Godless Universe Untenable

JOURNAL OF CREATION 27(1) 2013 || BOOK REVIEWS

Godless universe untenable

A Universe from Nothing: Why There is Something Rather Than Nothing Lawrence M. Krauss Free Press, New York, 2012

Dan W. Reynolds

theists insist that all of nature Acan be explained on its own terms without invoking a supernatural creator. Some argue, as does Lawrence Krauss (figure 1) in his recent bookA Universe from Nothing, that modern science has now made it plausible that space-time, matter-energy, and even the universe can emerge from nothing. As we shall see, these ideas are self- contradictory and not aligned with science is based on observation and current thinking—even in the secular experiment, religion on unprovable scientific community—concerning the faith. He dislikes the definition possibility of a universe existing in the of nothing as the absence of the eternal past. Krauss does provide his potential for existence (he has trouble readers with interesting insights into arguing against it). He starts off on a physics, the big bang theory, virtual philosophical note and ends on one, particles, dark matter, inflation theory, with his science offered in between. He the ‘landscape’ of a multiverse, dark energy, relativity, string theory, and thinks that the direction of scientific science associated with these topics. discovery is progressively eliminating However, he does not successfully the need for God as an explanation show how the universe could emerge for natural phenomena and the origin from nothing. Much of what is in of everything. He thus thinks God is Krauss’ book was brought out in a the ‘god of the gaps’ that science will debate with William Lane Craig in eventually eliminate, although the real 2011 at NC State University, a debate arguments are based on what we do Craig won in my opinion. The debate is know not on gaps.2 Much of his science 1 available for viewing on the internet. is speculative. He seems to be saying Lawrence M. Krauss, Ph.D., is that what is scientifically plausible Foundation Professor in the School is so compelling that theism is of Earth and Space Exploration and automatically an inferior explanation. the Physics Dept., Co-Director of the Cosmology Initiative, and Inaugural He does admit, however, that science Director of the Origins Initiative at may never have an unambiguous Arizona State University. explanation for the origin of the Krauss begins by making it clear universe. In a debate, he said he could he dislikes theism. He argues that become a deist.

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Preface evidence for and against their theories, Background Radiation (CMB) and and 3) experimental results are king the abundance of light elements (H, Krauss admits his atheism. He asks: regardless of personal preference. D, He, Li) support the big bang model. if God is the answer to the origin to Strictly, his statement is self- However, he fails to explain why the universe, then who created God? refuting, because there is no scientific the CMB fails to cast the shadows Real Christian apologists, including way to test those three premises. expected from the big bang.5 his opponent Craig, have long argued As meta-scientific philosophy, that it’s only things that have a these guidelines for science are beginning that have a cause. Christians Chapter 2—A Cosmic Mystery commendable, but Krauss does not believe that God is self-subsistent Story: Weighing the Universe consistently follow them. For example, and exists outside of time and had William Dembski and several others no beginning, properties Krauss Astronomers have been puzzled that in the Intelligent Design Movement wishes nature had. He claims that the visible matter in the universe can’t have shown convincingly that the fine science is epistemologically superior account for the rotational behaviour tuning of physics and the information to revelation, and that theology has of spiral galaxies; there is not enough in biomolecules are strong evidence not added to knowledge for hundreds mass. So astronomers have proposed for the creative work of an intelligence of years. He overlooks that modern an invisible halo of ‘dark matter’. In science arose from a culture that and not the result of random natural reality, their physics is deficient— 3 assumed a Judea-Christian worldview, processes. Indeed, Krauss believes Carmelian special relativity explains which believed a reasonable creator we are getting close to showing the galactic rotation curves without would have made a reasonable how abiogenesis may have occurred needing the fudge factor of ‘dark 6 creation. He admits that Isaac Newton on Earth when in truth no such matter’. was probably the greatest scientist breakthrough is near. At best, science Another related problem is that the that ever lived, but overlooks that has possibly shown how two of the visible number of protons and neutrons Newton was drawn closer to God by four nucleotides of RNA might have are less than expected based on the 4 his discoveries. emerged naturally. But that is only the abundances of the light elements. Krauss says ‘nothing’ has physical first step of a thousand-mile journey Where is the missing matter? properties because he assumes to explaining abiogenesis (chemical One method for weighing a the eternal operation of quantum evolution). galaxy cluster is to take advantage mechanics. However, theologians say of a phenomenon called gravitational lensing. Predicted by Einstein, a quantum vacuum is not ‘nothing’; Chapter 1—A Cosmic Mystery gravitational lensing occurs when ‘nothing’ is the absence of the potential Story: Beginnings for existence. Krauss says that if that the light from a very distant object is so, then even God can’t create Krauss explains how Einstein’s passes through the vicinity of a large the universe. But this definition of General Theory of Relativity, our best mass (e.g. galaxy cluster) on its way ‘nothing’ simply means the absence theory of gravity, has been supported to an observer on Earth. According of the possibility for existence within by observations such as the precession to relativity, matter bends space. The itself, and does not exclude the of the planet Mercury’s orbit and the bent space around a galaxy cluster potential for creation ex nihilo by God. expansion of the universe. But then would cause the light of the distant Since God exists independently and he makes a leap to claiming science object to be bent or lensed on its way to separately from the universe, then He has shown that the universe emerged Earth. The amount of bending depends is the initial ‘something’ from which from a hot big bang 13.72 billion years on the mass of the galaxy cluster. all else came. It is self-contradictory ago and continues to expand, and had Astronomers can determine how much to say something (the universe = a beginning. But as we will see, he normal matter is in a galaxy cluster by everything in nature) can create itself thinks ours is but one of an infinite the light from it. The entire mass of the because if the universe were able to number of universes that have been galaxy cluster can be determined by create itself, it would have to already popping out of nothing for all eternity. the amount of gravitational lensing of exist (quantum mechanics) and would Krauss explains the evidence for the very distant objects. What astronomers not need creating. expansion of the universe from Edwin have found is that gravitational lensing Krauss says: 1) science is the best Hubble’s work on galactic redshifts. says there is much more mass present way to know things because it follows Hence Hubble found empirical support in the galaxy cluster than can be the evidence wherever it leads, 2) for general relativity. Krauss also accounted for by normal visible scientists must be willing to find asserts that the Cosmic Microwave matter alone. Once again, ‘dark

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open geometry, the expansion would fields (electromagnetic, gravitational). exceed the gravity of the matter in Hawking radiation, predicted to be a the universe and the universe would mechanism by which black holes could continue to expand. In a flat universe, ‘evaporate’, depends on the existence the gravity and expansion of the of virtual particles, but has not been universe are balanced so that the observed so far. universe expands but at a progressively Krauss says a universe where the slower pace. In a closed universe, total mass/energy is balanced by the reversal of the expansion could occur potential gravitational energy has before stars and galaxies have time zero net energy and so could pop to form. In an open universe, the into existence from nothing without expansion could be so fast that gravity violation of the first law. Such a would never able to pull the light universe should, however, collapse and elements together to form stars. Only disappear in periods shorter than the in a flat universe are the gravitational Planck time unless inflation allows it forces and expansion rate balanced to exist beyond the Planck time. so that gravity can form stars and Krauss also says that this proves you galaxies that then continue to exist. can get something from nothing given According to measurements of the the energetics of empty space and the CMB, our universe has a flat geometry. law of gravity. So he says you can get a Figure 1. Lawrence M. Krauss. But when it comes to observed matter, universe from nothing if you can start the universe seems open: “several with empty space with non-zero energy measurements currently seem to and the laws of gravity and quantum matter’ is hypothesized, and once suggest a density of only a fraction Ω mechanics. He admits empty space again, Carmelian relativity explains 0.3 of the critical density.”8 However, with non-zero energy is something! the observations without recourse to Krauss suggest that there is enough A quantum theory of gravity would this fudge factor.6 ≌dark matter to close the universe. mean quantum mechanics applies to After weighing everything, many space, not just to objects in space. Then astronomers say our universe consists we could say that space-times pop in of 4% ordinary matter, 23% dark Chapter 4—Much Ado About and out of nothing if the total energy is matter, and 73% dark energy. Again, Nothing zero. But we don’t yet have a quantum Carmelian relativity predicts the In this chapter, Krauss gives theory of gravity. observations adduced to support dark evidence for entities called virtual Krauss concedes that this spec matter.7 particles. They are called virtual ulation does not prove our universe because they have never been directly arose from nothing, but says it makes Chapter 3—Light from the observed due to their fleeting lifetimes such a scenario more plausible. And Beginning of Time (less than Planck time). However, plausibility is apparently all he needs the existence of virtual particles is to justify rejection of God. So much We have already mentioned the allowed by quantum mechanics, for basing his worldview on hard, cold CMB as a fallacious proof of the big from the uncertainty principle. facts alone. bang. The CMB has been mapped There is indirect evidence for their The energy calculated for empty by COBE, WMAP, Boomerang, and existence. The calculated energy levels space assuming virtual particles is 10120 currently by Planck space probes. associated with the orbitals of hydrogen times greater than that observed. This Astronomers have used the CMB to differ slightly from experimental is a long-standing unsolved problem. determine the geometry of space-time. measurement. However, if a virtual The three possibilities are closed, open, particle pair is assumed to be located Chapter 5—The Runaway and flat. A closed space-time would around the hydrogen nucleus, the Universe occur if the gravity of the matter (all calculated energy levels match the types) of the universe exceeded the experiment exactly. They are believed The expansion rate of the universe rate of expansion. In such a universe, to convey the strong force between is accelerating. Astronomers used the expansion would eventually reverse quarks in protons and neutrons. Virtual Type 1a supernovae to determine and the universe would collapse. In an particles are usually invoked in strong this.9 When Einstein first realized

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that his Theory of Relativity required A theory called Inflation allegedly constants of nature are exactly what the universe to be expanding or solves this and the flatness problem. they must be for life as we know it to contracting, he thought it was wrong Inflation says that within a fraction exist. Change any of these constants and added a fudge factor, the so called of a second after the big bang, the just a little and you get different cosmological constant, to make his universe expanded by a factor of elements, different stars, a different equations give a static universe. Later, 1028. (Relativity allows the expansion geometry of space-time, a different after Hubble showed the universe was of space-time to be faster than the universe! In other words, our universe indeed expanding, Einstein called speed of light; it just prohibits objects appears to be fine tuned for life for no his fudge factor a great blunder. accelerating to the speed of light apparent physical reason. Christians However, in light of the accelerating through space.) The expansion then point to this fine tuning as evidence expansion of the universe, it appears settled to a rate similar to today. for intelligent design consistent with the cosmological constant is real after The predicted pattern of density the existence of the God of the Bible. all. The cosmological constant means fluctuations in the CMB that would This is where Krauss gets philos that there is an energy that causes space result from quantum fluctuations ophical. He embraces the anthropic to expand. This mysterious energy has during inflation is what is observed principle and the idea of a multiverse. been dubbed ‘dark energy’. The nature in the CMB. Quantum fluctuations The anthropic principle says that the of dark energy is a major problem for would be ‘frozen’ by inflation. No-one universe looks the way it does because physics, again solved by Carmelian knows why inflation would start or if it did not, we would not be here. The stop. The universe became flat because relativity without recourse to dark multiverse idea postulates countless the originally dominant matter density entities.10 Eventually all galaxies will universes with different physical laws was diluted during inflation to the and constants (the landscape); we just be moving away from us at speeds > c. point that gravity and the expansion happen to be in a universe where the Krauss claims the universe is were balanced. physical laws and constants allow for not rotating, but this is still an open galaxies, planets, and people. question (‘axis of evil’). Polarization The idea of the multiverse is con of light from galaxies and CMB both Chapter 7—Our Miserable Future sistent with some particle physics and point to a similar axis. In this chapter, Krauss discusses string theory. Inflation could explain what will happen to our universe if a multiverse. During expansion, some Chapter 6—The Free Lunch at the expansion accelerates indefinitely. regions may exit inflation while others the End of the Universe He says that eventually other galaxies continue to inflate; this is the eternal will be receding from us at speeds inflation model. Regions that exit will Krauss says that the flat geometry greater than the speed of light so they become causally isolated universes. of space-time requires very specific will disappear. Supposedly at some However, inflation models are not initial conditions and expansion rate. distant future time even atoms will eternal in the past. There is nothing known in physics be torn apart. String theory holds that tiny vi that required these conditions to exist. brating strings determine elementary There is another problem in particles and forces. Scientists would Chapter 8—A Grand Accident cosmology called the horizon problem. like to have a theory of everything, The problem is that the CMB is very Physicists have looked for a theory so efforts have been directed at smooth (almost the same temperature). that would explain everything— combining relativity with quantum At the time the CMB was allegedly why we have the physical laws and mechanics to produce a quantum emitted, 300,000 years after the big constants we have, a theory that would theory of gravity. String theory is an bang, the CMB uniformity implies require our universe to be the way it attempt at this fusion. String theory that thermal equilibrium spanned a is. However, no theory like this has says gravitons are the force-carrying range over 10 times larger. But even at ever been developed. In fact, Gödel’s particles of gravity but only if strings the speed of light, heat could not have Incompleteness Theorem shows that can vibrate in 26 dimensions. By travelled that far to equilibrate the none could be developed, as Stephen adding the math of super-symmetry, temperatures (figure 2). Note, this is a Hawking belatedly realized.12 the number of dimensions is reduced ‘light travel’ problem for big bangers, As far as we know, there are no laws to 10. By this reasoning, we live in a who therefore have no grounds to of physics that require our universe to 10-dimension universe where there are point to the hoary old distant starlight have the constants and laws it has. It is 4 large dimensions and 6 dimensions problem for Genesis.11 well known that many of the laws and that are so small they elude detection.

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zero and space-time is flat according 1 big bang 2 big bang expansion expansion to observation. Assuming the existence of empty space and the laws of physics, space has a non-zero energy. During A inflation, the expansion dumps energy A into empty space as it becomes flatter B and flatter. When inflation stops, the B energy of space gets turned into the energy of real particles and radiation (big bang). Quantum fluctuations leave some irregularities in space- time and hence in the distribution of particles and radiation—allegedly

Figure 2. 1) Early in the alleged big bang, points A and B start out with different temperatures. reflected in the CMB (if you can trust 13,14 2) Today, points A and B have the same temperature, yet there has not been enough time for them the low radiological standards ). to exchange light.

Chapter 10—Nothing Is Physicists speculate that some of theory of everything that confirms Unstable the compactified dimensions may the multiverse and eternal inflation; be revealed with the Large Hadron he would then have support for the Empty space is boiling with Collider. It now appears that branes landscape and anthropic principle. virtual particles that pop in and (membranes) may be the fundamental But this sort of ‘reasoning’ proves out of existence on time scales too object, not strings. We still don’t know too much. That is, even features that small to measure (shorter than the if string theory has anything to do Krauss would agree were designed Planck time). Quantum mechanics with the real world. by humans could be explained as allows for violations of the 1st Law of Krauss says that the difference chance, since given an almost infinite Thermodynamics over brief periods between speculative physics and number of universes, even the most of time. Krauss says nothing always spiritual realities is that the form unlikely events must take place creates something if only for an er can be measured in principle in one of them. For example, even instant. Quantum mechanics can (p. 133). However, this ignores personal though there is an infininitesimally sneak energy from empty space as spiritual experience, the fulfillment of small probability that ink molecules long as it is returned before anyone can prophecies, the empirical detection could spontaneously rearrange to observe it. Krauss invokes Hawking of design in nature, the historical form the content of A Universe from radiation to support this. However, accuracy of the Scriptures, the over Nothing, we could just happen to be Hawking radiation has never been 500 eye witnesses to the Resurrection living in the one multiverse where this observed! of Christ, etc. These spiritual realities probability is actualized. One unsolved mystery is why there have been measured in fact. is an excess of mater in our universe; Krauss says all this speculation (e.g. this is the Matter/antimatter problem. Chapter 9—Nothing is string theory) challenges the notion Why is the universe only made of Something that our universe is unique. String matter? Matter/antimatter particles theory says there may be as many as Krauss starts off talking about annihilate each other to produce 10500 universes with 10 dimensions, Newton, revelation versus science, radiation. Radiation coverts to equal 4 of which are large like ours. The and some philosophical issues. He amounts of matter and anti matter. theory of everything becomes the again mentions how he does not Krauss says that the CMB suggests the theory of anything. Each universe like the definition of nothing as the photon-to-proton ratio was a billion would have different particles, forces, absence of even the possibility to to one. He says that by ‘plausible space-time, physics, etc. Allegedly, exist. quantum processes’ the universe we just happen to be in one of the He states that the Newtonian started out with 1 part per billion universes that has the physics required gravitational energies of galaxies more matter than antimatter. Most of for our existence. Krauss hopes for a moving with the Hubble expansion is the matter and antimatter combined to

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make photons. Later he admits we still Dawkins). But God has always made References don’t really know how this asymmetry it possible for people to deny him. 1. William Lane Craig vs Lawrence Krauss, you between matter and antimatter began. tube.com, 16 April 2011. 2. Weinberger, L., Whose god? The theological Conclusion response to the god-of-the-gaps, J. Creation Chapter 11—Brave New Worlds 22(1):120–127, 2008; creation.com/gaps. 1. Krauss must assume quantum 3. Reynolds, D.W., Intelligent Design, TASC Krauss gives many of his reasons mechanics so the universe does not (Triangle Area Association for Creation) News for not liking God as an explanation actually come from nothing. letter, May 2006; tasc-creationscience.org; see for the origin of the universe 2. Most recent scholarship on major also creation.com/design. (intellectually lazy, no evidence, god cosmological theories all require a 4. Reynolds, D.W., Has Science Found How Life 15,16 Began and Species Evolved? An Examination of the gaps, etc., etc.). He asks if God beginning. No current theory of the “RNA World” Hypothesis and Rapidly is the answer, what determined God’s allows an eternity past! Hence all Changing Lizards, TASC Newsletter, June 2009; rules? [God did; He revealed some in current theories say there still had tasc-creationscience.org; see also creation.com/ rna. the Bible, and left some for scientists to be a beginning. 5. Hartnett, J.G., The big bang fails another test: The to discover, as Kepler and Newton 3. Fine tuning is still a problem for ‘background echo of the big bang’ was supposed believed they were doing.] Krauss materialists. No evidence so far for to cast a shadow—but only if it is really true that iterates his ipse dixit that there is no hidden dimensions, other universes, this radiation is coming from far away, creation. com/cmb, 15 September 2006. evidence for God—but as shown, his string theory, etc. 6. Hartnett, J.G., Spiral galaxy rotation curves explanations such as multiverses are 4. The matter/antimatter problem is determined from Carmelian general relativity, Int. not scientific and beg the question. still unsolved. J. Theor. Phys. 45(11):2118–2136, November 2006; He says a first cause is needed for a 5. Krauss admits deism may be right. arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0511756. universe with a beginning but it does His rejection of Christianity seems 7. Hartnett, J.G., The distance modulus determined from Carmeli’s cosmology fits the accelerating not have to be the God of the Bible to be based more on personal rather universe data of the high-redshift type Ia (he has admitted elsewhere that deism than scientific criteria. supernovae without dark matter, Found. might be true)—but no Christian 6. Young earth/old universe cos Phys. 36(6):839–861, June 2006, arxiv.org/abs/ apologist would claim that, merely mologies such as Russell Hum astro-ph/0501526. that it’s consistent with the Bible; the phreys’ and John Hartnett’s can 8. Kamionkowski, M., The case of the curved universe: open, closed or flat, Science 280:1397– Bible is supported by other lines of explain the CMB, abundance of 1398, 1998. evidence. He suggests the universe light elements, ‘axis of evil’, 9. But see de Repentigny, M.B., What are type 1a might be eternal in the past and future expansion of the universe, and the supernovae telling us? J. Creation 25(1):123–127, and that physical law may have always starlight-time problem. 2011. existed. He admits that this raises 7. Even if the landscape and the 10. Oliveira, F.J. and Hartnett, J.G., Carmeli’s cosmology fits data for an accelerating and the question of where the laws came anthropic principle are correct decelerating universe without dark matter or from and how they got to be what they (there is no evidence they are), one dark energy, Found. Phys. Lett. 19(6):519–535, are. He asserts that one can’t define still has to explain origin of life and November 2006; arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0603500. ‘nothing’ as the lack of the potential evolution. However, there is still no 11. Lisle, J., Light-travel time: a problem for the big bang, Creation 25 (4):48–49, 2003; creation.com/ to exist since then even God could evidence for hidden dimensions, lighttravel. not create anything (not true if God is other universes, Hawking radiation, 12. Sarfati, J., Hawking atheopathy: famous physicist outside of and separate from nature). etc. goes beyond the evidence, J. Creation 25(1):25– He says the universe will eventually 8. Much of Krauss’s scenarios is 29, 2011; creation.com/hawking (review of Hawking’s book The Grand Design). die a heat death, even protons and speculative and depends on a 13. Robitaille, P.-M., WMAP: a radiological analysis, neutrons will decay. quantum theory of gravity which is Progress in Physics 1:3–18, 2007. not currently available. 14. Hartnett, J.G., WMAP ‘proof’ of big bang The universe had a beginning fails normal radiological standards, J. Epilogue (Genesis 1;1) and was created by God Creation 21(2):5–7, 2007; creation.com/wmap (discussion of Robitaille, ref. 14). He says we must choose what we for his glory (Psalm 19:1). God has 15. Grossman, L., Death of the eternal cosmos, New believe based on fact, not revelation. hidden in mystery how the universe Scientist 213(2847):6–7, 14 January 2012. Yet his faith is based on unproven came to be (Eccl 3:11). Science may 16. Cathpoole, D., Physicists: The universe had a speculation. help us see more of God’s glory, beginning, creation.com/ universe-beginning, 5 He says science has made it possible but only He can reveal what He has June 2012 (discussion of Grossman, ref. 160). to not believe in God (sounds like hidden.