Eye on Faith: April 2020

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Unreasonable Facsimile

John Lennon Peace Momument (PD)

Life on Planet Earth certainly does seem real at times, but then so do cartoons.

Could it be possible that life as we know it is just a computer simulation? Could it be possible that some higher form of intelligence is enjoying and maneuvering our feats and foibles?

According to renowned physicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, the answer is yes. And not just a tiny yes, but a 50-50 possibility “that our entire existence is a program on someone else’s hard drive.”

According to Tyson, that “someone” need not be all powerful, just way more powerful than humans. That someone need not be perfect either, or even benevolent. That someone could theoretically be a half-crazed evil entity.

But what’s on the other side of 50-50? Could it be that there’s way more good than evil? Could it be that goodness will eventually triumph? John Lennon once said: “Everything will be okay in the end, if it’s not okay, it’s not the end.” So why not bet on that?

Resources

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/are-we-living-in-a-computer-simulation?utm_source=pocket-newtab

Ready, set... Go!

Look familiar? (Photo by Evan-Amos)

Have you been searching for Jesus? Perhaps you’ve been told that this involves a radical change of heart.

Well, that was yesterday. Today all you have to do is purchase the Vatican’s new “game called Follow JC Go.” Does the name sound familiar? Then you may be a fan of Pokémon Go.

This transfigured version includes a hodgepodge of saintly names, quotes and activities. It is allegedly aimed at millennials, who have left the Catholic Church in alarming numbers.

Resources

https://www.businessinsider.com/vaticans-pokemon-go-game-lets-you-chase-jesus-2018-10

Water water anywhere?

Adaptive Optics (ESO photo)

As a steppingstone to Mars, as well as a resource in itself, Earth’s moon is certainly tempting. A lunar presence of water can make it even more tempting.

If astronauts had to lug their own water to the moon, flights would be a lot more expensive. NASA is therefore launching a Lunar Flashlight, which will beam lasers into the moon’s coldest craters with hopes of discovering water ice there.

These "near-infrared" beams can be “readily absorbed by water,” but not by rock. If water is present within the craters, far less light will be reflected back. Scientists can therefore estimate whether water is there.

Resources

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/nasa-cubesat-will-shine-a-laser-light-on-the-moons-darkest-craters