...and can you be agnostic about both? "Clusters of galaxies would fly apart unless they were held together by gravitational attraction. The mass required is considerably greater than the mass of all the galaxies… It follows therefore that there must be extra dark matter present in clusters of galaxies outside of the galaxies we see" Stephen Hawking.
Why does it follow?
Why must there be something else which we can not identify to make a theory valid? Could it not be something is missing from the theory rather than an "mysterious" substance that essentially requires belief in the same way that people believe in a God?....by the way any people championing a particular religion in an answer will not be considered for points ;)
2007-03-14 01:28:06 · 11 answers · asked by Bumsworth 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
"Belief in dark matter" is a matter of logical conclusion based on scientific observation."
I understand that science can be unemotional but how can anyone conclude anything logically when something is not observable? Surely the question of a creator/something beyond this universe can also be unemotional too, a genuine curiousity. Science tends to stop at the observable universe, understandably. And if scientists accept that there is matter we can't detect IN this universe isn't it fair to ask whether something we can't detect lies beyond the universe? If science stops before asking that then fine. But it seems wrong to me to you use science to "prove" there is nothing beyond.
2007-03-15 04:12:07 · update #1
I don't know if there is a god or not but I lean towards there being something beyond our physical universe where maybe our physical laws don't apply. For me this is not a security blanket because if there IS nothing after this I'll never know, will I?- what's to lose? And I don't lean towards there being something beyond for rules to govern my life. Nor do I live this life for what may follow.
2007-03-15 04:35:38 · update #2
The difference is called faith. No matter how far back you take it, there will always be "but what came before that". You can say, and I cannot prove otherwise, that if one can say that God always eisted, why can't I say the potential for the Big Bang always existed. If one hypothesis is acceptable, surely both are. That said, from nothingness all the universe sprang in one massive outburst of energy. But then something interesting happens. That energy begins to conform to some sort of physical law, as though guided by a will to behave as someone intended. Yes there are things out there for which we have no proof, such as the existance of dark matter. But we do have a good idea that it is out there. Same with God, at least for me.
2007-03-14 01:55:24 · answer #1 · answered by SteveA8 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It follows because of Occam's Razor. A theory is a conceptual device the purpose of which is to represent a larger set of data with a smaller (or the smallest) set while sacrificing little or no accuracy. Therefore, if you have two competing theories which are equal in all other regards, the simpler (smaller) of the two is the one that does the best job of BEING a theory. The theory that there simply exists more matter that is not emitting or reflecting light but which provides the gravity to hold galaxies and clusters together is simpler and more accurate (and therefore better) than the theory that there is "something missing" because it better corresponds to other observations (namely that all mass has gravity, and that gravity always results from mass).
2007-03-14 09:00:48 · answer #2 · answered by indiana_jones_andthelastcrusade 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i think easiest way to explain this would be to say that the belief in anything is like a security blanket. personally i dont have an opinion on dark matter but id love to know about it and if it does exist. however to believe in 1 being creating everything is a little hard to swallow. i pose this question to ponder. " why is it a 4 yo has an invisible friend but is told its not real, yet his parents believe in an invisible being that made us and it is real?" its really a psychological issue that we all have. whether to believe there is a "god" watching over us and make us feel safe and secure. or believe we came from single celled organisms that evolved into us. (that 1 is less scary then knowing that we cant see where we came from in religions) so to believe we are held in place by dark matter and gravity makes some people feel safe and secure as well rather then think we r just hanging in the air. either way both rely on the same thing and that is how we perceive ourselves as human beings. ( i dont believe in a god) personally i think religions were created as a means to control people by telling them they are being watched and if they r good they will meet the "creator" and if they r bad they will meet the devil who from wat i know is related to god in some way. i think the bible is a story book of fiction rather then fact but science also has science fiction.
2007-03-14 12:33:19 · answer #3 · answered by jamie28981 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Belief in God can be associated with scientific principals of irreducible complexity, consciousness and plasma physics related to Cosmology. Where as dark matter is made up to provide a bridge between conflicting areas in theories that display an inability to show gravity as the most power force in cosmic design, ignoring the Electro-Magnetic characteristics of the Universe!
Have alook for yourself>>>>
2007-03-14 08:35:49 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm no physicist, but here's my take on it:
The known laws of physics apparently require that a large amount of mass be present in order to make the clusters of galaxies behave the way that they do. These laws are testable in the lab, and observable in the universe. They are predictable and consistent over time and space.
God is not.
2007-03-14 08:42:36 · answer #5 · answered by Ralfcoder 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is tangible evidence that dark matter exists. In all recorded history, there is not one single shred of evidence for any god.
Yes, you can say that there is something about gravitation that we do not understand and is not incorporated into the theory yet that would explain the effects that we see and have attributed to dark matter.
However, in the interest of parsimony (see Occam's razor), until such a phenomena is observed, it is not scientifically reasonable.
2007-03-14 08:34:23 · answer #6 · answered by gebobs 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Difference is most people view God as a conscious entity that has designed the universe. Most don't see dark matter that way....
2007-03-14 08:37:49 · answer #7 · answered by Dr W 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"Belief in dark matter" is a matter of logical conclusion based on scientific observation.
"Belief in God" is a matter of personal faith.
2007-03-14 10:45:44 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Dark matter as a concept does not include the conceit of anthropomorphism.
2007-03-14 08:34:38 · answer #9 · answered by jungleroy59 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God is the realily of univers! but in darkness u loss ur own carector too but if you are going to the right way(witch is the way of God) then you will feel comfort and relaxation
2007-03-14 08:34:44 · answer #10 · answered by stranger_eyes2007 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋