From
the instant of the initial burst of energy that propelled our universe into existence,
it has been engaged in a path of progressive complexification that has led to
unbounded creative expressions. There
are several complimentary and opposing factors that have been instrumental in its
development. As presented in the
illustration below, they are repulsion, attraction, chaos, organization,
complexification, and entropy. They
manifest in innumerable ways, are ubiquitous and their influence is universal.
The
items on the left are generally destructive and contribute to the perception of
the cosmos as a rather hostile environment.
Yet, the items on the right are continually at work within those conditions
in amazingly creative ways. Physicists
have identified four “attractive forces” that account for the structure of
matter; strong and weak forces which maintain the integrity of the nuclei of
atoms; electromagnetism which enables atoms to form bonds and maintain
molecules; and, gravity, the weakest of these forces, is able to extend over
enormous distances and compress gigantic hydrogen clouds into stars fueled by nuclear fusion,
hold billions of stars in a rotating galaxy and draw multiple galaxies into
swirling galactic clusters.
As
matter is drawn together by these attractive forces, it tends to organize into
infinite combinations, patterns and increasingly complex entities. This is evident in both living and non-living
phenomena everywhere on our planet. Furthermore,
the proliferation of stars throughout the cosmos suggests this creative force is
at work on a universal scale.
Our
presence in the universe is entirely due to the fact that we are living in a
spiral galaxy that has density waves that circulate around our spinning stellar
neighborhood. As they pass through
clouds of matter that have been expelled during supernovas, elements are
brought into closer contact where the force of attraction can exercise a
greater influence.
These
gigantic clouds begin circulating in ever tightening spirals. Eventually a star is born in the center of
this swirling stardust. The matter
orbiting around the star comes into contact, begins bonding, and new cosmic
structures are formed. They may be
nothing more than a few pebbles at first, but over time they become rocks,
asteroids, comets and finally, planets.
These
were the events that led to our existence.
Our natural perception of our world is one of a stable planet. It is difficult to imagine a time when it did
not exist. However, the reality is that
about five billion years ago, the atoms that comprise everything around us, our
homes, the ground beneath our feet, our loved ones, even our own bodies, were
simply floating in space as part of an enormous cloud that had been expelled
from a star, or perhaps several stars. Yes,
we and everything we perceive around us are quite literally made of stardust.
The
early stages of our solar system were extremely chaotic and violent. The gravitational force of our planet
compressed the core and heated it into a molten mass. Our thin outer crust was initially quite vulnerable
to eruptions from within. In fact,
approximately 250 million years ago a lava flow lasted for a million years in
the area that is now Russia.
The
tumult was not limited to events occurring on the planet alone. Asteroids, meteors, and comets frequently
impacted the surface. At one point the
Earth collided with a smaller developing planet that penetrated deep into its
core and caused a large portion of the Earth to break off and be propelled into
space. Fortunately, the Earth’s
gravitational force caused that mass to settle into an orbit around it, where
eventually it was shaped into a sphere of solid rock which we now know as the
Moon.
The
tendency is to view all of these events as violent episodes of random
chaos. Many consider our universe a
hostile environment, but I would argue that that perception is based merely on
our geocentric point of view. Certainly
life, as we know it, could not have survived the colossal upheavals presented
thus far. However, if we can maintain a
cosmic perspective, the progressive advances of the universe become evident.
Do
we see the hand of God in this or is it actually a natural process that expands
and attracts, produces order in the midst of chaos, and transforms simple
matter into complex structures? Based on Newtonian physics, it is hard to
imagine inert atomic particles producing such an amazing cosmos without some
deity guiding the events. However, it
now appears that Newton’s understanding of a strictly mechanical universe may
have been incomplete.
When
science discovered the realm of quantum physics, it became clear that atoms are
not as inert as originally thought. In
fact, in 1977 Ilya Prigogine was awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry for his
work demonstrating the self-organizing properties of matter. This organizational tendency would certainly
explain the gradual progression towards structured complexity that has been
unfolding since the initial moment of the Big Bang.
Nowhere
is this more evident than what transpired during the formative years of our
planet. In the midst of the primitive
environmental instability certain molecules established a mutually supportive
relationship that led to a quantum leap in complexity. Without question, this is the greatest
mystery of all. How did life emerge from
this molecular accumulation? Even in its
simplest form, organisms consist of billions of atoms bonded in harmonious
relationships that form differentiated substances performing diverse tasks in a
fully integrated system.
The
cells were extremely simple at first, but the fact that there were cells at all
is nothing short of miraculous. How did
molecules establish cell membranes to contain and protect the internal
contents? What prompted ingestion,
respiration, excretion, photosynthesis, or reproduction? Whatever generated this amazing phenomenon,
one thing is certain: all living organisms alive today are direct descendants
of this first life form. Although you
will never find the documentation on Ancestry.com, the life force that animates
you, me, and every other human on the planet has come from a single source that
emerged over three billion years ago.
When
we consider the progression of complexity on the earth beyond the emergence of
life itself, two major events stand out.
First, the transition from single-celled organisms to multi-celled
organisms propelled life onto a path of unbounded diversity which is still
underway. For the first 2.7 billion
years (a timeframe that exceeds our comprehension) the earth was populated with
single-celled organisms. Considering the
volatility of the environment during that period, these were well suited for
survival. Even today these forms of life
thrive in a wide range of environmental conditions and can be found in the
permafrost of Alaska as well as hydrothermal vents at the bottom of the ocean
where temperatures can exceed 500 degrees.
About
eight hundred million years ago certain life forms failed to complete the
separation during cell division and were apparently benefitted by the
union. Before long, multi-cellular
organisms proliferated the environment.
Amazingly this occurred both in the animal kingdom as well as among
plants, resulting in extensive divergence of species and innumerable
varieties. Somewhere in the midst of
that early collection of microscopic organisms were a few who would eventually
evolve into primates, then homoerecttus, homosapians, and finally modern
man. Others would become horses, lions,
peaches and spinach. Without this
critical progression, we would still be floating around in some algae bloom
with a life expectancy of a few days at best.
As it is, the law of complexity never appears to be content with the
latest emergence. Instead, complex
elements are continually drawn together to form new expressions of creativity.
The
second incredible occurrence was the appearance of human consciousness. If this had failed to transpire, we would
still be wandering around some African savanna scavenging for fruit and small
animals while we tried to avoid becoming dinner for those who were higher on
the food chain. Many scientists debate
what factors contributed to the growth of our brains. But more significant than the reason is the
fact that approximately five million years ago Neurons simply began
proliferating and integrating in our
neocortex and produced a brain capable of reasoning in ways far superior
to the rest of the animal kingdom.
That
transformation almost guaranteed our survival and delivered us from an
existence in which progress is totally dependent upon physical adaptation. We have become a life form that is capable of
examining the source of its origin, comprehending the laws that govern matter,
contemplating the meaning of life, imagining, creating, and influencing the
future of our planet. In our sphere of
awareness, human consciousness has become the most complex entity the cosmos
has created thus far.
Of course, we do not merely observe the universe: we are the
universe discovering itself. This
realization is held by many scientists including Bill Nye the Science Guy. Furthermore, the creativity evident
throughout the cosmos is also expressed through human consciousness. Every work of art, every musical composition,
all of the books ever written, each new technical development and every poem
ever recited are refined manifestations of that universal creativity.
If and when we focus that creativity on our social
development, we will be able to transform our planet into the harmonious global
community that has thus far existed primarily in our imaginings. We must simply keep in mind that every, human
accomplishment begins as a thought. Those
thoughts then become things. There is absolutely
no reason to doubt our ability to create a brighter future for mankind. So, dare to dream.
