#10 The Origin of Everything
The last few blogs showed us some of the underlying complexity of the universe and our world. Our brief exercise took us from an outwardly observable view of the world – with which we are so familiar – into an inward examination of its framework. Contrary to the simplified picture we are accustomed to, we found that the world beneath its surface is much more complex, intricate, and sophisticated.
We observed some fascinating characteristics of the universe and our world at its most fundamental level.
Physical Structure
The physical framework of the universe is highly structured and sophisticated – from the tiniest subatomic and atomic particles to the multitudes of atoms and molecules. Exact quantities of their mass, charge, spin, and interactive forces are necessary to form all the stable matter and the fundamental forces existing in the universe. You and I would not exist without such a framework.
Universal Laws
Order in the universe is achieved through a set of universal laws that are exact, balanced, and intrinsically perfect. For some inexplicable reason, the entire framework of the universe is beholden to such an interconnected body of rules that are in harmony and equilibrium with each other. Obeying the set of rules keeps every aspect of the universe in check and balance. Without such precise and elaborate set of laws and their strict compliance, our universe would be unstable and chaotic.
Fine Tuning
The physics of our universe is established on a set of constant and arbitrary quantities that have extremely precise and sensitive values. A slight deviation of these quantities from their finely tuned values is sufficient to bring the whole universe apart. Our universe would not exist in any meaningful sense in the first place without this finely tuned set of constants.
Habitability
Planet Earth exhibits so many characteristics that turn out to be crucial to the habitability of life on it. Removing any one of such features would be sufficient to bring biological life to a screeching halt. At best, it would significantly precipitate the extinction of many biological species. Our planet appears to possess all the factors necessary to host complex life.
Resourcefulness
Our planet has unlimited resources (metaphorically speaking) in ample abundance that significantly enrich biological life within it. They allow life to diversify, flourish, and thrive. Earth supplies several other precious resources that empower humans to own invaluable commodities, build multitudes of items of convenience, and improve our lifestyles. Without such resources, biological life and human lifestyle would not have progressed beyond the primitive stone age.
Discoverability
The laws of the universe are not only discoverable but exactly describable by mathematics. Humans have exploited such an astonishing reality to their maximum advantage. Discovering the laws of the universe has enabled humans to harness, control, and utilize them to invent and build technologies for their benefit. Without such discoveries to improve their lifestyles, our lives would have degenerated with the ever-growing human population.
The Ultimate Origin Question
With such an elaborate set of data from the natural world, we are now in a better position to look at the ultimate origin question: Where did everything come from? In particular, how did the matter, energy, laws, and the fine-tuning of the universe emerge? How did this magical – and it is nothing short of magical – framework of the universe arise?
Human beings have always pondered about the origin of the world around them. In fact, such questions were of more interest in the ancient world where time was handy and distractions were few. Our modern world forces us to become part of the never-ending rat race and mindless entertainment that leaves us with no time, energy, or brainpower to ponder about the consequential matters of life.
While we have acquired much scientific knowledge and unraveled the physical secrets of the universe about how it works, we have distanced ourselves from the real spirit of the quest of knowledge: Why things exist? Such an approach has made us more worldly knowledgable but not necessarily more enlightened, insightful, or wise. All the more reason that we go back to the basics to understand the reality of things.
The Two Alternatives
Historically, humans have come up with many speculations and theories for the origin of everything – mythical, philosophical, religious, cultural, and scientific. But no matter what one believes in, the search for the origin of everything can be boiled down to two mutually exclusive alternatives:
- Our universe – and everything else that exists – came into existence through an external influence – the product of a methodical, intentional, and causal effect.
- Our universe – and everything else that exists – came into existence on its own without any external influence – a product of accident, chance, and self-evolvement.
In simple terms, the first alternative implies that something – commonly identified as God – created the universe. The second asserts that the universe came into existence on its own through sheer luck. The first one acknowledges God and His will, power, and intent behind the existence of the universe while the second choice rejects the existence of God altogether.
The universe exists. Our world exists. We exist. None of them are figments of our imagination. There must be real, rational, and reasonable explanations for their origins. Understanding their origins will lead us to grasp the meaning of everything.
We will continue exploring these questions by examining the two origin alternatives in detail. We will begin with the second alternative – the universe emerging on its own through pure chance.
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