Cosmology and Creationism etc.

With more time available for reading than earning, I have ventured farther into some of those fields of interest to virtually anybody, but restricted to those with practical opportunities for research.

Here are a few ideas about some of the contents of the articles and reports I noticed.

1) On the notion that 3-foot tall homo erectus creatures living on some remote Indonesian isle until just 18,000 years ago (discovered skeletal remains in a cave last year); it seems credible to me. Those creatures with brain cases of 400 cubic centimeters compared to homo sapiens sapiens 1500 cc (I hope I got that right and didn’t down size the volume signs a lot) must have been utterly fearful of the brute, killer homo sapiens and have been motivated to hide out as far as possible from the encroaching people. With the fundamental intelligence of sort-of-humans they survived 30,000 years after the sapiens sapiens began arriving on the island. The Homo erectus would have been a sort of mini-Sasquatch species not finally exterminated until fairly recently. It’s interesting to note that mankind’s human nature hasn’t changed much.

2) On the still indecipherable Indus ‘Language script’ (Science 17 Dec 2004 page 2026). I will provide by own interpretation of what the symbols mean (of course I could be wrong having only read the article for background and using just the few pictured examples as a data base). The Indus civilization symbols are an early effort at symbolic logic. I am not surprised that later Indians invented the zero. It is basically a math-group recognition pattern given by the royal authority (or cluster authority) to various tribes or groups. On page 2028 the symbol for three is pictured in five or six different configurations if I recollect the article accurately. The inventive beauty of one of the three’s results in a Venn diagram verisimilitude the center oval being smaller than the larger two. I would guess that the location above a bull for instance, would represent alliance or time priority. Notably, since all of the script is found in dumps evidently, its use was pragmatic and probably utilized in trade. The structure of the civilization seems to support a clustering of free enterprisers with a business rather than a literary or spiritual orientation such as might develop a language.

3) This one is about the 7 billion number significant in Cosmology and perhaps significant in theoretical creationism too. Reading Brian Greene’s book ‘The Fabric of the Cosmos’ partially, I’ve encountered a description of a theory regarding the origin of the Universe in what might be called a post-standard big bang model theory, or a revised standard version of the big bang perhaps.

The Big Bang was postulated the last third of the 20th century to have been a physics explanation of the origin of the Universe. People tended to believe that a large clump of matter blew up tremendously, long ago flinging particles all over empty space that later were drawn together by gravity into stars galaxies etc.

Now the better theories are that the Big Bang wasn’t the beginning, and that instead of vast concentration of mass being blown apart initially into empty space, a small amount of material-perhaps 20 pounds of it, initially in a very, very small size scale, experienced some sort of quantum probability phase transition that made a Higgs Field (read B. Greene’s book) hyperinflate creating space-time and matter eventually.

Yet to utilize brevity, onto the 7 billion number. The inflaton happened at the 10-35 time period (that’s ten to the minus Thirty-fifth). It had a Higgs Field that produced repulsive gravity that had inflated the Universe. Yet after the initial expansion gravity resumed its usual dominance and the particles did clump into galaxies etc, the expansion of space-time slowed. Yet after seven billion years a cosmological constant, or residual Higgs Field reaccelerated the Universe. It is now increasing expansion based on observations and theory.

Scientists haven’t got an accurate enough idea of what existed before the big bang or inflaton, perhaps it occurred from a fringe of pre-existing space some theorize.

Genesis in the Bible posits the Word as existing and stirring the waters, the word is given to let there be light…etc. and the Universe is finished in seven days.

Considering only event parameters, I compare those of cosmology and Genesis creation similar in a logical sort of way…an original prime mover, a work of creation/inflaton, completion of project in seven time periods. If the Petrine value of a day to God equals one thousand years is used for Usher’s genealogy from Genesis literally one arrives at the time of the creation of the earth at about the moment science postulates.

The 7 days of creation are just representative symbols for the comprehension of primitive mankind I might guess. With special relativity demonstrating that space-time is a fact of individuality, to God a billion years might be nominally represented by a day.

From creation elements to final destiny being flung outward into higher entropy states its interesting that cosmology and interpretation of ancient documents in reflection of increased archeological and anthropological investigations have permitted a harmonization of meaning elements in Christianity and Cosmology. I never was much of a schismatist between science and Christianity since I have confidence that God's word is true, and it would not deceive, and that especially the natural history of the Universe would not be in conflict with the word of God.

The trouble with scientific cosmologies is that they are always incomplete and impartial, seeing through a glass darkly, as it were. One cannot rely upon scientific theories to explain the few paragraphs of Creation data in the book of Genesis.

7 is an important number in other Biblical areas besides Creation, the Temple was destroyed in 70 ad forming a nice parallel between the ending of the old order of the world's way of temple worship and the ending of the Universe's way of gravitational subjugation since the inflation or big bang to one that features a resumptive Higgs Field outward repulsive gravitational force. Jesus prophesied the destruction of the Temple. Its all quite interesting. The indeterminacy of translation affects many areas of ancient scholarship and comparative studies I'd venture to guess. There are many other instances of 7 being used in the Bible.

Perhaps I should mention, for the benefit of some of those familiar with Babylonian creation 'myths', that are more rightly understood as primitive efforts at scientific or existential cosmologies, that right through Enlil and Tilman to Gilgamesh, that Genesis is remarkably without error, embellishment and so forth when one uses time paradigms that were appropriate for the comprehension of those of that era.

To many of the peoples of the ancient world, the concept 'entire world' meant as far as they could walk in three days, or everything in the region. Some ancient peoples and even moderns as recently as the 20th century had no time concepts for the past at all...that may be a difficult thing for moderns to understand. If God was explaining what 7 billion years of creation to primitives, wouldn't seven 'days' do well enough to get the point across, that he was powerful and laid down the Universe in a right and proper order, resting on the seventh and letting the Higgs Field cosmological constant do the rest?

I believe it is only after the entry of Abraham that the Bible has nearly entire literal meaning though it still has deep prophetic and representational values. Adam or adamas (brown dirt) might have referred to a genre of individuals, the four Cherubim guarding the gates of Eden might have meant the four space-time dimensions of existence for pre-scientific, primitive mankind. The flood of the entire world of Noah might well have been that of the tale of Gilgamesh retold in that language somewhat differently of course. Ancient storms and rains with a higher sea level might well have drown a primitive civilization entirely...a horrific fate that a faithful shipbuilder with a will to do what God said could have escaped being blow up to the mountains of Urartu (the Jews transliterate that Kingdom's name into Ararat from which later mountains in Turkey were named) somewhat northeast of the Euphrates/Tigris lowlands.

The Jewish exodus was perhaps eased by the withdrawal of the Red Sea for their passage returned as a tsunami upon pursuing Egyptian military forces in a possible explanation for the parting of the waters described in the Old Testament.

The subject of scientific cosmology and Biblical Creation is one that can provide many opportunities for learning.

An Anecdotal Cold Weather Commentary

Perhaps it’s the time of year to write about cold weather, having lived in a 3 foot high tent in the 48 contiguous states for about 8 of the last ten years, and before that maybe 15 years in Alaska (not in a tent all the time), the subject of maintaining adequate internal body temperature out of doors is familiar.

This will be a brief sketch of some elemental experiences instead of a definitive portrayal of cold weather effects as perhaps one might find in a U.S. Army survival manual. Army rangers in training have actually experienced hypothermia in Florida while training. It is possible to develop hypothermic body cooling in any combination of conditions that lower the skin and eventually body temperature.

Cold encroaches from the extremities such as the feet and head in many instances. There is, incidentally, probably nothing worse than starving and freezing at the same time. The prisoners of the Gulag Archipelago really had it rough.

Water is 300 times thicker than air and will remove body heat 300 times faster. If one’s sleeping bag and clothing becomes wet, in some case, especially if the temperature subsequently drops to near or below freezing, it may be difficult to avoid hypothermia.

Most Americans have indoor lifestyles complemented by mechanized luxury wheelchairs to flit about the continent, and are essentially clueless or even disdainful of notion about how to conserve body temperature relying upon one’s own resources. Karl Castle of NPR News today spun such a trim-splice onto a report about the plains snowstorms not realize that it is better in tenting to have dry snow over one’s tent than near freezing rain saturating everything including one’s clothing. All those people living indoors anywhere in the north perhaps spend less time depending on their own warmth resources in a lifetime than homeless people may encounter in a year.

There are many ways of experiencing cold weather injuries. Once in Alaska I traveled through streams and deep wet snow before becoming lost, praying, and finding my way to a trail leading to a road. Yet packing one’s feet in water slush for a day caused them two or three days later to swell perhaps double the girth. I purchased some larger, wide tennis sneaker to wear temporarily.

Of course regular frostbite, a different injury though similar perhaps in causing sensation and circulation in the feet and an increased susceptibility to cold weather injury, is simply a consequence of direct dry cold most often with the extremities simply freezing thoroughly. A rogue Soviet Colonel used to freeze dry the arms of captives for interrogation upon the roof of a five story building in Mongolia by outstretching a bare arm and pouring water on it. Then the Colonel, if dissatisfied with captive responses, would just snap off the arm.

The nose is most easily frozen, especially the tip. One should have a fur lined underwear if male in extremely cold weather. If one does not cover the ears, they will freeze very easily, if it’s not too serious the thawing out experience is something like having a firecracker blow up in one’s hand. In Fairbanks I bounced off the walls of a building lobby in which I was looking to rent an apartment when my ears suddenly began thawing out.

Of course staying away from water, and remaining healthy is important in cold weather. Water is fundamentally, death. Regardless of it being the 32 degree waters of a stream through which one may plunge through the ice or offshore in the ocean. Bailing water is cold weather is especially hazardous. Colds, flu and other illnesses may give one chills and ill-feeling is good weather, in cold wet weather it becomes a worse experience.

Something people forget is that starting warm from the indoors, putting on warm clothing and shoes does not remove any body heat initially when outdoors. Putting on freezing boots and clothing, or cold wet boots and clothing, requires the body heat be used for drying out the garments as best they can; a energy investment the body cannot in some circumstances afford.

There were once two hitchhikers just outside the city limits sign of Rock Springs Wyoming that were overcome by a whiteout/blizzard that suddenly blew up. Being unable to find their right sense of direction and return to town they froze to death, the story goes. Many modern clothing articles that have better waterproofing that isn’t harmed by folding and emplacement in a rucksack have been produced in recent years and occasionally make their way to thrift shops and the homeless. The iron filing air combustible personal heat warmers are available at two for 88 cents at Big Lots Stores. They are invaluable in dry cold in burning for more than 7 hours in and inside shirt pocket.

Hands on bicycle grips become a notable difficulty in cold weather. Gloves are very useless, unless they are arctic gloves perhaps as I would guess were worn by a student at U.A.F. once in riding to college all winter (I walked). Mittens are much better, especially gore-tex mittens that resist water a bit. Abandon cotten socks firstly if travelling to a continuous sub-freezing environment, or one that is cold and wet conducive to hypothermia. Repairing flats is much more difficult in cold or wet conditions, imagine the heat indoors at some distant Federal Studio and do the best you can.

The fundamental problem with poverty camping in the U.S.A. is that for safety and other considerations it must be entirely cold camping in which one cannot improve one’s tactical situation at all- no fires, no lean to’s over the tent, no mud brick manufacture to construct arched and vaulted ceiling in the desert. The indoor people have a world and social reality of their own that provides a definite context to the outdoors individual.