The way I understand it, science explains/attempts-to, the how's about life, does it explain the why?

Question

Why did the universe begin to exist? From a non-religious perspective.

,or a religious one, I don't know why I wrote that. Pardon me.

Answer 1

No one knows why. Even those who say "god did it" are not providing a useful answer, because they can't explain why god began to exist. If they say "god has always existed", then how is that any more valid than saying that "the universe has always existed"?

We will probably never know why. But stopping with "god did it" is a sure way of preventing us from coming closer to a better understanding of reality.

Answer 2

Although I am not a scientist, I will never the less give you my understanding of what they have said. It is the scientific view that for some reason (unknown to them), there was suddenly this big build up of gases somewhere out in what we call space. They don't know why or how the gas build up occurred. When the gas build up reached a certain point, there was this rapid expansion of it (In lay terms it is called the Big Bang theory) when the gases suddenly began to expand in all directions. Certain gases clumped together and as they cooled, they became planets and moons etc. For some reason, one of the pieces of gas never cooled but remained hot. This is the sun. Apparently, this very same thing occurred thousands of times so we have many many many galaxies out there that have a central sun and have planets etc. I know this isn't a very scientific explanation. But to the best of my knowledge (and I don't claim to know everything) science has never been able to tell us what caused the gases in the first place when logic tells us that something can not come from nothing. Life itself according to science began in the sea. For some reason, they claim that if you have an energy source (the heat and light from the sun), water, and certain chemicals, that suddenly those chemicals can all by themselves come alive and form a type of bacteria. Sorry, but again we have the something from nothing idea. I may be stupid, but it does not sound logical to me. Science claims that they can in a small way duplicate this effect in a lab. But, the only trouble with that from my perspective is that they are using stuff that is already present...water, energy etc.. Although I think science is wonderful, I am old enough to remember when we used to think that atomic fusion was impossible. And I am almost old enough to remember a time when they said man would never find a way to fly. Wrong again. As time goes by, I suspect that science will keep correcting itself decade after decade as it always has done. Remember reading in the history books about Columbus thinking the world was flat? Another scientific explanation gone bad. That is the main reason I don't believe that they have the answer for how the universe or life began. My theory....and I will live my religious beliefs out of this is....Someone or something had to begin it all because you can't get stuff when there is no stuff! You and I (and unfortunately scientists also) can not phantom the idea that at one time their was a vast nothingness out there. Not space, not time, ....just Nothing.

Answer 3

Religion AND science agree on the same thing.

Originally it was dark.

Then it got light and everything was formed (the Big Bang from the primordial atom, a concept postulated by a Catholic Priest who had a degree in physics).

The big difference is, Religion see it as being done by the Will or Actions of God, a superior or supreme being.

Science sees it as just happening spontaniously. Everything was serendipty.

Answer 4

Two thumbs-up for that question. Its not very often I see questions that make me actually have to ponder over the wording (besides typos). While the hows can be the whys, science cannot, by its own...how do you say...rules (such as the scientific theory), answer why, since everything must have evidence to back it up, and it is impossible to have solid evidence from pre-historic times. I'm sorry if that doesn't make any sense to you, but that is as best as I can word it.

Answer 5

Science is all about the how, and the why.

The why is what leads to the how.

Example: Why do apples always fall down. Gravity is why. So how does gravity affect everything? Etc.

Now if you are talking about some purpose for it, well that's the job of philosophers and theologists, not scientists.

Answer 6

No science doesn't. And when it does, it doesn't do to well anyways.

Philosophy, Liturature, Theology, etc, ("the Arts") explain the Why.

Meaning of things is not measurable, and therefore non-scientific. Science can tell us that the life exists, can tell us how things work, these are observable, measureable and provable-it cannot tell us reasons why.

Answer 7

Science is trying hard to explain the why. They are searching all the time with new probes.
I believe science only reinforces the spiritual theories.

Answer 8

Science is about how, why is left to philosophers. Occasionally a why makes itself known through the how but science looks mostly at how.

Answer 9

Science explains how, the bible explains why, the rest is beyond human understanding.

Answer 10

No. Ultimately, science deals with how, but not why. It is only an assumption that there is a "why".