Dark matter only exists to satisfy computer models that assume that gravity is the only force controlling the large-scale operation of the universe. Ignoring the electric interaction, which is 36 orders of magnitude greater than gravity, is the whole problem. There obviously is another force in operation that controls the motion of galaxies. In present-day computer models, which bear no resemblance to reality, gravity has been assumed to be that sole force. To our knowledge, matter is the only way that gravity can be generated. Hence it is necessary to postulate matter as the source of gravity that controls the motion of galaxies. However, because this matter has never been observed, it is called dark matter, a mysterious substance that does not show up in any of our instruments.
There are theories that do take into account the electric force, which require neither dark energy or matter nor black holes in order to make sense of the torrent of data we get from space probes and telescopes.
It's not so much that current cosmologists and astrophysicists are crackpots, but that they are human. No one likes it, no matter what the field of study, if they are told that their life's work, a PhD thesis and whatever thick books with lots of equations in them they have written are simply wrong or at least grossly incomplete.
I also make the claim that it's extremely bad science, when a force that is 36 orders of magnitude greater than gravity, namely the electric force, is simply ignored in all these obviously false models. It is increasingly clear that the fictitious computer models bear no resemblance to what's really out there. There have been alternate theories proposed by Nobel Prize winners that do take into account the electric interaction. These models need neither dark energy or matter and black holes in order to explain the observed data much better.
Is is simply gross foolishness to propose the existence of matter and energy in the distant reaches of space that we cannot observe right here on earth. Our understanding of electromagnetism is orders of magnitude greater than our understanding of gravity, the weakest force in the universe. The laws of physics in the distant places of the universe are the same as they are right here at home.
...Because every other scientist will laugh at you...
If you would study the history of science, especially in modern times, say the last few hundred years, you would know that the majority of scientists at any given time were often proven wrong by a lone voice crying in the wilderness as it were. It took over 50 years, before mainstream scientists were willing to accept the fact that the speed of light was not infinitely fast.
....And actually they've already detected and imaged it with gravity lensing....
BS. All they have detected is light that has been bent very slightly. They assume (believe) that this is due to gravity ONLY, but light waves, being electromagnetic in nature are also affected by electric and magnetic fields. Mainstream cosmologists and astrophysicists are always trying to squeeze the data coming in from many space probes and telescopes into their current elaborate mathematical models. There are other models that explain the bending of light waves, light flashes from comets and intense radiation sources in space. These models involve the operation of the electric force in ADDITION to gravity, while the currently accepted models exclude a force that is 36 times orders of magnitude greater than gravity. Doing so is the epitome of foolishness.
has never been observed by real scientific instruments, because black holes themselves have never been observed. Black holes are mathematical fictions that appear only in computer models, not in reality. Astrophysicists are so enamored by their elaborate computer driven mathematics, that they desperately try to make whatever data comes in from scientific instruments fit into their models. The models have gotten increasingly complicated, because they are based on assumptions and not measured data. A singularity for example, supposedly at the center of a black hole, exists only in mathematics, but not in reality. I think it is high time for some new, better, simpler models that fit the torrent of data obtained by modern scientific instruments.
Which is only a mathematical fiction that has never been measured by real instruments. Science is about measurements of the physical world not some stupid mathematical model in a computer that has no resemblance to what is actually there.
....disprove modern physics and prove the electric universe theory...
Nothing is ever proved or disproved in science, but we can weigh the evidence and see which theory has evidence for or against it. Because we have never discovered a means of generating electromagnetic waves, such as gamma rays, by any other means than movement of electric charges, it is reasonable to assume that there is no other way. To explain the gamma rays and the movement of galaxies by the electric theory, it is unnecessary to come up with complicated fictional constructs such as dark matter and energy as well as black holes.
To postulate that the majority of all matter in the universe cannot be directly discovered by any instruments it is ridiculous to put it mildly. It's not the math, but it is the data that science is all about. Math must be the servant of science, not its master.
Generally speaking, a simpler explanation is the better, usually correct one. Scientists know much more about electricity than gravity. Applying what is known about electricity to the data can and does explain that data very well.
....Never before have I ever seen anyone declare that the Electric Universe is wrong....
That is because it is right! The universe, both on the inter-atomic matter, such as chemistry and all life, as well as the large-scale cosmos is dominated by the electric force. This force is 36 orders of magnitude greater than gravity. A number with 36 zeros is unimaginably big. Even the national debt, counted in pennies, is tiny compared to such a number.
Gravity operates on neutral matter, but the universe as a whole is not electrically neutral by any stretch of the imagination. Most of the matter in the universe is in the form of plasma, a highly ionized, charged form of matter.
So far at least, the laws of physics appear to be the same in the distant reaches of space as they are here on earth. To make any form of electromagnetic radiation here on earth, requires the movement of electric charge, electricity if you will. No method of generating electromagnetic radiation, such as gamma rays, has ever been discovered or invented, that does not involve electric charges in motion. Gravity has never been shown to be involved in any way shape or form in the generation of electromagnetic radiation.
Therefore, the presence of gamma radiation is testimony to the fact of an electric origin.
The electrical explanation of these phenomena makes fictional constructs such as the dark matter and dark energy as well as black holes unnecessary. They have never been shown to exist, only inferred by mathematics. All those mathematical models that operate only by gravity and do not take into account the much stronger electrical force are just plain wrong, that's all there is to it. All astrophysicists should be required to take some courses on electrical fields and electrical theory.
The gamma rays however are real measured quantities, not mathematical fiction.
...Like Apple does for the iPhone... it could also do for the Mac. They could add a section of guaranteed malware free programs for the Mac to the iTunes apps store. There are now over 100,000 programs available for the iPhone and none of them, not one, would be classified as malware. Maybe they will do this, if ever nasty programs become a problem on the Mac. So far, this has not been necessary. Of course, users should still be free to install any program they like, including viruses and Trojans and spyware and ad ware.
That is a great post! Here is what your parents and grandparents went through when they were growing up. Then they had you!
First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us.
They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.
Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paints
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.
As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.
Riding in the back of a pick-up on a warm day was always a special treat.
We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.
We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.
We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because we were usually ouside PLAYING!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the street lights came on.
No one was able to reach us all day. Still, we were O.K.
We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 199 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms.
We had FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.
We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.
We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them!
Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!
This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever! Our generation went to the moon.
The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!
Except that none of these affect your boot time or system performance. They do not automatically start up and then start bugging you every now and then to spend some money.
Even though the server version of the Mini costs $999, it may not be more expensive for someone who is not a Linux expert or doesn't want to spend a lot of time setting up such a server and maintaining it.
It is likely however that this would not apply to most users here on Slashdot.
The new server version of the Mini comes with the Snow Leopard of OS X, which is easy to set up for a non-expert. According to Apple, it uses only 14 w when idle. As a home server, that would be most of the time. It is also silent and can be put almost anywhere because it is so small. External FireWire or USB disk drives can be used for storage and/or automatic backups using Time machine.
Apple's website claims that the new Mac mini they just came on the market with uses only 14 W when idle. They also make a server version for those who don't have the skill or inclination to mess around with Linux. It is easy to setup and administer for those with limited computer skills. The Mac mini is also essentially silent and that may be a consideration.
Anyone who does have the skill and time, would likely be better off with a cheaper solution. For some people, who do have the skills, their time may be more valuable than the difference in price for a cheap box. Of course, for anyone who posts a lot on Slashdot, time cannot be too valuable.
....In other words, God likes to punish people for things they didn't do, because an ancestor did?...
God doesn't punish anybody anymore than an apple tree punishes an apple that falls to the ground. As I have said before, God is perfect, and unless you are too, you cannot and will not stand in his presence. We are so used to sin, because we live in a sinful world. God abhors sin and apparently considers it much worse than death, even the death of a baby in the fire.
(...Firstly, you cannot possibly know that...) Yes I can. When Adam and Eve sinned, they ran away from God, but he went looking for them. Because you are sinful, you are running away from God. God may call you, but people never drank you kicking and screaming into heaven. Adam and Eve were kicked out of the garden because they didn't believe God. You will be kept out of heaven because you didn't believe God. You keep talking about evidence in the same way that the Pharisees asked Jesus for evidence. He said they would be given the evidence of his resurrection, but they rejected that.
(...Is that the best possible way he could think of helping people search for him?...) Yes it is, because it is human nature to search for God when things get really bad. But there are many who have become true Christians when they were at the bottom of a foxhole under enemy fire. I will pray, that God will put you in a "foxhole", and you cry out to God to save you.
(..no testimony is sufficient to establish a miracle...) The religious leaders of Israel did not believe in Jesus resurrection because they did not want to believe. A person who has made up their mind not to believe, will reject any and all evidence, just as they did. Of all religious leaders and groups that have ever come and gone on this earth, only Jesus has made the claims to deity, but he was also the only one who proved his claims by conquering our worst enemy, death.
(..and where someone was mistaken for dead....) Jesus was very definitely dead and he came back to life again. That is the core of the Christian faith.
(...And what is your reason for believing him, rather than his enemies...) Because I have personally seen him in action in my life over and over again.
(...Note that he describes a circle...) in the Hebrew language that word is KHUG which can also be translated spherical, as a ball.
(..The Earth doesn't have foundations, or a corner stone...) The sun doesn't rise either were set, but we still speak of sunrise and sunset. We also speak metaphorically of the ends of the earth.
(...Why does God have to prove anything to Satan?...) the book of Job clearly shows that God is in control and that Satan has to obey God whether he likes it or not. God allows Satan to test Job, but God also sets limits to the test which Satan cannot exceed.
(...part of God telling Job, more or less, "I'm awesome. What have you got to say for yourself?"...) That's because God IS the awesome eternal Creator, where Satan is merely a created finite angelic being who rose up against God.
(...It's also interesting to suggest that God would destroy his creation so...) It is prophesied, then God will indeed destroy the entire physical universe which has been corrupted by sin, and make a new incorruptible one.
(... foundations of the earth?...) The verse talks about time, the beginning thereof, not the structure of the earth. (... It's a circle...) the Hebrew word for circle can also be sphere or ball.
(...In other words, god isn't responsible for something that's "natural"?..) To God everything is natural, but to us limited humans, some things are supernatural. God could prevent something from happening, such as a natural disaster, but he can also allow it to happen. When a tidal wave or earthquake kills thousands we blame God. God says this world is corrupt because of sin. As a result of that corruption we get natural disasters and also actions of men such as war.
... Why does God allow babies to die in fires?... Why does God allow anybody to die? The Bible tells us that death came into the world when the first man sinned. Death is a natural fruit of sin in the same way apples are the natural fruit of apple trees. Besides that, God doesn't look at death the same way you do. Death is not the cessation of being, but a mere separation. The Bible speaks of two deaths. The first happens when your spirit and soul are separated from your body. Your body dies. The second death is when your spirit and soul, which were meant to be united with God forever, are separated from God for all eternity. Since babies have not had the opportunity to specifically reject God and his salvation, the way you have, the second death does not apply to them.
God doesn't want to torture you, but it would be torture for you if he forced you to be in his presence forever. The only way you are anybody can go to hell, literally, is over Jesus dead body. He hung there on the cross for you.
(...It is only when things are going well, and God is no longer directly manifesting, that they start to wander...) When I was still in Germany, immediately after the war, the churches were packed. Now they are empty museums mostly. Troubled times send people to search for God, but when there is prosperity, people including Christians get fat and lazy and God becomes unimportant. Therefore, God allows or even sends trouble, in order for people to search again for him. Christians in America have come to rely on their own strength and resources rather than God. That is why God does few miracles among us. This ties right into:
(....When I ask why God won't heal amputees, it is a rhetorical question...) In our church we often hear the testimony of visiting missionaries from Third World countries, especially Africa. They testify of experiencing miracles, were lame people walk again, blind people see again and even dead people come to life again, in response to fervent prayer. You will probably tell me that their testimony is false. You are of course entitled to do that. Jesus enemies attributed his miracles to the devil rather than God. Satan has far more power and knowledge than any human. He can and will also do miracles, if that's what people are looking for. Therefore, what we call a miracle in itself, is not necessarily from God.
There is however one thing that only God can do. That is to accurately foretell the future, especially thousands of years in advance.
Isa 46:9 remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, Isa 46:10 declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,'
God is scientifically accurate in his word. Here he tells us modern knowledge, such as the Earth suspended in space and the fact that exactly north of earth space is strangely empty. The boundary between light and dark, inscribed upon the earth, called the terminator, is also circular.
Job 26:7 He stretches out the north over the empty place, and He hung the earth on nothing. Job 26:10 He has described a circle on the surface of the waters to the boundary of light with darkness.
Read Isaiah 40, paying special attention two verse 22. Here, God tells us contrary to then current scientific opinion, which was that the earth is flat, that God is enthroned above the circle of the earth.
(....God abandons them and punishes them...) You've got it wrong. The natural result when people get fat and lazy and stray away from God, are the troubles you describe and more. It's just as natural as an apple falling off the tree.
(...Muslims and Christians have done similar things...) I am talking about losing one's cultural and religious identity. Except for the fact that governments have sometimes put natives into reservations, which are little better than concentration camps, most of them have integrated into
Hi David, At this point, I think it is no longer helpful to respond to your post point by point. Besides the book or movie, "The Case for Christ", there are two other DVDs, I would like to recommend to you. In neither one of them is God ever mentioned. The first is called "The Privileged Planet", the other one is "Unlocking the Mystery of Life". I believe they are available from Amazon. You might be interested in seeing them, because both of them deal with evidence that there is a mind behind the universe.
The problem of evil in this world, as well as a book by that title, seems to be a big if not the biggest factor in your conclusion that there is no God. The Bible hints at the origin of evil, but labels it a mystery to which we have not been given the full answer. It has something to do with how Lucifer an Archangel became proud and rebelled against God. However we are given no detail into why and how this happened. We read that he became God's adversary, that is Satan. The Bible tells us only about the MYSTERY of iniquity.
It seems that the question "why" is the one most often asked by believers and atheists alike. Science and scientists can often answer questions for "how", but only faith can answer some "why" questions. Some questions will remain unanswered until we are in eternity.
I have never yet communicated as with anyone as extensively as with you, on Slashdot or any other forum. I wish I could meet you in person, or at least chat with you for a while on the phone. I too will tell you a little bit about myself.
I am an electronics engineer, now retired. I was born in Germany, under Hitler, but immigrated with my parents to the United States after World War II. I was 11 years old at that time. Before I go on, I would like to say that I am truly sorry what my people did to your people.
I was brought up in a Christian home, with all that entails, you know church and Sunday school and all that. I too had, and still have an inquisitive mind. I was always interested to find out how things worked. Even still in Germany, with the country in ruins after the war, I took mechanical things apart in order to figure out how they worked. Sometimes I even managed to put them back together again. Some kids were blown to bits, when they tinkered with unexploded bombs.
In my teenage years, being exposed to the theory of evolution in science classes, I began to doubt everything about my Christian upbringing. I especially saw the hypocrisy of many Christians around me. I was told by the pastor that I would go to hell for working part-time in a movie theater.
However, I continued going to church, mostly in order to please my mother and it was just the "thing" to do on Sundays. My body sat in church, but my mind was far away, elsewhere. All of our church services were in German.
One day, when I was in my late teens, a young man, an evangelists from Germany was invited to our church. Though usually, by this time in my life, preaching went mostly in one ear and out the other, for some reason, I listened to him. One evening, although he was preaching to the congregation, it seemed as if he were talking directly to me.
He talked of things that I have done, attitudes I had, in short, as if he knew all about me. However, they were all things that were also known by my mother. After that evening, I was quite angry with my mother and accused her of telling him all about her boy. She said quite succinctly that she had not talked with a man about me, but I did not believe her. The man was staying with us as a houseguest
The next evening, was essentially a repeat performance, except this time he talked of deeds and attitudes that I have never shared with anyone on earth, even my mother, whom I was otherwise very close to. All this was in the scriptural context of John 4:4 to John 4:43, the story of the encounter of Jesus and the woman at the well. Just like the story of that woman, the evangelist, as a representative of Jesus, was given information about me that no one on earth
.....due to the distances used.... It's obvious that the electric force operates over cosmic distances, otherwise we would not receive any electromagnetic radiation from distant objects. The electric force includes electromagnetic radiation, as well as electric and magnetic fields. The electromagnetic force and gravity both operate over cosmic distances. I am not a cosmologist, but an electrical engineer and as such I think the electric force should not be ignored large-scale operation of the universe. Most of the universe does not consist of nicely neutral atoms, such as we are familiar with here on earth, but of ionized matter and free electrons, which are free to move cosmic distances even in an immeasurably small electric field. I think a better, more complete explanation of the operation of the cosmos can be had if both gravity and electric fields and currents are taken into account. (...he picks really bad arguments for atheism,...) actually, atheists have some pretty good arguments, if you accept the assumption (belief) that all of reality, all there is, can be grasped by our senses or the extensions thereof we have developed. (...My claim is that I have seen no evidence for a god...) But then you haven't seen any evidence to the contrary either. At best, you could call yourself an agnostic. (...God is asking far more of me than any human relationship does...) Your life is far more faith-based than you realize. You go to bed at night in the belief that you will wake up in the morning. However you have no guarantee that you will. (...whether or not my beliefs are true...) Jesus made some rather arrogant statements concerning himself and truth. John 6:35, John 8:12, John 9:12, John 10:9, John 10:14, John 11:25, John 14:6. Unless all these statements are true, Christians have been following a deceiving and deceived egomaniac. Yet, even our calendar marks the time when he appeared, even if not down to the exact year. I believe that the statements that Jesus made about himself are indeed true. (...insufficient evidence...) What would be sufficient evidence for you that what Jesus Christ said is true? What would be sufficient evidence for you, personally, that the airliner that you are about to board has been properly maintained? For me, the fact that the apostles and early Christians managed to change the world, is evidence enough. They were willing to die to proclaim the truth, the world changing truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. They were convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt. So am I. (...If you can convince me that your story is true, that Jesus died, rose, loves me, will save me, etc,...) You are asking me to do something only God, by his Holy Spirit can do. John 15:26 "But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. Just say something like: "Dear Jesus, I have trouble believing your gospel story as written in the Bible. I don't even know for sure if you exist. Will you please give me enough evidence so I too can believe and become your child?" (....In other words, we, as a society, are more ethical than your god....) It is debatable whether we really are more ethical or not in locking somebody up for the rest of their life. However there are and have been societies who did not employ prisons the way we do. (...I'm sorry, what crime have I committed?...) Revelation 21:8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death." Have you ever committed any one of these even once in your life? How many murders as a person have to commit before they are a murderer? How many lies for a liar? (...In other words, as long as I can believe, I can do whatever I want?....) A person who truly believes and loves God does not ever WANT to do anything that displeases him. Just b
...But back then they were dealing with prey much larger than is available today... However, there were also much larger predators who could eat crocodiles. A more likely scenario is the fact that the earth was much warmer back then than it is today. Reptiles are cold-blooded creatures whose metabolism depends on the temperature of the environment. If the environment is uniformly warm all year round, all reptiles can grow bigger in their lifetime. If the global warming people are right, we will have bigger snakes, crocodiles and lizards centuries from now.
...Why do we only find the dead end?... Maybe because the evolution of a rodent into a pachyderm is dead wrong? The word evolution as applied to the adaptability of living organisms is what the article is all about. After 40,000 generations, the organism was still in E. coli and nothing else. All dogs have a common ancestor, but that was still a dog, nothing else. Thousands of generations of fruit flies have been bred, with many variations and mutations, but all are still essentially fruit flies.
..Imagine how much bigger tha Ark would have had to be.... Eeverybody always assumes that the animals that came to Noah were fully grown adults.The Bible does not say that now I have to go out and catch the animals, but that they came to him.
....Except that I have yet to see such an electrical force actually worked out.. I know that mainstream cosmologists largely ignore electricity in the large-scale function of the universe. I believe that is a grave mistake. That doesn't mean that the theories of those who advocate for an electric universe are all correct and the others are all wrong. I'm just saying that the electrical force should be paid more attention to than it currently is. There is not a single mathematical equation, the changes in the slightest, whether one acknowledges God or not. (...Whether religion can change a person....) It is never any religion I'm talking about, but a living relationship with the person of Jesus Christ that will always change a person for the better. (...Again, if he was an honest skeptic..) he is not pretending to speak for atheists, but merely chronicles his journey from atheism to faith in Christ. There is also a DVD out, based on this book and having the same title. (...The burden of proof is on the person making the claim....) that is true, and there are plenty of atheists who are trying to prove their claim. (...He cannot forgive one who does not believe in him...) That is right! The Bible says our relationship with God has to be based on faith. It is the only criterion that is universal. There's not one person on this earth that CANNOT believe. It is a matter of WANTING to or not. (...yet he will only save his friends...) That is not true, but Jesus will save anyone who wants to be saved. (...A judge sits in a courtroom...) when his aged mother is brought before him, having been caught red-handed in a crime, which in that society was punishable by 40 lashes minus one with a whip. The judge knows that his old momma would never survive such a punishment. He steps down from the bench, takes off his judicial robe, has the executioner with the whip to deliver those lashes on to his back instead. The crime we have all committed against God is eternal death, that is, eternal banishment from his presence. So God stepped out of eternity into time, became a man and took the punishment in our place. (... This is your divine justice?...) yes, God took your punishment you so richly deserve and I too, along with every other human and now gives you the opportunity to go free. Justice has been met, in that the decreed punishment of death was carried out, but not on us sinners. Jesus took your guilt and bore it so you don't have to. (...The claim is that he simply said a prayer...) Jesus claimed to be God and as God the Creator has perfect knowledge of the structure of matter. It is easy for him to restructure a collection of atoms of water into wine or to multiply a few loaves of bread and some fish to feed 5000 people. Just because we don't have the foggiest notion how such a thing could be done doesn't mean it can't be done and hasn't been done. (...once you accept the premise...) there are many things we accept on faith, that is, they are axioms upon which further reasoning is based. The Bible puts it like this: Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. There is a promise in this verse, in the last phrase. (...Problem of Evil...) that is a problem and stumbling stone that has caused many thinking, honest people like you, (yes there are honest atheists) to question faith in God, especially a God who supposedly is love. Theologians and philosophers have wrestled with this throughout the ages. The Bible tells us that this problem of evil started for man, when he disbelieved God and in effect declared himself independent from God, becoming as it were godless. The first of the 10 Commandments tells us to love God. In order to love someone, we must also have the choice not to love. If you want to know what love looks like, from God's perspective, read 1Corinthians 13 in your Bible. The bottom line is simply this: God gave man a love
Well, whether they find it or not, I do hope they discover some exciting things. Experimental high-energy physics has not really come up with anything new for a long time. Measurements have been made to high accuracy to verify what exists but no new ground has been broken.
Slashdot Mirror
...Dark matter is not good science...
Dark matter only exists to satisfy computer models that assume that gravity is the only force controlling the large-scale operation of the universe. Ignoring the electric interaction, which is 36 orders of magnitude greater than gravity, is the whole problem. There obviously is another force in operation that controls the motion of galaxies. In present-day computer models, which bear no resemblance to reality, gravity has been assumed to be that sole force. To our knowledge, matter is the only way that gravity can be generated. Hence it is necessary to postulate matter as the source of gravity that controls the motion of galaxies. However, because this matter has never been observed, it is called dark matter, a mysterious substance that does not show up in any of our instruments.
There are theories that do take into account the electric force, which require neither dark energy or matter nor black holes in order to make sense of the torrent of data we get from space probes and telescopes.
It's not so much that current cosmologists and astrophysicists are crackpots, but that they are human. No one likes it, no matter what the field of study, if they are told that their life's work, a PhD thesis and whatever thick books with lots of equations in them they have written are simply wrong or at least grossly incomplete.
... claim it's bad science...
I also make the claim that it's extremely bad science, when a force that is 36 orders of magnitude greater than gravity, namely the electric force, is simply ignored in all these obviously false models. It is increasingly clear that the fictitious computer models bear no resemblance to what's really out there. There have been alternate theories proposed by Nobel Prize winners that do take into account the electric interaction. These models need neither dark energy or matter and black holes in order to explain the observed data much better.
Is is simply gross foolishness to propose the existence of matter and energy in the distant reaches of space that we cannot observe right here on earth. Our understanding of electromagnetism is orders of magnitude greater than our understanding of gravity, the weakest force in the universe. The laws of physics in the distant places of the universe are the same as they are right here at home.
...Because every other scientist will laugh at you...
If you would study the history of science, especially in modern times, say the last few hundred years, you would know that the majority of scientists at any given time were often proven wrong by a lone voice crying in the wilderness as it were. It took over 50 years, before mainstream scientists were willing to accept the fact that the speed of light was not infinitely fast.
....And actually they've already detected and imaged it with gravity lensing....
BS. All they have detected is light that has been bent very slightly. They assume (believe) that this is due to gravity ONLY, but light waves, being electromagnetic in nature are also affected by electric and magnetic fields. Mainstream cosmologists and astrophysicists are always trying to squeeze the data coming in from many space probes and telescopes into their current elaborate mathematical models. There are other models that explain the bending of light waves, light flashes from comets and intense radiation sources in space. These models involve the operation of the electric force in ADDITION to gravity, while the currently accepted models exclude a force that is 36 times orders of magnitude greater than gravity. Doing so is the epitome of foolishness.
...matter falling into the black hole...
has never been observed by real scientific instruments, because black holes themselves have never been observed. Black holes are mathematical fictions that appear only in computer models, not in reality. Astrophysicists are so enamored by their elaborate computer driven mathematics, that they desperately try to make whatever data comes in from scientific instruments fit into their models. The models have gotten increasingly complicated, because they are based on assumptions and not measured data. A singularity for example, supposedly at the center of a black hole, exists only in mathematics, but not in reality. I think it is high time for some new, better, simpler models that fit the torrent of data obtained by modern scientific instruments.
...Black holes emit hawking radiation...
Which is only a mathematical fiction that has never been measured by real instruments. Science is about measurements of the physical world not some stupid mathematical model in a computer that has no resemblance to what is actually there.
....disprove modern physics and prove the electric universe theory...
Nothing is ever proved or disproved in science, but we can weigh the evidence and see which theory has evidence for or against it. Because we have never discovered a means of generating electromagnetic waves, such as gamma rays, by any other means than movement of electric charges, it is reasonable to assume that there is no other way. To explain the gamma rays and the movement of galaxies by the electric theory, it is unnecessary to come up with complicated fictional constructs such as dark matter and energy as well as black holes.
To postulate that the majority of all matter in the universe cannot be directly discovered by any instruments it is ridiculous to put it mildly. It's not the math, but it is the data that science is all about. Math must be the servant of science, not its master.
Generally speaking, a simpler explanation is the better, usually correct one. Scientists know much more about electricity than gravity. Applying what is known about electricity to the data can and does explain that data very well.
....Never before have I ever seen anyone declare that the Electric Universe is wrong ....
That is because it is right! The universe, both on the inter-atomic matter, such as chemistry and all life, as well as the large-scale cosmos is dominated by the electric force. This force is 36 orders of magnitude greater than gravity. A number with 36 zeros is unimaginably big. Even the national debt, counted in pennies, is tiny compared to such a number.
Gravity operates on neutral matter, but the universe as a whole is not electrically neutral by any stretch of the imagination. Most of the matter in the universe is in the form of plasma, a highly ionized, charged form of matter.
So far at least, the laws of physics appear to be the same in the distant reaches of space as they are here on earth. To make any form of electromagnetic radiation here on earth, requires the movement of electric charge, electricity if you will. No method of generating electromagnetic radiation, such as gamma rays, has ever been discovered or invented, that does not involve electric charges in motion. Gravity has never been shown to be involved in any way shape or form in the generation of electromagnetic radiation.
Therefore, the presence of gamma radiation is testimony to the fact of an electric origin.
The electrical explanation of these phenomena makes fictional constructs such as the dark matter and dark energy as well as black holes unnecessary. They have never been shown to exist, only inferred by mathematics. All those mathematical models that operate only by gravity and do not take into account the much stronger electrical force are just plain wrong, that's all there is to it. All astrophysicists should be required to take some courses on electrical fields and electrical theory.
The gamma rays however are real measured quantities, not mathematical fiction.
...Like Apple does for the iPhone...
it could also do for the Mac. They could add a section of guaranteed malware free programs for the Mac to the iTunes apps store. There are now over 100,000 programs available for the iPhone and none of them, not one, would be classified as malware. Maybe they will do this, if ever nasty programs become a problem on the Mac. So far, this has not been necessary. Of course, users should still be free to install any program they like, including viruses and Trojans and spyware and ad ware.
with a rubber hose or electric shock decryption key used on the owner of the password
That is a great post! Here is what your parents and grandparents went through when they were growing up. Then they had you!
First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us.
They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.
Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paints
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.
As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.
Riding in the back of a pick-up on a warm day was always a special treat.
We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.
We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.
We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because we were usually ouside PLAYING!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the street lights came on.
No one was able to reach us all day. Still, we were O.K.
We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 199 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms.
We had FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.
We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.
We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them!
Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!
This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever! Our generation went to the moon.
The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!
Except that none of these affect your boot time or system performance. They do not automatically start up and then start bugging you every now and then to spend some money.
Why not sit in front of the class and take a video or a series of still pictures of everything worth keeping.
...The Mac Mini is so much more expensive....
Even though the server version of the Mini costs $999, it may not be more expensive for someone who is not a Linux expert or doesn't want to spend a lot of time setting up such a server and maintaining it.
It is likely however that this would not apply to most users here on Slashdot.
The new server version of the Mini comes with the Snow Leopard of OS X, which is easy to set up for a non-expert. According to Apple, it uses only 14 w when idle. As a home server, that would be most of the time. It is also silent and can be put almost anywhere because it is so small. External FireWire or USB disk drives can be used for storage and/or automatic backups using Time machine.
...Also, the mac mini draws 110 watts....
Apple's website claims that the new Mac mini they just came on the market with uses only 14 W when idle. They also make a server version for those who don't have the skill or inclination to mess around with Linux. It is easy to setup and administer for those with limited computer skills. The Mac mini is also essentially silent and that may be a consideration.
Anyone who does have the skill and time, would likely be better off with a cheaper solution. For some people, who do have the skills, their time may be more valuable than the difference in price for a cheap box. Of course, for anyone who posts a lot on Slashdot, time cannot be too valuable.
....In other words, God likes to punish people for things they didn't do, because an ancestor did?...
God doesn't punish anybody anymore than an apple tree punishes an apple that falls to the ground. As I have said before, God is perfect, and unless you are too, you cannot and will not stand in his presence. We are so used to sin, because we live in a sinful world. God abhors sin and apparently considers it much worse than death, even the death of a baby in the fire.
(...Firstly, you cannot possibly know that...)
Yes I can. When Adam and Eve sinned, they ran away from God, but he went looking for them. Because you are sinful, you are running away from God. God may call you, but people never drank you kicking and screaming into heaven. Adam and Eve were kicked out of the garden because they didn't believe God. You will be kept out of heaven because you didn't believe God. You keep talking about evidence in the same way that the Pharisees asked Jesus for evidence. He said they would be given the evidence of his resurrection, but they rejected that.
(...Is that the best possible way he could think of helping people search for him?...)
Yes it is, because it is human nature to search for God when things get really bad. But there are many who have become true Christians when they were at the bottom of a foxhole under enemy fire. I will pray, that God will put you in a "foxhole", and you cry out to God to save you.
(..no testimony is sufficient to establish a miracle...)
The religious leaders of Israel did not believe in Jesus resurrection because they did not want to believe. A person who has made up their mind not to believe, will reject any and all evidence, just as they did.
Of all religious leaders and groups that have ever come and gone on this earth, only Jesus has made the claims to deity, but he was also the only one who proved his claims by conquering our worst enemy, death.
(..and where someone was mistaken for dead....)
Jesus was very definitely dead and he came back to life again. That is the core of the Christian faith.
(...And what is your reason for believing him, rather than his enemies...)
Because I have personally seen him in action in my life over and over again.
(...Note that he describes a circle...)
in the Hebrew language that word is KHUG which can also be translated spherical, as a ball.
(..The Earth doesn't have foundations, or a corner stone...)
The sun doesn't rise either were set, but we still speak of sunrise and sunset. We also speak metaphorically of the ends of the earth.
(...Why does God have to prove anything to Satan?...)
the book of Job clearly shows that God is in control and that Satan has to obey God whether he likes it or not. God allows Satan to test Job, but God also sets limits to the test which Satan cannot exceed.
(...part of God telling Job, more or less, "I'm awesome. What have you got to say for yourself?"...)
That's because God IS the awesome eternal Creator, where Satan is merely a created finite angelic being who rose up against God.
(...It's also interesting to suggest that God would destroy his creation so...)
It is prophesied, then God will indeed destroy the entire physical universe which has been corrupted by sin, and make a new incorruptible one.
(... foundations of the earth?...)
The verse talks about time, the beginning thereof, not the structure of the earth.
(... It's a circle...)
the Hebrew word for circle can also be sphere or ball.
(...In other words, god isn't responsible for something that's "natural"?..)
To God everything is natural, but to us limited humans, some things are supernatural. God could prevent something from happening, such as a natural disaster, but he can also allow it to happen. When a tidal wave or earthquake kills thousands we blame God. God says this world is corrupt because of sin. As a result of that corruption we get natural disasters and also actions of men such as war.
(...The Nazis were, as an organizatio
... Why does God allow babies to die in fires?...
Why does God allow anybody to die? The Bible tells us that death came into the world when the first man sinned. Death is a natural fruit of sin in the same way apples are the natural fruit of apple trees. Besides that, God doesn't look at death the same way you do. Death is not the cessation of being, but a mere separation. The Bible speaks of two deaths. The first happens when your spirit and soul are separated from your body. Your body dies. The second death is when your spirit and soul, which were meant to be united with God forever, are separated from God for all eternity. Since babies have not had the opportunity to specifically reject God and his salvation, the way you have, the second death does not apply to them.
God doesn't want to torture you, but it would be torture for you if he forced you to be in his presence forever. The only way you are anybody can go to hell, literally, is over Jesus dead body. He hung there on the cross for you.
(...It is only when things are going well, and God is no longer directly manifesting, that they start to wander...)
When I was still in Germany, immediately after the war, the churches were packed. Now they are empty museums mostly. Troubled times send people to search for God, but when there is prosperity, people including Christians get fat and lazy and God becomes unimportant. Therefore, God allows or even sends trouble, in order for people to search again for him. Christians in America have come to rely on their own strength and resources rather than God. That is why God does few miracles among us. This ties right into:
(....When I ask why God won't heal amputees, it is a rhetorical question ...)
In our church we often hear the testimony of visiting missionaries from Third World countries, especially Africa. They testify of experiencing miracles, were lame people walk again, blind people see again and even dead people come to life again, in response to fervent prayer. You will probably tell me that their testimony is false. You are of course entitled to do that. Jesus enemies attributed his miracles to the devil rather than God. Satan has far more power and knowledge than any human. He can and will also do miracles, if that's what people are looking for. Therefore, what we call a miracle in itself, is not necessarily from God.
There is however one thing that only God can do. That is to accurately foretell the future, especially thousands of years in advance.
Isa 46:9 remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me,
Isa 46:10 declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,'
God is scientifically accurate in his word. Here he tells us modern knowledge, such as the Earth suspended in space and the fact that exactly north of earth space is strangely empty. The boundary between light and dark, inscribed upon the earth, called the terminator, is also circular.
Job 26:7 He stretches out the north over the empty place, and He hung the earth on nothing.
Job 26:10 He has described a circle on the surface of the waters to the boundary of light with darkness.
Read Isaiah 40, paying special attention two verse 22. Here, God tells us contrary to then current scientific opinion, which was that the earth is flat, that God is enthroned above the circle of the earth.
(....God abandons them and punishes them...)
You've got it wrong. The natural result when people get fat and lazy and stray away from God, are the troubles you describe and more. It's just as natural as an apple falling off the tree.
(...Muslims and Christians have done similar things...)
I am talking about losing one's cultural and religious identity. Except for the fact that governments have sometimes put natives into reservations, which are little better than concentration camps, most of them have integrated into
Hi David,
At this point, I think it is no longer helpful to respond to your post point by point. Besides the book or movie, "The Case for Christ", there are two other DVDs, I would like to recommend to you. In neither one of them is God ever mentioned. The first is called "The Privileged Planet", the other one is "Unlocking the Mystery of Life". I believe they are available from Amazon. You might be interested in seeing them, because both of them deal with evidence that there is a mind behind the universe.
The problem of evil in this world, as well as a book by that title, seems to be a big if not the biggest factor in your conclusion that there is no God. The Bible hints at the origin of evil, but labels it a mystery to which we have not been given the full answer. It has something to do with how Lucifer an Archangel became proud and rebelled against God. However we are given no detail into why and how this happened. We read that he became God's adversary, that is Satan. The Bible tells us only about the MYSTERY of iniquity.
It seems that the question "why" is the one most often asked by believers and atheists alike. Science and scientists can often answer questions for "how", but only faith can answer some "why" questions. Some questions will remain unanswered until we are in eternity.
I have never yet communicated as with anyone as extensively as with you, on Slashdot or any other forum. I wish I could meet you in person, or at least chat with you for a while on the phone. I too will tell you a little bit about myself.
I am an electronics engineer, now retired. I was born in Germany, under Hitler, but immigrated with my parents to the United States after World War II. I was 11 years old at that time. Before I go on, I would like to say that I am truly sorry what my people did to your people.
I was brought up in a Christian home, with all that entails, you know church and Sunday school and all that. I too had, and still have an inquisitive mind. I was always interested to find out how things worked. Even still in Germany, with the country in ruins after the war, I took mechanical things apart in order to figure out how they worked. Sometimes I even managed to put them back together again. Some kids were blown to bits, when they tinkered with unexploded bombs.
In my teenage years, being exposed to the theory of evolution in science classes, I began to doubt everything about my Christian upbringing. I especially saw the hypocrisy of many Christians around me. I was told by the pastor that I would go to hell for working part-time in a movie theater.
However, I continued going to church, mostly in order to please my mother and it was just the "thing" to do on Sundays. My body sat in church, but my mind was far away, elsewhere. All of our church services were in German.
One day, when I was in my late teens, a young man, an evangelists from Germany was invited to our church. Though usually, by this time in my life, preaching went mostly in one ear and out the other, for some reason, I listened to him. One evening, although he was preaching to the congregation, it seemed as if he were talking directly to me.
He talked of things that I have done, attitudes I had, in short, as if he knew all about me. However, they were all things that were also known by my mother. After that evening, I was quite angry with my mother and accused her of telling him all about her boy. She said quite succinctly that she had not talked with a man about me, but I did not believe her. The man was staying with us as a houseguest
The next evening, was essentially a repeat performance, except this time he talked of deeds and attitudes that I have never shared with anyone on earth, even my mother, whom I was otherwise very close to. All this was in the scriptural context of John 4:4 to John 4:43, the story of the encounter of Jesus and the woman at the well. Just like the story of that woman, the evangelist, as a representative of Jesus, was given information about me that no one on earth
.....due to the distances used....
It's obvious that the electric force operates over cosmic distances, otherwise we would not receive any electromagnetic radiation from distant objects. The electric force includes electromagnetic radiation, as well as electric and magnetic fields. The electromagnetic force and gravity both operate over cosmic distances. I am not a cosmologist, but an electrical engineer and as such I think the electric force should not be ignored large-scale operation of the universe. Most of the universe does not consist of nicely neutral atoms, such as we are familiar with here on earth, but of ionized matter and free electrons, which are free to move cosmic distances even in an immeasurably small electric field. I think a better, more complete explanation of the operation of the cosmos can be had if both gravity and electric fields and currents are taken into account.
(...he picks really bad arguments for atheism,...)
actually, atheists have some pretty good arguments, if you accept the assumption (belief) that all of reality, all there is, can be grasped by our senses or the extensions thereof we have developed.
(...My claim is that I have seen no evidence for a god...)
But then you haven't seen any evidence to the contrary either. At best, you could call yourself an agnostic.
(...God is asking far more of me than any human relationship does...)
Your life is far more faith-based than you realize. You go to bed at night in the belief that you will wake up in the morning. However you have no guarantee that you will.
(...whether or not my beliefs are true...)
Jesus made some rather arrogant statements concerning himself and truth.
John 6:35, John 8:12, John 9:12, John 10:9, John 10:14, John 11:25, John 14:6.
Unless all these statements are true, Christians have been following a deceiving and deceived egomaniac. Yet, even our calendar marks the time when he appeared, even if not down to the exact year. I believe that the statements that Jesus made about himself are indeed true.
(...insufficient evidence...)
What would be sufficient evidence for you that what Jesus Christ said is true? What would be sufficient evidence for you, personally, that the airliner that you are about to board has been properly maintained? For me, the fact that the apostles and early Christians managed to change the world, is evidence enough. They were willing to die to proclaim the truth, the world changing truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. They were convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt. So am I.
(...If you can convince me that your story is true, that Jesus died, rose, loves me, will save me, etc,...)
You are asking me to do something only God, by his Holy Spirit can do.
John 15:26 "But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.
Just say something like: "Dear Jesus, I have trouble believing your gospel story as written in the Bible. I don't even know for sure if you exist. Will you please give me enough evidence so I too can believe and become your child?"
(....In other words, we, as a society, are more ethical than your god....)
It is debatable whether we really are more ethical or not in locking somebody up for the rest of their life. However there are and have been societies who did not employ prisons the way we do.
(...I'm sorry, what crime have I committed?...)
Revelation 21:8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."
Have you ever committed any one of these even once in your life? How many murders as a person have to commit before they are a murderer? How many lies for a liar?
(...In other words, as long as I can believe, I can do whatever I want?....)
A person who truly believes and loves God does not ever WANT to do anything that displeases him. Just b
...But back then they were dealing with prey much larger than is available today...
However, there were also much larger predators who could eat crocodiles. A more likely scenario is the fact that the earth was much warmer back then than it is today. Reptiles are cold-blooded creatures whose metabolism depends on the temperature of the environment. If the environment is uniformly warm all year round, all reptiles can grow bigger in their lifetime. If the global warming people are right, we will have bigger snakes, crocodiles and lizards centuries from now.
...Why do we only find the dead end?...
Maybe because the evolution of a rodent into a pachyderm is dead wrong? The word evolution as applied to the adaptability of living organisms is what the article is all about. After 40,000 generations, the organism was still in E. coli and nothing else. All dogs have a common ancestor, but that was still a dog, nothing else. Thousands of generations of fruit flies have been bred, with many variations and mutations, but all are still essentially fruit flies.
..Imagine how much bigger tha Ark would have had to be....
Eeverybody always assumes that the animals that came to Noah were fully grown adults.The Bible does not say that now I have to go out and catch the animals, but that they came to him.
....Except that I have yet to see such an electrical force actually worked out..
I know that mainstream cosmologists largely ignore electricity in the large-scale function of the universe. I believe that is a grave mistake. That doesn't mean that the theories of those who advocate for an electric universe are all correct and the others are all wrong. I'm just saying that the electrical force should be paid more attention to than it currently is. There is not a single mathematical equation, the changes in the slightest, whether one acknowledges God or not.
(...Whether religion can change a person....)
It is never any religion I'm talking about, but a living relationship with the person of Jesus Christ that will always change a person for the better.
(...Again, if he was an honest skeptic..)
he is not pretending to speak for atheists, but merely chronicles his journey from atheism to faith in Christ. There is also a DVD out, based on this book and having the same title.
(...The burden of proof is on the person making the claim....)
that is true, and there are plenty of atheists who are trying to prove their claim.
(...He cannot forgive one who does not believe in him...)
That is right! The Bible says our relationship with God has to be based on faith. It is the only criterion that is universal. There's not one person on this earth that CANNOT believe. It is a matter of WANTING to or not.
(...yet he will only save his friends...)
That is not true, but Jesus will save anyone who wants to be saved.
(...A judge sits in a courtroom...)
when his aged mother is brought before him, having been caught red-handed in a crime, which in that society was punishable by 40 lashes minus one with a whip. The judge knows that his old momma would never survive such a punishment. He steps down from the bench, takes off his judicial robe, has the executioner with the whip to deliver those lashes on to his back instead. The crime we have all committed against God is eternal death, that is, eternal banishment from his presence. So God stepped out of eternity into time, became a man and took the punishment in our place.
(... This is your divine justice?...)
yes, God took your punishment you so richly deserve and I too, along with every other human and now gives you the opportunity to go free. Justice has been met, in that the decreed punishment of death was carried out, but not on us sinners. Jesus took your guilt and bore it so you don't have to.
(...The claim is that he simply said a prayer...)
Jesus claimed to be God and as God the Creator has perfect knowledge of the structure of matter. It is easy for him to restructure a collection of atoms of water into wine or to multiply a few loaves of bread and some fish to feed 5000 people. Just because we don't have the foggiest notion how such a thing could be done doesn't mean it can't be done and hasn't been done.
(...once you accept the premise...)
there are many things we accept on faith, that is, they are axioms upon which further reasoning is based. The Bible puts it like this:
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
There is a promise in this verse, in the last phrase.
(...Problem of Evil...)
that is a problem and stumbling stone that has caused many thinking, honest people like you, (yes there are honest atheists) to question faith in God, especially a God who supposedly is love. Theologians and philosophers have wrestled with this throughout the ages. The Bible tells us that this problem of evil started for man, when he disbelieved God and in effect declared himself independent from God, becoming as it were godless. The first of the 10 Commandments tells us to love God. In order to love someone, we must also have the choice not to love. If you want to know what love looks like, from God's perspective, read 1Corinthians 13 in your Bible. The bottom line is simply this: God gave man a love
...name tattooed on their forehead....
something like that is prophesied in the book of Revelation which was written almost 20 centuries ago.
Rev13:16 And he forces all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
...However the Higgs boson (if it exists) ...
Well, whether they find it or not, I do hope they discover some exciting things. Experimental high-energy physics has not really come up with anything new for a long time. Measurements have been made to high accuracy to verify what exists but no new ground has been broken.