atoms that come into the big bang, there was absolutely pletely fictitious super-time for which existence in the course of time. On the nothing at all in the theological sense: no evidence at all has been given. Fur- other hand, the concept of temporally True enough, in the quantum version, thermore, the question overlooks simultaneous divine creation of time the so-called quantum vacuum is hy- unjustifiably a major lesson that the itself is either nonsensical or uselessly pothesized to precede the big bang in big bang model teaches to philosophy: circular. time. That sort of "vacuum" differs it is illegitimate to assume a priori, In a 1990 article in the journal radically, however, from the vacuum of independently of the scientifically disco- Theological Studies, the well-known classical physics, and even more so from vered structure of cosmological time, American Roman Catholic theologian just nothing at all. that there were earlier times at which Michael Buckley makes the following Worse still for Pius XII and the the external cause could have been admission concerning the hypothesized astronomer Jastrow, the Einsteinian big operative. Clearly, the same philo- process of divine creation: "We really do bang theory lends no support at all to sophical lesson would apply, if the not know how God `pulls it off.' Saint Augustine's doctrine that God Einsteinian big bang model had actually Catholicism has found no great scandal created both matter and time out of featured a bona fide first instant of time, in this admitted ignorance." But if so, nothing. In fact, Augustine's version of that is, an instant having no temporal the theological hypothesis of creation ex creation ex nihilo, either with or without predecessor. nihilo surely adds no understanding to the big bang theory, offers only apseudo- In Book XI of Augustine's Confes- the big bang model. • explanation of the existence of the sions, he considers a challenger's ques- universe. tion, "What did God do before He made Copyright ® by Adolf Grünbaum 1992. But why is it misleading to speak of the big bang model of Einstein's theory of general relativity as featuring a Foster Humanist Growth for Years to Come. "beginning of time"? The reason is a subtle one, which is unproblematic for Provide for FREE INQUIRY in your will. mathematical physicists, though difficult Please remember FREE INQUIRY (CODESH, Inc.) when planning your estate. from the standpoint of ideas drawn from Your bequest will help to maintain the vitality of humanism in a society ordinary life: in that cosmogony, there simply does not exist a first instant of often hostile toward it. time, although the age of the universe, We would be happy to work with you and your attorney in the develop- as measured in solar years, is only finite, ment of a will or estate plan that meets your wishes. A variety of circa 15 billion years. arrangements are possible, including gifts of a fixed amount or a percentage Thus, although the duration of the of your estate; living trusts or gift annuities, which provide you with lifetime past in years is only finite, the temporal income; or a contingent bequest that provides for FREE INQUIRY only ordering of the instants of time in that if your primary beneficiaries do not survive you.