<i>It really is the most poetic thing I know about physics.<p>You are all stardust.<p>You couldn't be here if stars hadn't exploded. Because the elements, the carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, iron, all the things that matter for evolution weren't created at the beginning of time. They were created in the nuclear furnaces of stars. And the only way they could get into your body is if the stars were kind enough to explode.<p>So forget Jesus. The stars died so you could be here today.</i> </quote>
I found this lecture to be very interesting, but I was disappointed in all the jabs against religion (even though I'm an atheist myself). The information he presented about how a flat universe could come from nothing is thought-provoking. I would love to read further discussion about the content-- for instance, the implications of an ever-expanding universe and future societies clueless to the presence of other galaxies. Instead, people are focusing on it as a video about atheism, which really occupies less than 1% of the video here.<p>I'm aware this lecture took place at an atheism convention, but I don't find anti-theism to be very constructive anyway. You can be a skeptic and an atheist without making disdainful remarks about the belief system of others. Engaging in open, respectful conversation is a better way of making people abandon religion anyway, if that's your goal. You know what they say about flies, honey, and vinegar.<p>Regardless, there are religious scientists and cosmologists. Being patronizing about their beliefs discourages them from contributing. As others have said, science is not the alternative to religion, and we shouldn't treat it in such a way.
Very interesting.
However, other "religions" such as Buddhism and Hinduism have spoken experientially of Nothing, and the universe arising out of Nothing. This has been misunderstood/misinterpreted as "nihilism" by the west.<p>Refer "Ashtavakra Gita" and ancient text, for example.
Bah, I read 'AAI' as 'AAAI' in my morning pre-coffee blurriness and was in eager anticipation of an AI talk on simulations and world-building, or something. Would have made more sense on HN.
I have something of an awe for atheists. They seem to have a clearer idea of "God" than the rest because they clearly don't believe it .. or He or She or I dunno .. but they seem to.<p>I liked the ending note on humility where he presented a scenario where he thinks falsifiable science could end up not figuring out the truth about the universe because the inhabitants won't be able to access a galaxy other than their own.
Forgive my naivete, I am watching the video now but won't be able to finish it tonight. Could someone please explain to me how the universe came from nothing? Isn't that like saying that something both is and isn't at the same time and in the same sense?