For some time, I have been wanting to write. As this is the easiest way to reach more people, effectively. And I believe, I need to share my ideas to have a satisfactory Life. There are so many topics to share. In terms of ideas, opinions and plain old advices.
I began some time back - blogging; but, because of the time consumed in my hectic professional Life, couldn't continue as much as I liked. Will try to put more time from now on. Even this current spur to write now, rose out of a dodgy situation. I have seen news and views about 'GOD Particle' and some of the comments, which dangled on the dangerous position of having the wrong conclusion without working out all the data lying in front.
Basically this is about the age old topic of 'Science Vs Religion'. But, more about why these scientific experiments like LHC are necessary.
WARNING:
Please read with your eyes and mind open. If you do so, at the end of reading this article, this may happen,
You may have doubts now;
Or you will have more clarity.
Let us have the clear definitions here.
Religion - A systematic position of humans (and 'animals' in Indian movies) believing in a 'perceived' super power(s), wherein this(these) super power(s) has(have) the ability to create, destroy, decide, control, judge anything and everything. They love, like, fear, worship and wonder this super power. They (most of them) sincerely believe, this divine super power is all powerful, kind, fair, benevolent and purposeful. They don't have any evidence to support their stance. Like one guy said about religion, "There is a reason it is called faith....". And just look up at the dictionary for the word - Faith. No matter how much you sugar-coat it or mystify it, this is the simple and plain explanation for Religion.
Science - A system/method to observe, collect data, theorize, test, prove, verify, and challenge. If this initial observation stands the challenge, then it will become a fact. No waxing of lyrical about 'Truth'. In Science, there is only room for facts and ideas. Either you know it, or you don't.
"Unlike Religion, Science doesn't claim to have answers for everything". This is the argument twisted by 'theists' to make a third party feel as if 'Science' is a thing, a stance or even worse, some organization. NO. Science is just a method, and those who follow the method, are scientists. Those who live their life are simply living their life according to scientific method. Don't think that Scientists are the ones who wear white coats and work inside a closed laboratory. Any person who lives life in this method will have a fulfilling life - consciously. Here's the method a typical scientific person adopts,
1) Observe the information in front of Him/Her.
2) Check for past historic data from authenticated authority, or a source He/She trusts - for convenience, as this saves time.
3) Theorize a new idea if not present already.
4) Put the theory to test without bias, prejudice and lot of intellectual effort courageously.
5) Arrive at a conclusion, and verify the results by means available. If so, call it a "FACT". Else, simply say, "I DON'T KNOW".
6) Challenge the "FACT"
7) Collect more data and corroborate the previously declared FACT and put it to test again.
This cycle goes on forever. This is the reason, a honest person who approaches Life in a Scientific way, doesn't have any shame in admitting, "I don't know", and doesn't fear the unknown. For Him/Her, understanding the unknown is the greatest purpose available so far. There's no other purpose to existence known so far. All the defined purposes so far, are from various religions, each created to appease the 'men' who created those very religion.
I am not blindly claiming that 'Religion' is bad. I systematically categorize it as a bad influence on 'Human thinking'. There's a beautiful term I had heard in a documentary, where 'Carlos Frenk' said, "Science is about questioning, reasoning and checking for repeatability, with intellectual rigour". I have known and practiced 'Intellectual Honesty' to my self thoughts. But, that was the first time I had heard that word - "Intellectual Rigour". Religion, I bet my Life on it, would not stand the 'Intellectual Rigour'.
There's a dodgy position in between. They call themselves 'Agnostics'. They neither accept nor reject Religion. They say, 'Something might be there'. They may seem like a nice person to a theist, but I call them 'Intellectually lazy'. They simply don't put the necessary effort to arrive at any meaningful conclusion.
Now, to the topic this blog tries to address. Many people think that, Scientific experiments are just a waste of tax payer's money. They think that, expensive set-ups like LHC is a huge burden to Economy, where detection of 'particles' doesn't mean anything to common man. Its not going to feed the dying people in Africa. Its not going to solve Economic crisis, et al.
Wrong. There are statistical data available, regarding how much money spent on 'Closed Laboratory science projects' are being recovered back into the Economy. How experiments and research made on any field is used for some other civilian usage, which makes life more easy, convenient and safe. The examples are huge. The very thing which you are using now - 'Internet' came out as a by-product of multiple lab projects. All the essential and entertainment stuff we use, came out from a idea born in a laboratory.
What does it matter, if the SUN goes around the Earth or the Earth goes around the SUN? How does it affect your Life? Geocentric model or Big-Bang theory..... does it have any positive impact on one's daily life?
Why does it matter the number of electrons, protons and neutrons in any atom and the search for any other sub-atomic particle, when everything is made by GOD..?? What is GOD made of then..??
Why waste money on medicine and medical research, if its the divine plan for you to have disease..?? Why would you want to prolong your and your Loved ones existence in this planet Earth, when He/She can reach GOD and attain immortality in Heaven, if You, He or She has lived your life religiously correct.
Why is it that you, He and She has different opinions about the same religious doctrine you follow, where any mutually respectful disagreement between a group of scientists is termed by you as a conflict?
Why is 'Stem cell research' bad? Is 'cloning' Godly or Devilish?
Why are space and marine experiments termed as futile exercises, and a religious pilgrimage seen fruitful..?? Why should Governments provide all infrastructure for pilgrims, and why is this not seen as a waste..??
Why should Government give tax cuts to religious money flow..?? What way does it help a person who reject your religion and follow some other..??
How come priests live in Palaces and scientists/technologists who work on these kind of experiments live like a regular joe..?? Why would you not bother about someone who uses the available technical knowledge to create something non-essential like an Digital Player and make Him a multi-millionaire..?? Why is money spent on subsidies for these companies by developing countries seen as a 'social improvement plan' where money spent on research is seen as a drain on economy..??
It may seem complicated. But, I am ready to explain you. I will put my best effort to help you understand. When I say, I Love You, I mean the best for you. I think about what is the best I can give. TO GIVE. But, there's a catch. How much are you open? Its not about agreeing or disagreeing. Are you ready to listen..?? Or, are you afraid of change..?? Worried about moving out of your comfort zone..?? Are you bold enough to accept the FACT..?? Do you have the intellectual courage to question everything..?? Question yourself..?? If so, then repeat after me,
"I THINK...."
3 comments:
My friend Daniel's response to the above blog --- (http://www.facebook.com/danielgnanaraj) "Our science is still not matured enough to find out God. Its still in phallic stage. Everything is already existing in this world. Science is trying to find out the formula to identify the existing things. Even before Einstein identified Earth has gravity, earth had gravity. You can relate the same in Archemedy's principle. Even before this theory, whatever fell into a liquid displaces the equivalent volume. It does not mean that before this theory, nothing has displaced. Same theory for God. Science has not identified God still. It does not mean that there is no God."
My response to Daniel......
Dear Daniel, Glad you responded. My response would be too large if I had to bring in all the arguments against your stance, which I must say, is held by many. The point is, you are missing the core of my writing. Science is not some truth finding organization.
Like I mentioned, its a method to approach Life. Your logic works on the assumption (watch it closely, "assumption") that GOD(s) exist(s). Science (if I may borrow your idea, to explain you better) simply searches for the facts around us, and try to see if it could benefit Human Life.
Again watch the very core here - Human Life. Gravity always existed. Science revealed it. But, religion never even mentioned it. For what purpose GOD created Gravity...!!?? Is there any explanation in any of the 'know-it-all' religious scriptures..??? Science doesn't know why is gravity there, or why it behaves the way it does. All Science has identified so far is, Gravity exists. And Science is on a constant mission to correct itself. All these years, Physicists were working on the finding available to them, that acceleration due to gravity = 9.81 m/s^2. And all calculations to all space missions were based on that. But, still Science pushed the envelope and found out some corrections to the decimals. Even E=mc^2 doesn't work to the exact decimal value. Science doesn't bother about the failure, but rejoices in finding these corrections. Einstein would have rejoiced had he found out that he missed something, which the scientists after him found and corrected.
But, religion works fully based on dogma. Any challenge to the ideas it has presented to its masses, it gets terrified and refutes furiously. What happened to Galileo..?? Now, if you take the stance, religion may be wrong, but, GOD is there... Again you could be wrong. You would be amazed to realize, GOD was a result of Science. When we evolved to have Intelligence and tools and Language, we searched for the reason for our existence. How could we have come to being here..?? And if you have read my blog about how Science works, Here's a theory by the first man who proposed the theory of a creator "GOD" - seeing the tools he created, "I had created these tools. So, the existence of these tools requires a creator. By the same logic, I must be created by someone. If I am powerful than the tools I created, then my creator must be more powerful than me". Combine this reasoning with 'fear of unknown', and you have a ruthless GOD. If you read mythological history, the ancient GODs were pretty ruthless and barbaric, and as time evolved, all new GODs are more forgiving. Coincidence...!!!??
Now, going by this same logic, "Who created GOD..??" If GOD has always existed, and can exist without a creator, by the same stretch of logic, why can't we simply declare that, all matter in this universe has always existed...??
Continued.....
Dear Daniel,
Some questions for you to think and ponder on, "Why are there so many GODs..?? Why do you think GOD hides from Man..?? Why does HE/SHE takes so much effort to remain mysterious to Mankind..?? Why does Evil exist..?? If GOD created everything, then HE/SHE must have created Evil..!! Then HE/SHE is not benevolent. Why is there so less habitable space where the size of the universe is unimaginably big..?? Even in this very EARTH - the only known planet which is Life habitable - why is there very less space available..?? Why is EARTH covered in vast areas of SEA which is inhabitable for mankind, who (according to many religions) happens to be the only reason GOD created this for. Why is there Disease..?? Why can't humans can't even outrun a Dog..?? Can't fly..?? Can't live in water..?? Can't drink SEA water..?? What kind of divine plan is this..??"
These questions needs to be asked
courageously and without any presumptions or prejudice. I can sort of guess how its tough for a religious person to question the very believes He/She had held from birth. For me, it was easy since I was always a Skeptic from childhood. I never believed in any religion. From my childhood, it was tough for me to express my atheistic stance, for fear of offending my friends, so I just blended with the crowd in the school days. But, now that we are grown-ups, we can talk, think and - if required - disagree respectfully.
THINK.
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