Un-tangible World and Modern Physics

1. Entity type Lemma
2. Original titleUn-tangible World and Modern Physics
3. Language term English
4. lemma author Tampakis, Kostas
5. Publication date 2005
6. lemma work Un-tangible World and Modern Physics
7. lemma manifestations European Journal of Science and Theology
8. Keywords Pre-Socratics - Saint Basil the Great - St Gregory of Nyssa - General Relativity
9. Url Click Here
10. Lemma body

    1. This article discusses the evolution of the idea of an non-tangible world that coexists with the tangible one, from the pre-Socratics to current Physics, as a point of disagreement between theology, philosophy and the exact sciences. It aims to show that some of the findings of modern science, at least as presented by the authors of the article, coincide with theological teachings. Thus, today’s theologians should follow the example of the early Christian Church Fathers, such as Saint Basil the Great, and become experts on the exact sciences of their epoch. The article starts by describing the changes brought about in Physics and Astrophysics after the Copernican Revolution. Common sense, the authors content, stopped being an adequate vehicle for scientific reasoning. The non-tangible became a point of contention between science and theology, especially after the establishment of Newtonian Physics. However, the beginning of the 20th century saw the overturning of our previous notions of space, time and tangibility. The three-dimensional objects that our senses perceive are only projected shadows of four-dimensional objects. The authors present quotations from J. Wheeler, Sir F. Hoyle and M. Tegmark to show that the tangible is now conceived as an illusion created by our conscience. Moreover, after the development of spectral analysis, matter itself is now considered a condensation of an energy field. The authors then go on to discuss how such views are very much in concordance with the sayings of Gregory of Nyssa, as presented by the Professor of Theology Elias Economou. Finally, the article presents similar views as held by the pre-Socratics and quoted in Sextus Empiricus. Sayings from Heraclitus to Parmenides and from Empedocles to Democritus are given. The article concludes that modern-Physics theoretically accepts the existence of a hyper-tangible universal and real space, as Theology does.