Road to Reality

I've always been a naturally curious person. I like to know what makes things and people tick. Maybe that's why reading has always been such a passion. It's such an easy way to absorb new information. It's always amazed me how much you can learn from reading, even when it's just a Nancy Drew or Trixie Belden mystery.

When I was eight I decided I wanted to be a marine biologist. I read every book I could find on ocean life - sharks, dolphins, whales, etc. I even read all the books I could find on aquariums and pet tropical fish. I could name and identify hundreds of species, tell you what they ate and where they lived. My favorite book during my fish phase was a biography about ichthyologist Eugenie Clark. I swore some day I'd swim with sharks, too. Unfortunately for me, I'm a lousy swimmer and have never seen the ocean in person. I eventually figured out that it wasn't the career for me, but I've kept that love of marine life and I still dream of swimming in the ocean with God's creatures.

When I was thirteen I decide that astronomy was what I was made for. I got all the star charts, memorized the constellations, and wished on every star possible for a telescope. That ran for a couple of years before I realized my math skills just weren't where they needed to be and I moved on.

I don't think it's a coincidence that those two fields fascinated me so much. I was drawn to them for the same reason I'm drawn to good Sci-Fi. It's the call of the unknown. The mysterious 'what if' and 'how'?

Those same questions still tend to drive me today. Especially in my reading. I still get on stuck on a certain topic and read it until I'm ready to move on. Recently it's been the Physics of the Universe. Weighty, I know. And before you scoff at my ability to absorb such knowledge, I'll say up front. I'm no mathmetician. However I've discovered that there are a number of really good books that explain the laws of the universe mathmatically in laymens terms.

Which is excellent for me.

I posted a while back that I was reading "The Road to Reality: A complete Guide to the Laws of the Universe" by Roger Penrose. I still am - but in my defense, it's over a thousand pages. What fascinates me about this book though, is that it explains things in ways I never knew before. Did you know that there was more than one form of geometry? Or that they actually make sense?Maybe you did, but I didn't.

In his first chapter the author talks about the roots of the science and the philosophers that started the movement. Plato's idea of a perfect 'world' or 'dimension' that encompases three absolutes - Truth, Beauty and Goodness, fascinates me. In his explanation, this place exists outside of our own physical universe and is an eternal place. One where all laws, ideals and morals of the universe have been in existence for ever. That no matter when man might have discovered the truth of these laws, they were always there. The author goes on to elaborate, that everything in our universe is goverened by a mathematical law. Down to the smallest of the microscopic world, you can see elaborate patterns that are governed by math. An expample of this would be the Mandlebrot set. The deeper the microscope goes, the more intricate that patterns.

To further this explanation, he explains that there are three 'worlds' or 'dimension' so to speak that all come into play. The diagram below shows how they relate to one another. The Platonic world of pure truth governs our physical selves and world completely. In turn, our physical selves control the amount of mental capacity available to us. In theory, our mental selves are able to completley comprehend the pure world of truth, we're only limited by the physical limits our body's set upon us. It all flows perfectly in a never ending circle.

So why does this excite me so much? Because it's a perfect type and shadow of God and His creation - whether science wants to admit it or not.

God and His kingdom is that place of absolutes. Of Truth, Beauty and Goodness. His law is perfect and He wove it seamlessly into His creation. Those perfect laws are eternal and have been there since the dawn of time - regardless of when man 'discovered' them. They govern every part of our physical world. We, as humans are limited in our understanding. God says 'My ways are higher than your ways, My thoughts higher than your thoughts.' But does that mean we aren't capable in some way of completely comprehending the pure world that God resides in?

I don't think so. Let's look at the fact that at best we only use 10% of our brain capacity. Actually Einstein probably used 10%, the rest of us - not so much. SO, what would happen if that changed? Doesn't God tell us we will be 'changed in a twinkling of an eye'? Whether it's after we die, during the resurection or some other time, the reality is that if God were to unlock that dormant part of our brains, theoretically we could comprehend all of His world. How exciting is that? It's a mathmatical trinity, yet another example of the number three that is woven throughout the scriptures as a witness of God's perfection.

It's just all so exciting. I wish I had known in highschool, that this is how math was meant to be studied. I dare you to check this out, you'll be surprised just how much you comprehend - and how exciting it will be.

A.