Your questions for show about Hawking's Godless Universe

[justinbrierley]

I'm privileged to be joined by theologian/scientist/philosopher Alister McGrath and Physicist Roger Penrose next week for a show discussing Hawkings statements concerning the creation of the universe and whether God is a redundant entity.

McGrath has written extensively on the intersection of science and faith. His 2008 book "A Fine Tuned Universe" seeks to show how natural theology and current science are bringing about a fruitful debate on the existence of God.

Sir Roger Penrose is a famed Oxford Mathematician and Physicist (and distinguished member of the British Humanist Association) who worked alongside Hawking to develop theorems regarding gravitational singularities. He will also present his own alternative theory on the origin of the universe, about to be published as "Cycles of Time: an extraordinary new view of the Universe"

You won't want to miss the show which will broadast on Sat 25 Sep and available as apodcast as usual from http://www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable

I will attempt to get my head around the science involved, but I would welcome any comments or questions you think are pertinent to this discussion that can be aimed at either participant.

Your thoughts are needed by Tue 21 Sep - I'll try to include as many as I can.

[Manwë Súlimo]

Ask why a physicist thinks he can make metaphysical claims as if they're authoritative.

Also, welcome back to TWeb, Justin. I hope B Strong didn't fry your brain too badly.

[Chrs]

Awesome! I didn't know you were on Freeview. I'll listen to you there at the time - What time is it?

[Rational Gaze]

Hawkings says that the universe can create itself out of nothing due to laws such as gravity. There are a large numbers of problems with this:
a) Something cannot create itself. It is logically impossible for something that does not exist to affect anything.
b) If there are laws such as gravity, then there is no longer nothing, but something.
c) At the beginning of the universe, there were no physical laws in operation. How can laws that do not exist, cause something that does not exist to create itself?
d) Even if these laws did exist, how can they cause something that does not exist, to create itself?

In short, the proposition: "Due to laws such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself out of nothing." is logically contradictory, and also goes against what we already know about physics.

[justinbrierley]

Awesome! I didn't know you were on Freeview. I'll listen to you there at the time - What time is it?

Thanks!

We are on Freeview in the UK (Are you perhaps thinking of a US version).

But if you mean the UK one, then Premier Christian Radio is Channel 725 and my programme airs at 2.30pm (UK time) on Satudays - this particular episode will be on Sat 25 Sep.

But most people outside the UK just download the podcast or via itunes - links for which can be found at http://www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable

[justinbrierley]

Awesome! I didn't know you were on Freeview. I'll listen to you there at the time - What time is it?

And now I look at your profile I see you are in the UK - if you like Tweb you'll like my radio programme Chris!

[justinbrierley]

Hawkings says that the universe can create itself out of nothing due to laws such as gravity. There are a large numbers of problems with this:
a) Something cannot create itself. It is logically impossible for something that does not exist to affect anything.
b) If there are laws such as gravity, then there is no longer nothing, but something.
c) At the beginning of the universe, there were no physical laws in operation. How can laws that do not exist, cause something that does not exist to create itself?
d) Even if these laws did exist, how can they cause something that does not exist, to create itself?

In short, the proposition: "Due to laws such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself out of nothing." is logically contradictory, and also goes against what we already know about physics.

Great questions RG - I see you are also a UK dweller - excellent.

[Chrs]

Thanks!

We are on Freeview in the UK (Are you perhaps thinking of a US version).

But if you mean the UK one, then Premier Christian Radio is Channel 725 and my programme airs at 2.30pm (UK time) on Satudays - this particular episode will be on Sat 25 Sep.

But most people outside the UK just download the podcast or via itunes - links for which can be found at http://www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable

I'm a UKer.

Will be there, thanks!

(I've listened to a fair number of them before - worth a listen )

[ApologiaPhoenix]

Ask why a physicist thinks he can make metaphysical claims as if they're authoritative.

Also, welcome back to TWeb, Justin. I hope B Strong didn't fry your brain too badly.

Looks like your question got selected.

Although I was disappointed that Justin said you asked it rather than saying "A horny doofus wanted me to ask you this...."

[Rational Gaze]

Listening now!

[justinbrierley]

Hi guys - more questions are welcome in advance of the follow up show next week.

Did a short vid with some of Penrose's key objections to Hawking's M-thoery

You can watch it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dg_95wZZFr4

[ApologiaPhoenix]

Great show Justin! I'm now fully caught up on listening to your program.

Come by here more often!

[justinbrierley]

Hi we had a great show - did a mini vid of Penrose's surprisingly forthright criticism of M-theory thats doing the rounds on Youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dg_95wZZFr4

Can you embed these things on Tweb?

[Rational Gaze]

Is it okay if I use some clips from the show in a video of mine?

[justinbrierley]

Sure - just give the show a good mention!