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TJ 18(2) 2004 13
Perspectives
stars and galaxies form, life evolves attempts, indicating that there is
and asks where it came from, etc. something fundamentally wrong with
Eventually, this attractive force pulls the naturalistic assumptions behind
the two branes back together in another such ideas.7 If we simply take the laws
big bang, and so it goes, in an eternal of physics at face value, however, it
cycle with no beginning, no end, and becomes obvious that the universe
no need for a cause or a creator.4 must have had a beginning, and that it
Unfortunately, despite all the must have been caused by some outside
advanced (if unproven) physics agent. Thus there is no scientifically
involved in this theory, these two valid way to avoid the conclusion that
scientists have made a very elementary In the beginning God created the
mistake that could have been perceived heavens and the earth.
long ago. The ekpyrotic model,
like any other theory that claims the References
universe is infinitely old, ignores the
simple fact that the Second Law of 1. Greene, B., The Elegant Universe: Super-
strings, Hidden Dimensions and the Quest
Thermodynamics disallows any such for the Ultimate Theory, Vintage Books, New
possibility. According to the Second York, pp. 127129, 1999.
Law, any isolated system must tend 2. Greene, ref. 1, pp. 152157.
toward randomization and disorder
3. Greene, ref. 1, pp. 201204.
or, more precisely, it must increase in
4. Naeye, R., Delving into extra dimensions, Sky
entropy. Obviously, nothing that is
& Telescope 105(6):4344, 2003.
wearing out can last forever, so this
5. This was the response Sky & Telescope Senior
well-demonstrated law of physics Editor Alan M. MacRobert gave to my letter-
requires that the universe cannot be to-the-editor concerning this problem. I wrote
infinitely old. This argument has back, clarifying, as below, that I was referring
been made many times before, and big to the overall system of both universes, an
overall system that is still bound by the Second
bang theorists will sometimes admit Law. There was no response to this second
to it when it is convenient. But when letter.
an otherwise apparently promising 6. One might suggest that the Second Law
origins theory contradicts the Second does not necessarily apply to the universe
Law, that law is ignored, as in this (consisting of two branes) as a whole. But
case. (Sometimes it is claimed that the general methodology of scientists is to
assume that known physics is correct until a
this argument is not correct, since the problem is found with it (whether theoretical
Second Law applies only to isolated or observational), not to assume it is false until
systems, whereas in the ekpyrotic proven correct. The known laws of physics are
model, the universe we live in is assumed innocent until proven guiltyso to
speak. All of astronomy would be impossible
interacting with another, and thus is not if this approach were not taken. Astronomers
isolated.5 However, the two universes base their conclusions about distant objects on
can still be counted together as an the assumption (not always provable) that the
isolated system. This overall system known laws of physics apply in those distant
parts of the universe. The Second Law applies
must still increase in entropy.6) in all known cases, and there is no reason from
theory or observation to suppose it does not
Conclusion apply to the universe as a whole.
7. It is also interesting that a cosmology based
Naturalistic theories of the origin on unproven physics is taken so seriously.
of the universe generally fall into Cosmology is a very speculative enterprise
even when it is based on solid, tried-and-
two categories: those that claim the true physics, but the ekpyrotic model is a
universe appeared from nothing with speculative theory based on untested physics.
no cause, thus denying causality and Imagine what the response from evolutionists
the conservation laws; and those would be if a creationist used this approach!
that claim the universe is infinitely
old, thus denying the Second Law
of Thermodynamics. The recent
idea based on string theory makes
no more progress than the previous
14 TJ 18(2) 2004