#7 The Perfectly Balanced Universe
The dazzling sun rises up gloriously every day and sets down calmly at dusk. The glowing moon glides gently through all its phases every month. The fresh air around us fills our lungs with the essential oxygen we need to breathe. The water-laden clouds spray our lands with pure rain to nourish our farms and animals. The luxuriant vegetation reinvigorates our atmosphere every day with fresh air. The spirited birds fly effortlessly through the air without dropping to the ground. It appears that the natural world around us is in a delicate balance and equilibrium. But is this observation a fact or is it just a mirage?
We’ve seen that our universe is highly structured in its physical composition – down to the most basic level. But just because its material constitution is extremely intricate and precise doesn’t imply that our universe will necessarily function as such. We can have all the parts of an automobile precisely constructed but they will be of no use unless they are assembled together perfectly to work in unison. In a similar way, do the highly intricate physical structures of our universe interact and work with each other to produce smooth and meaningful results? Or do they exhibit less than perfect behavior?
The Language of the Universe
Many people dread mathematics. And there is good reason for it. If not properly understood, mathematical equations may seem daunting and overbearing. But there are many others who love them. To me, mathematics is the most wondrous manifestation of the world we are part of. It can sum up elaborate ideas very succinctly and precisely. Contrary to our speech, there is no ambiguity to what it says. And once it is proven, no one can dispute it. Mathematics is the most beautiful and succinct expression of abstract concepts. Surprisingly, it is also the language that our universe understands, obeys, and lives by.
Humans opened up the field of mathematics thousands of years ago by coming up with numbering systems to help them keep tab of counting. The demands of basic trading and economics dictated the development of plain arithmetic. Before long, civilizations developed mathematical concepts in algebra and geometry to help them calculate time, calendar, and geographical orientation. Advancements in mathematics continued through the times leading to fresh discoveries and the emergence of new areas within mathematics. Today, advanced fields of mathematics – including calculus, analysis, and topology – are used to solve complex problems in all disciplines of natural sciences, including probability, statistics, computing, theoretical physics, and engineering.
While early human beings worked with plain arithmetic, they realized that they could represent some of the natural phenomena through the framework of exact science. In other words, they discovered that they could formulate mathematical equations to describe and calculate natural events. Over time, such discoveries and descriptions were codified into a growing number of mathematical laws that were, for the most part, quantifiable, universal, and exact. In simple terms, this means that all the numerous facets of the universe – including the laws that govern it – can be represented by precise mathematical equations, as illustrated by the sample set below.
Don’t be intimidated by the above seemingly daunting mathematical scribbles representing the various laws of the universe. You are not expected to understand any of it. What I do want you to notice is that each of these equations has an equals (=) sign in its middle. What it signifies is that the quantities on either side of the equals sign are exactly equal to each other. (For example, E=mc2 indicates that E is exactly the same in quantity as mc2). Why does it matter?
A mathematical equation with an equals sign signifies a perfect equality and balance between the two quantities on either side of it. (2+2=4 indicates that 2+2 will always balance out 4). The fact that our entire universe – at its manifold layers – can be represented by exact mathematical equations unravels an extraordinary observation: Our universe – all of it – is in perfect balance and harmony at every level of its being. We are not living in an arbitrarily run, randomly driven, chaotic universe. On the contrary, we are living in a perfectly balanced universe.
The Laws of the Universe
What are the laws that our universe obeys to keep itself in balance? If you’ve ever taken a physics course in high school or college, you are aware of some of the basic laws that our universe adheres to. This array of laws covers all the foundational branches of physics.
The fundamental laws of classical mechanics, spearheaded by Isaac Newton, describe the precise motion of all objects in the universe under the influence of a net force or the force of gravity. The laws of classical mechanics are superseded by Einstein’s groundbreaking theories of general and special relativity that define the behavior of objects in space-time and at super high speeds. On the other hand, the behavior of objects at the atomic and subatomic levels is dictated by the peculiar laws of quantum mechanics. The complex interaction between the electrical and magnetic forces in the universe is succinctly captured in classical electrodynamics by Maxwell’s equations.
The mechanics of heat transfer are encapsulated in the laws of thermodynamics. The physics of mass-energy is governed by the law of conservation of energy and Einstein’s mass-energy equivalence. The behavior of light and its properties is defined by the laws of optics while the same for sound is governed by the laws of acoustics. The laws of fluid mechanics govern the mechanics of liquids and gases. And so on. No matter what feature of the universe we look into, we find it obeying precise and balanced rules of governance.
The Mastery of the Universe
With the above discussion, it becomes fairly obvious that our universe operates with extreme balance and precision. And it has done so since its beginning. While this fact is astounding, an even more astonishing reality exists behind it. Not only is our universe governed by exact laws and rules, it turns out that these laws are discoverable, mathematically describable, and functionally usable for the benefit of humanity.
Human beings have been living on Earth for thousands of years. Human civilization advanced gradually with time but not precipitously. It was not until the scientific revolution of the last few centuries when humans discovered the secrets of the universe that they started to rebuild their world. The discovery of the laws of the universe precipitated the technological revolution that allowed them to invent and build tools and technologies that have completely revolutionized their lifestyles.
Discovering the laws of the universe allowed humans to harness them – as well as Earth’s resources – for their own benefit. None of the byproducts of the scientific and technological revolutions – trains, automobiles, ships, submarines, airplanes, drones, spaceships, jet engines, power plants, electric motors, turbines, hydraulic machines, hydroelectric plants, air conditioning, household appliances, radio, television, telephone, satellites, radar, sonar, fiber optics, computer processors, smart devices – would have been possible without discovering the laws of the universe.
If our universe was governed by exact laws that were not mathematically discoverable and remained a secret to us, we would still be living a fairly rudimentary lifestyle. We would not have been able to harness the vast, seemingly hidden resources of our planet for our use. With the explosive population growth that we have seen in the last couple of centuries, we would not have been able to tap Earth’s resources to meet the increasing demands of a growing humanity. Poverty, famine, and insecurity would be rife. We would see severe shortage of food, hygiene, healthcare, and all the basic amenities of life. Human civilization would have degenerated and headed for self-destruction.
It is in our nature to get used to the things around us. We take everything for granted. But if you’re a perspicacious person, you would, once in a while, give some thought to the world around you. You would notice that everything in nature seems to be moving along in harmony with each other – as if it is part of a wider mysterious system that is in a delicate balance and equilibrium.
Science confirms our perceived intuitions. We have discovered that our universe is indeed governed by precise laws and rules. Obeying these laws keeps our universe in perfect balance and harmony. Our universe is not only precisely structured down to the very detail, its physical building blocks interact with each other in extremely balanced ways to give us the safe, secure, and resourceful world that we call home. If that were not the case, our world would have been chaotic, destructive, and uninhabitable.
On top of that, the laws of the universe are, fortuitously, discoverable and harnessable. In other words, we can understand the implications of the laws of the universe and use them for our benefit. In a way, we can tame the laws to do work for us. Human civilization has advanced to such a high technological level precisely because humans have been able to harness the laws for their use. Without it, we would still be living in stone age.
Isn’t this a wondrous and inspiring moment of reflection for us?