ARTICLES
STRING THEORY AND DIVINE CREATION
"The world I ‘saw’ took my breath away. . . . It vibrated and meshed, almost musical in quality, like a song. It seemed to glow with a life within, and somehow I knew that this substance held together the very planets within their orbits.”
From The Twelfth Dimension by Michelle Oh
Even though it is fictional, the excerpt from The Twelfth Dimension expresses a concept that is becoming more widely accepted among physicists--the concept of string theory. String theory is a model of fundamental physics in which the entire fabric of the universe is composed of tiny “strings” that vibrate in a number of different dimensions. The specific dimensions in which the “strings” vibrate determine the form of all matter and energy in the universe.
The history of string theory begins with the search by physicists for a unified field theory. Also known as a “theory of everything,” a unified field theory seeks to explain the mathematical repetitions in the four fundamental forces (electromagnetic force, strong and weak nuclear forces, and gravity), as a single force. Albert Einstein spent the last 30 years of his life futilely chasing a unified field theory.
Pythagoras the Greek philosopher, who is often described as the first pure mathematician, suggested in 518 BC that the universe was composed of “strings” much like those of a lyre or other stringed instrument, but almost infinitely smaller. Leonhard Euler, a Swiss mathematician, developed the first “string theory” equation in 1770. Euler’s equation lay hidden for almost 200 years until Gabriele Veneziano, an Italian Jew and physicist, discovered Euler’s equation in an old math textbook in 1968. In 1970, Japanese-born American physicist, Yoichiro Nambu, developed “bosonic" string theory in which he proposed “strings” that vibrated in 26 dimensions (25 spatial dimensions and one time dimension).
In 1971, physicists discovered that “string” vibration modes occurred in pairs (supersymmetry). This led to the development of superstring theory in 1977. By incorporating supersymmetry into string theory, superstring theory reduced the number of dimensions to 10 (nine spatial dimensions and one time dimension). Edward Witten, an American physicist took the development of string theory one step further with M-theory in 1995 by combining superstring theory with general relativity. M-theory adjusted the number of dimensions to the current 11 (nine spatial dimensions, one time dimension, and one gravity dimension). In M-theory, everything in the universe can be described with one mathematical equation.
Physicists often compare the vibrating “strings” of string theory to the vibrating strings of a piano, harp, or other stringed instrument. However, instead of producing “musical notes,” the “strings” produce the various elementary particles when they vibrate at high energy. The individual vibrating “strings” are approximately a Planck length (1.6 x 10-35 cm).
Is string theory consistent with the Biblical account of divine creation? A close look at the Bible actually reveals scriptural support for string theory. Some examples are as follows:
Scripture describes the expansion of the fabric of the universe. Psalm 104:2 states that God “. . . stretched out the heavens like a curtain.” A curtain is made of fabric, which is formed of many “strings” woven together.
Scripture uses the Hebrew word “rawkhaf”, which literally means “to flutter or vibrate” to describe God’s creative work. “Rawkhaf," which is translated “moved” in Genesis 1:2 (KJV), is frequently used in ancient Hebrew literature to describe the vibration of the strings of a musical instrument.
Scripture speaks of a spatial dimension beyond the three spatial dimensions that we experience in our daily lives. In Ephesians 3:18 (KJV), God expresses His desire that we “. . . may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height.”
Everything in the universe can be described by one mathematical equation and thus is the product of a single mind. In other words, there can be only one God who created everything--not multiple gods. I Timothy 2:5 (KJV) states that “. . . there is one God, . . ..”
All of history is the composition “played” by the vibrations of the strings that form the fabric of the universe, God Himself being the great composer. In Isaiah 16:9-10 (KJV), the sovereign creator of the universe declares, “. . . I am God and there is none else; I am God and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.”
STRONG NUCLEAR FORCE
For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, . . . All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. Colossians 1:16-17
The nucleus of the atom consists of positive-charged protons and neutrons with no electrical charge. Because like charges repel and the only charges in the nucleus of the atom are all positive, the nucleus should fly apart. So what holds it together? The scientific answer is Strong Nuclear Force. Scientists define Strong Nuclear Force and measure its strength and range, and have formulated theories about how it works, but no one really knows what it is. What is certain is that Strong Nuclear Force is a testimony to the sustaining power of the God who created this universe.
OUT OF NOTHING
By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. Hebrews 11:3
The theory of Cosmic Inflation, which states that our universe erupted "from nothing" as a cosmic bubble in hyperspace, is gaining increasing acceptance among well-known physicists and cosmologists worldwide. Speaking to a sold-out crowd at the Berkeley Physics Oppenheimer Lecture on March 13, 2007, famed physicist Stephen Hawking said that he now believes that "the universe spontaneously popped into existence from nothing."[1]
Bible-believing Christians long have known this truth regarding the origin of the universe. Genesis 1:1 declares that "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." The Hebrew word "bara," which is translated "created" in this verse, literally means "to make something out of nothing." John 1:3 states that "All things were made through Him and without Him nothing was made that was made." Colossians 1:16 declares, "For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him." In a demonstration of His limitless power, God created this universe for His glory.
The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Psalm 19:1
[1] http://richarddawkins.net/article,806,Stephen-Hawking-Says-Universe-Created-from-Nothing,Slashdot
THE EXPANDING UNIVERSE
I have made the earth, And created man on it. I—My hands—stretched out the heavens, And all of their host I have commanded. Isaiah 45:12
The universe has been expanding ever since God created it. The red shift of light from distant galaxies is direct scientific evidence that the universe is expanding. The red shift comes from expanding space, which causes the light of distant objects to be "stretched" to longer wavelengths, shifting it toward the red end of the spectrum.[1] Including Isaiah 45:12, there are 17 verses in the Bible declaring that God “stretched out the heavens.” According to
He has made the earth by His power; He has established the world by His wisdom, And stretched out the heaven by His understanding. Jeremiah 51:15
It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. Isaiah 40:22
FINE-TUNED FOR LIFE
Indeed My hand has laid the foundation of the earth, And My right hand has stretched out the heavens; When I call to them, They stand up together. Isaiah 48:13
Any scientist who studies the creation with an open mind must admit that every aspect of the universe is fine-tuned to support life. If there were any tiny deviant in many of the parameters of the universe—including the strong and weak nuclear force constants, the gravitational force constant, the electromagnetic force constant, the ratio of electron to proton mass, the mass density of the universe, the velocity of light, the average distance between the stars, the decay rate of protons, the ratio of neutron mass to proton mass, the polarity of the water molecule, the size of the relativistic dilation factor, the uncertainty magnitude in the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, etc.—no life could exist in our universe.
The constants of the laws of physics have been fine-tuned to a degree that no human engineering could ever hope to match. Microbiologist Richard L. Deem states, “The degree to which the constants of physics must match a precise criteria is such that a number of agnostic scientists have concluded that there is some sort of ‘supernatural plan’ or ‘Agency’ behind it.”[1]
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:9
EYE HAS NOT SEEN
But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” I Corinthians 2:9
The declaration of our text is not surprising when one considers the limitations of the human eye and ear. The human eye is able to see only a very narrow band of the electromagnetic spectrum with a wavelength in the visible light range. Some animals can see electromagnetic radiation with a longer wavelength (infrared). Many other animals can see electromagnetic radiation with a shorter wavelength (ultraviolet). Likewise, the human ear is able to hear only sounds between 20 and 20,000 Hz. Dogs can hear sounds between 15 and 50,000 Hz, and dolphins can hear sounds up to 150,000 Hz.
Perhaps when we as Christians receive our new glorified, immortal, incorruptible bodies from the Lord, we will have eyes that can see the entire electromagnetic spectrum and ears that can hear sound waves at any frequency. We would be able to see the radio waves flashing through the air to our radio, the microwaves zipping about inside of our microwave ovens, and the x-rays emanating from the hospital’s x-ray machine. We would spend eternity just looking and listening in amazement at the new universe around us.
Beloved, now we are the children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. I John 3:2
LIGHT WITHOUT THE SUN
Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. Genesis 1:3
A common question asked of Christians is, “Where did the light that God created on the first day of creation come from since the sun and stars were not created until the fourth day? Science is able to provide an answer to this question. An atom absorbs energy in tiny “packets” called quanta. These quanta of energy cause the atom’s electrons to jump up to the next available energy levels, and the atom is said to be in an “excited” state. When the atom gives up its quanta of energy, the electrons drop back down to the lowest available energy levels. As the atom returns to a “ground” state, the quanta are emitted as photons. Those photons that are in the visible wavelength, we call light.