(I thought I'd post this here because the thread that sparked it is too riddled with personal squabbling and gross untruths)

I’d like to share a little something about the science of astrophysics.

Astrophysicists are actually divided up into quite specific areas. In one area they are studying the physics of neutrinos. These studies included the actual measurements of neutrinos that are being emitted by our sun (a star).

Another group of astrophysicists actually study the physics of our sun, which is a typical star. They have this science down so pat that they can make unprecedented predictions about how the sun actually ‘breathes’.

Of course, that term is going to throw everyone off. It’s just a metaphor for how the sun 'vibrates'. The Sun is a huge ball of hydrogen gas (along with some other trace elements), and the physics of thermodynamics predicts precisely how this ball of gas will vibrate. It’s basically not much different from how a bell vibrates when it is struck to ring.

Also using Quantum Field Theory and The Standard Model of Particlar Physics, the solar physicists have predicted the precise amount of neutrinos that should be emitted by the sun every second. It’s quite a large number.

In fact, the number was 3 times more than the amount of neutrinos being detected by the physicist who were taking measurements of the neutrinos being emitted by the sun.

So there was a bit of a quarrel between these two groups of physicists. The solar physicists assured the neutrino physicists that their calculations had to be correct. But the neutrino physicists said that there has to be an error somewhere.

So the solar physicists re-examined their stellar theory in great detail looking for any possible errors. The couldn’t find any. Finally they simply stated that if their predictions are wrong then there has to be a serious problem with our understanding of physics at a deeper level because their knowledge of the sun is that solid! Their mathematical predictions of the sun work like a Swiss Watch.

The neutrino physicists had a hard time accepting this, but since much less was understood about neutrinos they accepted that there must be something wrong with their experiments.

Sure enough they finally found their error and they were finally able to measure the precise amount of neutrinos that the solar physicists had predicted. It was a huge step forward in our understanding of neutrinos, and an overwhelming confirmation that our understanding of the physics of stars is right on.

Anyone who claims that we don’t understand the physics of how stars form is simply ignorant of what has been going on in science.

A person had no right to make a statement like, “Scientists have no clue”, when in fact, it is they who have no clue!

Disclaimer: This post is in no way personal. It’s simply untrue to state that physicists don’t understand the physics of stars. On the contrary, they understand the physics of stars amazingly well. Not only do they explain how stars form, but they even explain how stars of different masses will behave after they are formed, and how they will behave when they burn out and die.

To claim that science has no clue about these things in a desperate attempt to support a failing religion is utterly absurd.

If a religion is running out of things to support itself on its own merit, then the religion is already in big trouble. Religions should be able to stand in the face of reality. Trying to change reality to support a religion is utterly absurd and completely unnecessary.

Our understanding of star formation doesn’t reject the notion of a God. Neither does our understanding of evolution. And while people might want to argue that the earth isn’t really 4.5 billion years old, it would be impossible to argue that the universe itself is not 14 billion years old. If it were any younger than this we wouldn’t be able to see things that are billions of light-years away! The light simply wouldn’t have had enough time to travel to us if the universe were any younger.

To claim these silly assertions, a person would not only have to denounce science, but they wouldd basically have to claim that God is fooling us with erroneous data.

But why would God fool us? That would imply a God that is purposefully playing games with! That’s not a good picture of any God.

If God exists let's pray that he/she/it isn't a game-player.

oh i thought a star was formed when you won American Idol.

I agree that stars are extremely old, and that the expanding universe of celestial bodies is older than creation on earth.

I don't believe in apes becoming human.

Recently I found that black spots in the sun are still something that nobody has had any success explaining, and whose behavior is still beyond any prediction.

Asserting that physicist know exactly what is going on is another type of mystic fanaticism, in the sense people that do so believe blindly the stars were formed as current physics predicts, not being capable of handling several other scenarios.

Remember physics as well as mathematics are useful ways of describing reality, not reality itself.

Agreed.

But let's not forget about actual observations, measurements, and experiments performed in many various laboraties including particle accelerators.

Let's not dismiss technology either. Not only do we understand nuclear reactions, but we have harnessed them and use them daily to produce electricity, drive oceaning going ships and yes, even blow people up with them unfortuantely.

Modern cell phones, and computers woudln't work like they do if our mathematics and phsyics wasn't correct. It'd be one hell of a conincidence that these things actually work if our understanding of the laws of physics are wrong.

So there's a LOT more to it than just ideas and theories of pure thought.

And thus was born the 'biblicus inerrancycus NEBUL...OUS' !!!


Unlike you Abra, a most luminous NEBULA!!!


:)

I would agree. It does seem odd that you would bring this up though - who has attempted to claim this? I don't recall seeing it implied in a thread.

http://www.justsayhi.com/topic/show/52557