Dr Stephens hawkins - A Scientist gone astray

With Dr. Stephens Hawkins having made mind-boggling assertions – absurd and intellectually rubbish though – like “Invoking God is not necessary to explain the origins of the universe.”, “The Big Bang is a consequence of the laws of physics alone.' and “Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing.”, in his book titled “The Grand Design”, with the help of the ‘theory of relativity’, ‘quantum mechanics’ and ‘11 dimension M-theory’, he has not only shattered the fundamental laws of logic but left rational mind stunned, amazed and shocked as well. Let us analyze his assertions.

First, according to Hawkins, “Gravity was before nothing and gravity is the result of bodies pulling at each other.’ Nothing cannot and does not have the power to create on a vast scale. Nothing cannot explode and create all the atoms in the universe operating in their magnificent design and their mind-boggling ability to bond and bring about countless chemical compounds and be the building block of innumerable life forms.

Second, unlike quantum mechanics, M-Theory enjoys no observational support. Besides, contemplating a final theory is inconsistent with the very essence of physics, an empirical science based on the gradual collection of data. Because we don’t have instruments capable of measuring all of Nature, we cannot ever be certain that we have a final theory.

''Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing.” And he further adds that ''It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper and set the universe going.'' Such propositions are not only ludicrous but become a matter of laughing stock and condemnation.

“Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist.” In his quest for “Grand Theory of Everything” – synthesizing Newton’s ideas, Einstein’s ideas, Quantum Physics to create a “Unifying Theory”, he has gone too far and deluded himself to be a Titan of science and fooled others. His views are a perfect example of what is called scientism.

Let us not forget that science is not the only route to knowledge and to think that we'll have a complete understanding of everything is utterly nonsense. If the universe came about as a result of spontaneous creation due to M-theory, where did M-theory come from? Why are there intelligible physical laws? Hawkins must answer these questions.

Third, Science can never prove the non-existence of God, just as it can never prove the existence of God.

Fourth, Hawkins accepts the grand design of the universe as per the title of his book “The Grand Design” but does not accept the grand designer (GOD). This is an intriguing dichotomy – a paradoxical contrast.

Fifth, queries pertaining to ‘God’, ‘Soul’, ‘Origin of the Universe’ etc. can be best answered with the help of “Metaphysical Sciences’ - the mother of all sciences - and not with the help of Physics, Chemistry or Biology.

Sixth, God is a matter of faith just as Religion is a way of life. God is a subject neither of logic nor of scientific experiment in a lab.

Further, science cannot and will not ever have a final say on the existence or non-existence of God because there is a limit to which human mind can comprehend. If ‘dark matter’ and ‘dark energy’ make up 95% of everything in existence while ordinary matter makes up just 5%, Dr. Hawkins’ knowledge in its entirety is confined to just only about 5% of the universe. With only 5% of his knowledge of the universe which he has displayed in his book, his postulations about ‘Nature’ and  ‘Origin of the Universe’ are trivial and trifling – let alone his assertions about God.

With the recent breakthrough in particle physics wherein it has been claimed by European scientists that “Neutrinos can travel faster than the speed of light.”, our entire knowledge of fundamental physics will undergo a sea change. With our knowledge of science and cosmology always evolving, how can Hawkins’ knowledge of science and cosmology as displayed in his book be considered as absolute truth?

Therefore, Hawkins’ book “The Grand Design” – the best seller – is not the reservoir of scientific information, but the receptacle of presumptions, assumptions, conjectures and inferences and at best be considered an interesting fiction based on scientific mirage and fallacy.

The ideas propagated by him in his book are irrational, absurd and distorted.