papermind
  • home
  • my story
  • campus ministry
Home » Articles written on September 2nd, 2010
Sep02 4

Is nothing constant?

Themes: Enjoyable Reading

Have you heard of the ‘fine-tuning constant’?
It’s the thing that makes suns possible…

It characterises the strength of the force between electrically charged particles. As such, it governs—among other things—the energy levels of an atom formed from negatively charged electrons and a positive nucleus.

If it were a mere 4% bigger or smaller than it is, stars would not be able to sustain the nuclear reactions that synthesise carbon and oxygen. One consequence would be that squishy, carbon-based life would not exist.

“Suspiciously convenient?” I hear you think. (yes, I can hear you think…)
Well, you wouldn’t be the first, Very Respectable Christian Scientists have pointed to the fine-tuning constant as evidence for an intelligent designer. But now, Other Scientists, who also happen to be working in Australia, aren’t sure that the fine-tuning constant is really all that constant.

Fine-Tuning ConstantGood grief! We can’t even rely on the laws of physics anymore. It was bad enough when Pluto stopped being a planet. A body could be excused for laying abed of the morning paralysed with anxiety about the future (except that we can’t even rely on the coupling constant to stop us spinning off into space).

What will keep us together?
Where will we find our constancy?

Comment and Share

Recently

  • Words for a New Beginning
  • Atheism for the incorrigibly religious
  • Coffee and Freedom
  • On the Gradual Production of Thoughts Whilst Speaking
  • Meditations on a Tackle Box
  • The Philosopher at 90
  • The Bells
  • Elegy to a Beard
  • All who have departed – William Saumarez Smith
  • Friendship and Asymmetry

Selections

  • 29 years, 373 days…
  • Allegorical Interpretation
  • Easter Saturday, the endless ‘Today’ of this time between times…
  • Elegy to a Beard
  • Everything he touches comes alive
  • Grief, Expectation, Comfort
  • Grieving the Future
  • Love in Inconstant Times
  • Meditations on a Tackle Box
  • On Weariness
  • Reading with the family
  • Seasonal Variations
  • The Ariadne of Darlington
  • The Bells
  • The gift of an Enemy
  • The God of Hell

Other minds

  • Icon With Meagre Powers

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon Will God keep gumtrees?

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon Three Stranded

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon Thirst for Shalom

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon Theological Theology

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon The Reader

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon The One and the Many

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon The Interpreter

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon The Catechist

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon The Box Pop » Church and [the first] state – a guide to democracy for NSW Christians. Part 4

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon The Blogging Parson

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon standing and waiting

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon St-Eutychus

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon Southern Tablelands History

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon something this foggy day

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon Shored Fragments

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon Reflections in Exile

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon Read Better, Preach Better

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon Per∙Crucem∙ad∙Lucem

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon nothing new under the sun...

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon Moore College » Thinktank

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon Mindset of the Spirit Blog

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon Make Whimsy not War

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon Joined-up Life

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon In Focus

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon I'm ramblin' again

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon Helm's Deep

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon Gold, silver, precious stones?

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon Goannatree

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon Full Tilt

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon Fors Clavigera

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon First Blog on the Moon

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon Faith and Theology

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon Euangelion

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon Embracing Earth

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon Dead Flies and Perfume

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon Cruciformity

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon Cross Talk ~ crux probat omnia

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon Collins Go Kenya

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon CMS Landscape

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon CASE

    Close preview

    Loading...
  • Icon Canterbury Church Plant

    Close preview

    Loading...

Recent Comments

  • papermind on Love in Inconstant Times
  • Tracy on Love in Inconstant Times
  • Tracy on Words for a New Beginning
  • Jacky on Words for a New Beginning

RSS Reading

  • community11.5.12.php
  • Staging the Self: 'The Hunger Games' - NYTimes.com
  • Don’t push them too far, too early | Parenting articles | Growing Faith
  • Stephen King: Tax Me, for F@%&’s Sake! - The Daily Beast
  • Religion, Reason and the source of ethical authority – Opinion – ABC Religion & Ethics (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
  • Christianity and the rise of western science – ABC Religion & Ethics (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Themes:

Scripture Personal Poetry Forgiveness Selections Society Ethics Sin Philosophy Canberra Art and Imagination Prayer Moore College On Language History On Knowing God Apologetics Random Friends Critique

Archive

© 2011 papermind