Einstein’s theory busted

On the 23^rd September of this year researchers at the Swiss CERN main particle-physics laboratory made a remarkable discovery. Since Einstein’s theory of relatively has been a benchmark for physics research for many years, but now seems to be brought into question (Economist 2011).

Particles known as neutrinos were run in the CERN particle accelerator to see how fast they moved; expectations that they would be measured against the fastest particle previously measured that being light.

Light, or the speed of it if you recall, is at the core of Einstein’s theory. So if anything or anyone is travelling closer than the speed of light, time would slow down, (the relatively part), until finally reaching that speed where time would stop. This is so fast in natural terms it’s hard for us to comprehend–299,792,458km/h.

However, turns out that’s not true. Our miniature neutrinos are a little quicker, 300,006 kilometers per second in fact, and guess what? Despite beating light out in this race around Geneva, time did not stop.

Heads are now exploding in the world of physics as the implications for this are large in the natural world. Many assumptions have been based on this theory being true are now busted open.

The more the wonder of the natural world is exposed, the less it appears we know. Or even the basis of what we know is limited by one little discovery after another.

It’s interesting that we often follow the prognostications of our brilliant forefathers whether scientists or thinkers. They however, seem to understand the limitations of themselves as man. Einstein was a brilliant thinker, but also humble[1]. Aquinas said that all his work was just so much straw. Merton would have withdrawn his bestselling book Seven Storey Mountain if he had his way later in life (Scourby 2004). All these men wanted to offer the best they could, but knew that knowledge was a moving target, and theories or philosophies would be superseded and disproved and improved over time. Such is God’s gradual revelation to us of his beauty and love for us.

So what’s does this discovery mean for us in the study of God and our journey towards him.

We don’t know what we don’t know

Firstly let’s accept the general definition of God as sheer esse; the act of sheer existence.

In this definition, the time element is a factor worth examination. If we accept that God exists then does not existence have time associated with it? A beginning, middle and an end.

Certainly our natural world assumptions would have these parameters. Whereas if we try and understand more precisely what is meant by sheer existence, there is more there to examine.

We are informed by Jesus Christ, God made man that God was, is and always will be. Therefore a more precise expansion of sheer existence might be: perpetually sheer presence.

Perpetually sheer presence describes an ineffable God. Here is why:

1. Perpetually because is illustrates God’s consistence presence without the limitation of time defining or limiting our understanding.

2. Sheer because he is absolute, pure, complete and total.

3. Presence because he is infinite in his existence, always with us, yet not of this world.

Whether this finding in the physical world proves to move scientific reason further along is yet to be determined. However, it does reveal that our understanding of time, essentially a man-made measure of life, cannot be used to change history; to go back in time. Perhaps we have bumped into a little glimpse of the supernatural here; God is reminding us that we see the world through the limitation of Descartes[2].

When we use natural measures created by man they cannot be used to create supernatural results, in this case time travel based on Einstein’s theory.

Only God sees our past in all its glory and sins, the future, and our pathetic development as his loving subjects. Which is the best we can do, but we can move closer to our faith by sidling lovingly up to what we don’t understand. Perhaps the unapproachable light of God’s presence is proving just that. Unapproachable from this natural world.

Economist. "Faster than the speed of light." The Economist, October 1, 2011: 18, 85.

Merton – A Film Biography. Directed by Paul Wilkes. Performed by Alexander Scourby. 2004.

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[1] “My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind.” Albert Einstein

[2] “I think, therefore I am” René Descartes

Copyright 2011 Michael J. Cunningham