Order and disorder in the Universe

Extract from “Chap 8: The fine tuning of the universe discussion”

There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, and civilisations—these are mortal and their life is to ours as to the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit—immortal horrors or Everlasting splendours. CS Lewis

Two physics students have just finished a physics class on the Big Bang theory and the origins of the universe. They are taking a break from revising in the library.Let us listen to the two students….

Amandine: While we are discussing “Life, the Universe and Everything” what about the arrow of time and entropy?

Blaise: Ah, the problem of physics, chemistry and biology!

Amandine: Why is this called the arrow time?

Blaise: This is the second law of thermodynamics which says that the universe is progressing from a state of order to disorder. The amount of order is measured in chemistry and physics by a quantity called « Entropy ».

Amandine: Why is the law of entropy important?

Blaise: The law shows that time has to have a direction.

Amandine: How can you tell which direction time is “moving in”?

Blaise: If you took an image of the universe and wait a certain amount of time, seconds, days or years, whatever you wish, then take a second picture, you will see that there is more disorder in your second picture. In other words, particles and energy have been distributed more in the second picture than the first:

Amandine: So, the amount of entropy in the universe tells us that time only runs in one direction?

Blaise: Yes, for example in the laws of physics there is no reason why the wind could not blow the sand onto a beach so that it spontaneously rearranged itself into a high level of order.

Amandine: Like a sandcastle?

Blaise: Yes, but that is highly unlikely. The universe goes from order to disorder because there are more ways of arranging the particles of sand [1] into disorder than order.

Amandine: So, the laws of physics or the universe have a bias or preference for going from order to disorder?

Blaise: Yes. Once a physical process (like ice melting) or a chemical reaction (like a candle burning) is complete.

Amandine: So, what is the problem?

Blaise: Well, the universe started in a high degree of order or low entropy.

Amandine: But why is entropy important for the fine-tuning of the universe?

Blaise: Well, according to Roger Penrose, the creator had as many as 10 thousand million followed by 123 noughts (zeros) of universes to choose from. Out of these only one would resemble ours enough to have life.

Amandine: So, your claim is that the probability that a universe chosen at random out of all of these and having the high degree of order and a second law of thermodynamics like ours is one in 10 thousand million followed by 123 noughts (zeros)?

Blaise: Yes, also, if the universe was not as highly organised in terms of entropy, friction would have caused it to collapse into black holes instead of forming stars.

Amandine: Oh, because black holes have high entropy and they are extreme states ofdisorder?

Blaise: Yes.

Amandine: So back to the one in 10 thousand million followed by 123 noughts (zeros) chance of this universe existing.

Blaise: The problem of why the universe has so much order at its beginning is called the“smoothness problem” and according to Penrose [2] even if we try to write out 1 followed by 10¹²³noughts on every proton in the universe, we would run out at 10⁸⁰noughts!

Amandine: So, there isn’t even enough protons in all the atoms, people, planet stars, and galaxies in the universe to write this number down!?

Blaise: It appears that way.

Amandine: But hasn’t Sean Caroll given a counterargument saying that our universe could be one of many multiverses [3] and we happen to live in one with the correct conditions to have these values?

Blaise: Yes, but be careful here. If in principle, we cannot test the multiverse theory by a scientific experiment, we cannot consider the multiverse theory to fall within the realm of a scientific theory.

Amandine: You mean it is a hypothesis that is not testable (falsifiable)?

Blaise: That depends on what people mean by the multiverse theory. Also, one may be using connotation words.

Amandine: Oh, words which both sides in a discussion use, but in discussions actually mean different things to different people?

Blaise: Yes, we need to agree on a common definition of what we mean by a universe.

Amandine: Collins’s English Dictionary says “the totality of all the things that exist; creation; the cosmos.”[4]

Blaise: That seems clear to me. But to make the theory of multiverses testable, people do not mean separate, isolated universes like we think, but regions of space which are so isolated from each other that because of the vast distances between them, they can be considered as separate universes.

Amandine: But that’s cheating! If they are still in the same physical “space” (call it what you will) will they still not be subject to the same physical laws?

Blaise: Yes, I think so, but from this point-on, that is all speculation…

Amandine: What about life in other possible universes?

Blaise: They would lack the fine-tuning that we have discussed and therefore I think that there would be no life at all, not just a different type of life!

Amandine: So, the cosmic evidence or coincidences pushes us towards a design view of the universe.

Blaise: I think so.

Amandine: But is that not a “God-of- the gaps” idea where, if I cannot explain something I point to a theistic argument and say that it was created?

Blaise: Not necessarily, it depends on your viewpoint.

Amandine: Please explain.

Blaise: In our discussion: for some people the “hypothesis of theism” is not here to explain how the laws of nature exists but “Why the laws of nature are as they are!” [5]

Amandine: And for others?

Blaise: In our discussion: for other people,  the “hypothesis of theism” is  here to explain how the laws of nature exists AND “Why the laws of nature are as they are!”

Amandine: Can I quote Einstein here?

Blaise: Please do.

Amandine: “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though Everything is a miracle [6]”

Blaise: And may I quote Cicero?

Amandine: Please do.

Blaise: He says:

“…At this point must I not marvel that there should be anyone who can persuade himself hat there are certain solid and indivisible particles fortuitous of matter borne along by the force of gravity, and that of atoms. The fortuitous collision of those particles produces this elaborate and beautiful world? I cannot understand why he who considers it possible for this to have occurred should not also think that, if a countless number of copies of the one-and-twenty letters of the alphabet, made of gold or what you will, were thrown together into some receptacle and then shaken out on to the ground, it would be possible that they should produce the Annals of Ennius, all ready for the reader. I doubt whether chance could possibly succeed in producing even a single verse [7]!”

Amandine: In his book, “the Christian Way,” CS Lewis says [8]: There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, and civilisations—these are mortal and their life is to ours as to the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit—immortal horrors or Everlasting splendours.”

Blaise: Dear reader, what is your opinion of our discussions?

Amandine: Do you agree or disagree, if so why or why not?

Sources:

1. BBC. “Brian Cox Explains Why Time Travels in One Direction – Wonders of the universe – BBC Two.” YouTube, YouTube, 10 Mar. 2011, www.youtube.com/ watch?v=uQSoaiubuA0. Accessed 3rd August 2018 at 17:15
2. Quoted in Holder, Rodney D. – (2004) “God, the Multiverse and Everything” Ashgate Publishing Limited, Hampshire, England page 39

3. The Royal Institution. “Did the Big Bang Break the Laws of Thermodynamics? With Sean Carroll.” YouTube, The Royal Institution Published on 21 Dec 2016, Dec. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGs4C60FR68. Accessed 3rd August 2018 at 18:42

4. Universe Definition and Meaning | Collins English Dictionary.” Complacent Definition and Meaning | Collins English Dictionary, www.collinsdictionary.com/ dictionary/english/universe. Accessed on the 3rd August 2018 at 18:20

5. Quoted in Holder, Rodney D. – (2004) “God, the Multiverse and Everything” Ashgate Publishing Limited, Hampshire, England page 39

6. Goalcast. “Top 30 Most Inspiring Albert Einstein Quotes.” Goalcast: The Most Inspiring Albert Einstein Quotes of All Times, Goalcast, 19 Mar. 2018, www.goalcast.com/2017/03/29/top-30-most-inspiring-albert-einstein-quotes/. Accessed 3rd August 2108 at 18:37

7. “Cicero in 28 Volumes De Natura Deorum; Academica; with an English Translation by H. Rackham.” De Natura Deorum; Academica; with an English Translation by H. Rackham, THE LOEB CLASSICAL LIBRARY; CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS HARVARD UNIVERSITY PRESS LONDON WILLIAM HEINEMANN LTD, ryanfb.github.io/loebolus-data/L268.pdf. THE LOEB CLASSICAL LIBRARY, Page 213, Book II, part XV Accessed 3rd August 2018 at 19:38

8. CS Lewis in “The weight of Glory” in Screwtape proposes a toast (quoted in The Christian Way p46-7)

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