Big Bang Theory – The prevailing cosmological model for the early development of the universe. National Geographic has a web page on this called Origins of the Universe. The problem with this theory is two fold: 1) it ignores the question of where the mater and energy came from to “explode with incomprehensible speed” and 2) it is taught and promoted in schools with viscous mocking of and legal battles against any other theory as non-scientific. Yet the root issue of what caused the big bang explosion is unexplained.
Chance – The unknown and unpredictable element in any event that has no assignable cause or guidance from a natural law or intelligent agent. Generally referred to as a mathematical probability.
Cosmology – The study of the origin, evolution, and eventual fate of the universe. While this study is an honorable pursuit, study of the universe has a long history involving science, philosophy, esotericism and religion. There in lies the problem; religious and mythological cosmology have been introduced into this once astronomy and particle physics study. Now this study has beliefs based on the historical, mythological, religious, and esoteric literature and traditions of creation and eschatology.
Evolution – Life evolves by means of mutations (changes in an organism’s hereditary information), genetic drift (random change in the genetic variation of a population from generation to generation), and natural selection (the non-random and gradual process of natural variation by which observable traits (such as eye color) become more or less common in a population). From Wikopedia, introduction to evolution.
Evolution – There are two definitions according to Google Definitions.
- The process by which different kinds of living organisms are thought to have developed and diversified from earlier forms during the history of the earth.
- The gradual development of something, especially from a simple to a more complex form.
First Cause – What started or moved the universe into existence. Click here for Wikopedia’s definition.
Laws of Nature – I like Wikipedia’s definition below. Laws of Nature may refer to:
- Physical law, a scientific generalization based upon empirical observation
- Natural law, any of a number of doctrines in moral, political and legal theory
- Scientific law, statements based on experimental observations and describe some aspect of the world, implying a causal relationship
- Laws of science, statements that describe, and predict phenomena as they appear in nature
- The Law of the Jungle, the idea that in nature, the only “law” is to do whatever is needed for survival
Natural Selection – According to Biology Online, a process in nature in which organisms possessing certain genotypic characteristics that make them better adjusted to an environment tend to survive, reproduce, increase in number or frequency, and therefore, are able to transmit and perpetuate their essential genotypic qualities to succeeding generations. Natural selection has to work with an existing life form.
Scientific Laws – The laws of science or scientific laws are statements that describe, predict, and perhaps explain why, a range of phenomena behave as they appear to in nature. Scientific laws are practical conclusions reached by the scientific method. they are intended to be neither laden with ontological commitments nor statements of logical absolution.
Scientific Materialism – A belief in naturalism, a worldview with a philosophical aspect which holds that there is nothing but natural elements, principles, and relations of the kind studied by the natural sciences. Scientific materialism holds that all properties related to consciousness and the mind are reducible to nature. This is sometimes called metaphysical naturalism, ontological naturalism, or philosophical naturalism.
Scientific Theory – A scientific theory is a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world, based on knowledge that has been repeatedly confirmed through observation and experimentation.
Self Organize – Life forms that organize in some way to turn themselves into purposeful information rich structures of living things. Chemicals have charges that attract other chemicals but this is not self organize such as salt.
Theory of Evolution – In the first edition of “The Origin of Species” in 1859, Charles Darwin speculated about how natural selection could cause a land mammal to turn into a whale.
Truth – While there are several definitions of truth, we generally accept the definition as “truth is what fits reality”. Most people believe that Science is the only truth but aren’t there other truths? 1) Philosophical truth (law of logic, law of non-contradiction, etc.). Moral truth (murder is an evil act). Historical truth (Washington was the US first president). and Aesthetic truth (sunsets are beautiful).
Miscellaneous Information About Laws
Below is some information about some Laws of Nature and Science:
List of Laws – These Laws are more like scientific “Rules of Thumb”.
Scientific Theory – Scientific theories are testable and make falsifiable predictions.
Scientific Law – Scientific laws are statements, based on repeated experiments or observations.
Laws of Nature – Scientific laws, statements based on experimental observations and logic that describe some aspect of the world.
Science – systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe.
Suspended Scientific Theories – a theory is superseded or becomes obsolete when current science considers it an inadequate, incomplete, or simply false description of reality.