By Ameer Tarin: January 01, 2023
Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Did the universe have a beginning, and if so, what happened before then? Where did the universe come from, and where is it going? To me, mathematics is just a tool with which to do physics: Stephen Hawking
The modern scientific world is struggling to explain the complexities of the Universe as to how it started and whether it is going to have an end? The discoveries/ inventions, made by humans, using the forces of nature help us to understand the complex and intricate working of the solar system etc to some extent. But many out there believe that “nature” puts on humans certain limitations and crossing those limits, like many times in the past, can be hugely catastrophic.
John A Wheeler, an American theoretical physicist, (1911-2008) is best known for linking and inventing the term black-hole. Wheeler known to some as Pied Piper of black-holes, designed nuclear reactors and in 1950s helped his government to design and build the hydrogen bomb. “Well, after you have used a phrase like gravitationally completely collapsed object ten times, you conclude you have got to get a better name. So that’s when I switched to the term black-hole”.
The world remembers Stephen Hawking (1942-2018) as Physicist philosopher, the cosmos hero who wrote a worldwide publishing phenomenon A Brief History of Time. Professor Hawking entered Cambridge University in 1962 and embarked on the research project of theoretical physics, cosmology and elementary particles.
His infinite love for scientific research, particularly in the field of cosmology and the fascination he developed towards Einstein’s theory of relativity, formed the basis for his engrossed study of black-hole discovery.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Speaking at a lunch in Cambridge on Artificial Intelligence, Professor Hawking warned that AI could be the worst thing to happen to humanity if it is not managed properly. It could bring dangers such as powerful autonomous weapons or new ways like smart-phones, robot surgeons, and terminator-style military droids and now micro-drones to oppress many out there.
Scientists believe that our Milky Way Galaxy contains tens of thousands of these black-holes, hence the name galactic black-hole. When large mass concentrates into very small volume; it makes a black-hole. A team of European astrophysicists mention black-holes as places where matter is compressed by gravity to a point where the normal laws of physics break down, bending and distorting space and time. The advanced technology can actually image black-holes and check if they truly exist as predicted.
Dennis Sciama, lecturer in mathematics, says that a black-hole is surrounded by a sphere called the event horizon. If there is no event horizon, there are no black-holes. Sciama maintains that a rendition of a black hole is quantum space; where light cannot escape, where time ends – and yet black holes are not as black as once thought. The event horizon is a one-way membrane.
THEORY OF RELATIVITY
Albert Einstein developed two theories of relativity, says Hawking. The first, the special theory of relativity (1905), stated that light always travels at the constant speed, and that the speed of light is an absolute constant; all other motion is relative. In 1916 Einstein published a paper on his theory of general relativity. General relativity is essentially a theory of gravitation as the result of distortions in space-time geometry.
The theory of general relativity states that matter warps time and space, creating what we call gravity, hence incredible gravitational pull. The enigmatic phenomena states that not even light can escape from a black-hole as light is the fastest thing we know. It is absolutely not possible to go into a black-hole and come out again, as the black holes cannot be seen directly.
Einstein says that anyone over the age of twelve knows that there is no such thing as certainty in this world, right? And therefore physics has to deal in probabilities, conjectures, theories, assumptions and speculations.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU FALL INTO A BLACK HOLE?
Now that the discovery of Black holes can be said to be really matters of science fact; Professor Hawking explains that if a black-hole is rotating; you can fall through a little hole in space-time and out into another region of the Universe. Since nothing can travel faster than the light means that the round trips to the nearest star would take at least eight years. On the other hand if we could pass through a black hole, we could re-emerge anywhere in the Universe.
Black Hole, as scientifically proved and believed, is 660 million times bigger than the sun. French astronomers detected the most distant galaxy 13.23 billion light years (1 light year = 9460730472580800 metres exactly) away from earth. Exploring the unknown territories or the boundaries between the dark ages and the cosmic renaissance seems to be a possibility in far-off galaxies not reachable or accessible considering the distance man has to travel. This gives credence to the belief that hereafter exists and souls do remain intact after death.
Quantum Theory proves that Consciousness moves to another universe after death. The verses of Holy Quran speak of an appeal made to the Planets, the Nights and the Dawn obeying definite laws and evidence of the power and wisdom of Allah. And a reminder that by the declining day, Lo! Man is in a state of loss, Quran 103:02. Millions of stars die and are created which is a natural phenomenon. With the passage of time more research and understanding of Allah’s word could reveal the secrets about the black-holes.
Hawking an adherent of realism believed in understanding the galactic proportions through scientific acquaintance and erudition. When asked what God did before He created the Universe. Hawking says “He was preparing hell for people who asked such questions.” He said that time was a property of the universe that God created, and that time did not exist before the beginning of the universe.
Antony Hewish, professor of Radio Astronomy, states that it does raise these dreadful philosophical questions? Such as, did time have a beginning, and what does that really mean? It is hard for physicists really to get grips with that sort of a problem.
Scientists believe that there is no concept of time and space inside a black-hole. The term Galactic tourists, Hawking says, does not work because if you jump into a black hole, you will get torn apart, crushed out of existence as nothing can escape from a black-hole. However, there is a sense in which the particles that make up your body do carry on into another universe.
However, the argument that everything that falls into a black-hole will get crushed out of existence and the particles that make up the body carry into another universe are mere counterarguments. The claim that even light cannot pass through a black hole; raises a question that how can any particle (s) find a way without escaping total annihilation? So the explanation that can hold ground is that souls travel through black-holes by a Divine decree into another universe without any hindrance.
DEATH AND THE SOUL
Every soul will taste death, then to Us you will all be returned. Qur’an 32:11
What happens to soul after death?
THE BIG BANG THEORY
Hawking says if classical general relativity was correct, there must have been a singularity in the past, which was a beginning of time. Anything that might exist before the singularity could not be considered part of the universe. Observations of distant galaxies indicate they are moving away from us; as the universe is expanding. This implies that the galaxies must have been closer together in the past.
Was there a time in the past when all the galaxies were on top of each other and the density of the universe was infinite? Or was there a previous contracting phase, in which the galaxies managed to avoid hitting each other? May be they flew past each other and started to move away from each other. The state of infinite density is called the big bang singularity.
Do not the disbelievers realise that the heavens and the earth were a solid mass, then We split them asunder, and We made from water every living thing? Will they not then believe? Qur’an 21:31
HOW THE UNIVERSE WILL END
There are two basic theories of how the universe will end. There’s the idea of the open universe which will go on without any sudden end; things will merely slow down and come to a heat death according to the second law of thermodynamics. Alternatively, there’s the idea of the closed universe which will stop expanding and fall back on itself. This is sometimes called the big crunch, like the big bang, only the other way round. Eventually, the entire contents of the universe will be crushed together into an impossibly tiny space – a singularity, like a reverse Big Bang.
The world we live in is inherently unstable. On that day all will end up before your Lord. And unto thy Lord is the recourse that day. Qur’an 75:12
THE FINALE
The scientific inventions or discoveries are undoubtedly outstanding feats performed especially in the field of technology. A very small percentage of the special-specie uses the wonderful gift of nature we know as brain. The unmatched human computer uses Forces of Nature to create and make our lives ‘comfortable and easy’. The proponents of scientism prefer to use the title nature rather than the Divine entity.
The human history is replete with periodic floods, destruction or other disasters that in the past repeatedly set the human race right back to the beginning of civilization. The answers to whether universe is expanding or contracting or is black-hole reachable need more research, knowledge and power of understanding for future generations. The power acquired naturally to understand Divine mysteries has limits and crossing the boundaries will only result in arrogance beyond repair.
We built the universe with great might and we are certainly expanding it. Qur’an- 51:47
Don Page, Professor of Physics, wrote: “In his book, I think Hawking is careful not to come out and say directly there is no God. He just says: What place then for a Creator? Although I think it’s pretty obvious what conclusion he’d like you to draw from it.”
Roger Penrose, Professor of mathematics, talking about the purpose of the universe mentions that there is certain sense in which I would say that the universe has a purpose and it is not there by chance. I think there is something much deeper about it, about its existence, which we have very little inkling at the moment.
In its book-review of Stephen Hawking’s masterpiece ‘A brief History of Time’, the New York Times wrote “A Brief History of Time lights up at such moments, when Mr Hawking allows us a peek at his impish humour, inner motivations, theoretical goofs, and scientific prejudices.”
Stephen Hawking: “It’s through faith that we can ask the question whether the universe was created by God. That is a question that science can neither affirm nor refute.” Anything observed in the universe out there is referred to as nature by the believers of scientism but no lucid explanation is offered to elaborate on this magic word.
Be peaceful, be courteous, obey the law, respect everyone, but if someone puts his hand on you, send him to cemetery …………..
KASHMIR 