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Harvard scientist claims mathematical formula could prove 'God is real'

economictimes.indiatimes.com

3 points by tamersalama 9 months ago · 11 comments

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mdp2021 9 months ago

In short: an interesting idea according to which there would be a puzzling phenomenon:

> At the heart of Dr. Soon's theory is the "fine-tuning argument" - the idea that the universe's physical laws are so perfectly calibrated to support life [...] The formula, first proposed by ... Paul Dirac, highlights how certain cosmic constants align with breathtaking precision

If anybody finds good references (which articles, books etc.)...

jqpabc123 9 months ago

In exchange for enough funding, you can find someone who will tell you what you want to hear.

  • mdp2021 9 months ago

    But not an argument. The content is: some have felt that the laws of Nature look very non-random. It is an interesting view. The article just does a disservice by only mentioning the matter instead of showing it - through examples, bibliography etc.

    • jqpabc123 9 months ago

      But not an argument.

      Neither is "god did it".

      • mdp2021 9 months ago

        Anyway, it was apparently Dirac's view that there is an argument around it:

        > It could be that it is extremely difficult to start life. It might be that it is so difficult to start a life that it has happened only once among all the planets... Let us consider, just as a conjecture, that the chance of life starting when we have got suitable physical conditions is 10^-100. I don't have any logical reason for proposing this figure, I just want you to consider it as a possibility. Under those conditions ... it is almost certain that life would not have started. And I feel that under those conditions it will be necessary to assume the existence...

        This from the Kragh (1990), Dirac: A Scientific Biography. When the Archive will make books in the Library available again, it's there; otherwise, the paragraph is copied on Wikipedia.

        • jqpabc123 9 months ago

          "It could be ... it might be ... I don't have any logical reason, etc.."

          Doesn't sounds like much of an argument to me.

          What it does sound like is someone who has already accepted a conclusion and is grasping for some way, any way to justify it.

          • mdp2021 9 months ago

            Given the quote, and given your interpretation of the quote, it seems that you are feeling instead of thinking (you have no hook there to suggest a conclusion is taken). Look at it rationally and it is just that: "If phenomenon P inclines to non-autonomous than adjutant A suggested". Dirac was hardly a feeler - definitely a thinker.

      • mdp2021 9 months ago

        That we did not touch, and given the very broad vague suggestion about the specifics of such non-randomness, and the very broad vague (ungiven) definition of said "Author", to speak about it without details would be like building with concrete over water.

        "Hypoteses non fingo" ( ~~ Isaac Newton)

        ...especially true of lacking, non-analytical speech.

31337Logic 9 months ago

Oh, yeah. I'm totally gonna click on this bait. :-/

Amount of atheists or agnostics converted by this article: 0

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