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Author | Topic: Is String Theory Supernatural? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Straggler Member Posts: 10328 From: London England Joined: |
It has been suggested over in the topic Can science say anything about a Creator God? that anything which exists outside the physical laws of our universe is supernatural. On this basis the multiverse and any other universes within the multiverse which have different physical laws to our own universe would be supernatural.
String theory, from which I understand notions of the multi-verse are derived, would thus be a theory of the supernatural. Is this wrong? (I am convinced it is entirely wrong - but I'll come to that)
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Straggler Member Posts: 10328 From: London England Joined: |
What do you think Phat?
Would technologically advanced intelligent beings from another universe who created our universe and designed life as we know it by utilising the natural laws of their own universe qualify as "God" as far as you are concerned...? Would they qualify as "supernatural".....?
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Straggler Member Posts: 10328 From: London England Joined: |
It's the difference between magic and the physical laws in another universe.
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Straggler Member Posts: 10328 From: London England Joined: |
Who is defining "supernatural" that way? Not I.
Science is a method of investigation. If it possible to expereince something it is possible to scientifically study it.
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Straggler Member Posts: 10328 From: London England Joined: |
So if we are the science project of an alien in another universe that alien is God.....
There are all sorts of things we cannot directly perceive but instead logically infer based on physical evidence. E.g. dark matter. I fail to see why the multi-verse is any different in terms of qualifying as 'natural'.
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Straggler Member Posts: 10328 From: London England Joined: |
Even if that ability were the result of technology based on utilising the natural laws under which the multiverse itself operates.......? (**Trans-universe alien explorer gets out his kPod and opens up the 'swapuniverselaws' app**)
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Straggler Member Posts: 10328 From: London England Joined: |
Then how can you claim to believe in the supernatural?
If there is a multiverse why is "nature" limited to our universe?
Do you know what "magic" is? Do you believe in magic?
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Straggler Member Posts: 10328 From: London England Joined: |
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Straggler Member Posts: 10328 From: London England Joined:
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It depends doesn't it? If the universe was migically poofed into existence by an omniscient, omnipotent creator of all that is seen and unseen - Then yes the creation and existence of the universe would be an example of something like that.
Sure. And the present state of theoretical physics suggests that the answers may well involve expanding our conceptual horizons to something even greater than the notion of our own single universe.
No. Because ghosts and gods are supernatural concepts whilst the notion of the multiverse isn't. It was only because I was so taken aback by the assertion that anything involving natural laws that were not those of our own universe qualifies as "supernatural" that I wrote the OP to this thread. Personally I think classifying string theory as a theory of the supernatural because it suggests universes other than our own to be a rather silly approach.........
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Straggler Member Posts: 10328 From: London England Joined: |
I don't. I think classifying anything outside of our physical universe as "supernatural" is a very silly way of looking at ideas in modern physics.
Somneone should inform Websters that they have classified Dark Matter as supernatural. I think they might dispute that.
As was the Higgs Boson prior to the LHC being built. Do things flip from being supernatural to natural depending on our technological ability to detect them as far as you are concerned?
The fact it is being blurred doesn't mean it needs to be blurred or that any blurring is justified...
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Straggler Member Posts: 10328 From: London England Joined: |
Sounds like the X Files in reverse. There Scully relentlessly proclaimed "there must be a rational explanation here" but there rarely was....
Nor can quarks be directly observed. So what? Edited by Straggler, : No reason given.
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Straggler Member Posts: 10328 From: London England Joined: |
I agree. But there are people here who are actually proposing this
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Straggler Member Posts: 10328 From: London England Joined: |
But the laws of our universe would be a direct consequence of the laws in the multiverse and the types of universe that can arise in it.
Our ancient ancestors considered the Sun, moon and stars (AKA "the heavens") a supernatural realm as distinct from the Earthly realm in which we reside. If there is anything to this multiverse malarky (i.e. it makes testable predictions which are confirmed) then your distinction between the physical laws within our universe and those of the wider multiverse will probably seem equally parochial as the notion of Earth alone as the natural realm seems to us now. Edited by Straggler, : No reason given.
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Straggler Member Posts: 10328 From: London England Joined: |
ALL the gods related to theism are supernatural are they not? (although not all supernatural beings are necessarily gods)
If you decide string theory is supernatural then you are advocating the idea that physicists are putting forward supernatural explanations to observable phenomena. This is how the whole issue arose in Can science say anything about a Creator God?
No. I think that is a silly way of defining supernatural. But in the other thread that was exactly what you were doing. According to you in the other thread whether one is supernatural or not (specifically whether one is a supernatural god or not) is just a question of technological ability and perspective. Thus I could be a god if I had life and universe creating technologies and the resulting beings in my created universe deem me to be their godly creator. But I'm not supernatural. And anyone/anything that believes I am is simply mistaken.
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Straggler Member Posts: 10328 From: London England Joined: |
Those who believe in the supernatural obviously don't believe it is impossible. They may well believe that it defies the physical laws that govern everything else.
That would be contradictory.
Voldermort is a supernatural concept. As is Jesus. And so on. If any of these entities were to actually exist with the abilities and powers they are defined as having - They would be supernatural. Thus far there is no evidence of such entities actually existing. But all of this digresses somewhat from the question of whether string theory is a supernatural theory or not.......
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