On September 10th, the European Nuclear Research Centre will activate the Large Hadron Collider, the 17-mile circumference, $8,000,000,000 particle collider 300 feet underground near Geneva, Switzerland. Why? To unlock the mystery of Creation, simulating the first moments immediately after the Big Bang. The LHC will circulate atomic particles around its 17-mile circumference at more than 11,000 times per second before then smashing those atoms into each other in the ultimate carnival bumper-car ride. The machine has been designed to help scientists discover new forms of particles, most notably the elusive Higgs Boson (the vaunted “God Particle”), along with more insights into dark matter and the matter/antimatter dichotomy. No word yet on dilithium crystals.
But not everyone’s in the party spirit. The hue and cry is that there is the danger of creating a black hole that will swallow up the planet Earth. The London Telegraph reports that American Nobel prize-winning physicist Frank Wilczek has received death threats with regard to Wednesday’s launch.
Predictably, the scientific community claims the doomsday gloomcasters are overreacting out of ignorance and superstition, or watching too many sci-fi thrillers. Every care and precaution has been taken, every test done and redone, every eventuality has been considered, re-considered, and considered again to ensure that nothing can possibly go wrong, go wrong, go wrong, go wrong . . . (Surely you saw that one coming.) James Gillies, the head of communication and spokesman for CERN says, “What we are doing is enriching humanity, not putting it at risk.” Well, that puts everyone’s mind at ease right away. (Beam me to any co-ordinates on the planet Vulcan, Scotty, pronto.)
Being a Bahá’í means that I bring my best intelligence to bear on all matters, but also that I turn to the Scriptures to see if they shed any light on the questions at hand. As far as the Big Bang is concerned, I was very struck by reading in Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time words to the effect that the mathematics of the Big Bang Theory have been mapped out and work perfectly, with the seemingly absurd proviso that they apply only if the Big Bang did not actually take place! Huh? And yet for me, this paradox echoes the words of Bahá’u’lláh:
Know assuredly that God's creation hath existed from eternity, and will continue to exist forever. Its beginning hath had no beginning, and its end knoweth no end. His name, the Creator, presupposeth a creation . . . (Gleanings, pg. 150)
The one true God hath everlastingly existed, and will everlastingly continue to exist. His creation, likewise, hath had no beginning, and will have no end. All that is created, however, is preceded by a cause. (Gleanings, pg. 162)
Yet another Bahá’í principle applies here, that of the Harmony of Science and Religion. The two must work together, so that we don’t have defensive scientists claiming exclusivity and should be left alone to pursue knowledge that will benefit the human race, nor should superstition and ignorance rule the day. Human knowledge must progress, and religion must supply the moral framework, but it must be knowledge that will advance the best interests mankind and it must be true religion, not pietistic flummery. Then we shall be rid of this mutual suspicion and have more joyous examples like the ones where we have seen rockets setting out towards the unknown, and the astronauts gaping with wonder at the beauty and majesty of God’s universe.
From the light tone of this article, you can no doubt discern that I personally am not much more worried about the prospects of this planet than during other weeks. I am reminded of the cartoon in which a robed and besandled character carries a sign announcing, “The world ends Wednesday!” and the cop on the beat tells him, “Just don’t let me catch you here Thursday!”
But not everyone’s in the party spirit. The hue and cry is that there is the danger of creating a black hole that will swallow up the planet Earth. The London Telegraph reports that American Nobel prize-winning physicist Frank Wilczek has received death threats with regard to Wednesday’s launch.
Predictably, the scientific community claims the doomsday gloomcasters are overreacting out of ignorance and superstition, or watching too many sci-fi thrillers. Every care and precaution has been taken, every test done and redone, every eventuality has been considered, re-considered, and considered again to ensure that nothing can possibly go wrong, go wrong, go wrong, go wrong . . . (Surely you saw that one coming.) James Gillies, the head of communication and spokesman for CERN says, “What we are doing is enriching humanity, not putting it at risk.” Well, that puts everyone’s mind at ease right away. (Beam me to any co-ordinates on the planet Vulcan, Scotty, pronto.)
Being a Bahá’í means that I bring my best intelligence to bear on all matters, but also that I turn to the Scriptures to see if they shed any light on the questions at hand. As far as the Big Bang is concerned, I was very struck by reading in Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time words to the effect that the mathematics of the Big Bang Theory have been mapped out and work perfectly, with the seemingly absurd proviso that they apply only if the Big Bang did not actually take place! Huh? And yet for me, this paradox echoes the words of Bahá’u’lláh:
Know assuredly that God's creation hath existed from eternity, and will continue to exist forever. Its beginning hath had no beginning, and its end knoweth no end. His name, the Creator, presupposeth a creation . . . (Gleanings, pg. 150)
The one true God hath everlastingly existed, and will everlastingly continue to exist. His creation, likewise, hath had no beginning, and will have no end. All that is created, however, is preceded by a cause. (Gleanings, pg. 162)
Yet another Bahá’í principle applies here, that of the Harmony of Science and Religion. The two must work together, so that we don’t have defensive scientists claiming exclusivity and should be left alone to pursue knowledge that will benefit the human race, nor should superstition and ignorance rule the day. Human knowledge must progress, and religion must supply the moral framework, but it must be knowledge that will advance the best interests mankind and it must be true religion, not pietistic flummery. Then we shall be rid of this mutual suspicion and have more joyous examples like the ones where we have seen rockets setting out towards the unknown, and the astronauts gaping with wonder at the beauty and majesty of God’s universe.
From the light tone of this article, you can no doubt discern that I personally am not much more worried about the prospects of this planet than during other weeks. I am reminded of the cartoon in which a robed and besandled character carries a sign announcing, “The world ends Wednesday!” and the cop on the beat tells him, “Just don’t let me catch you here Thursday!”
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