God Didn't Create Universe

[Reasonable]

strunge said:

Reasonable said:

TauKappaNASA said:

Scoobes said:

I was wondering how long it'd take someone to post this with the number of religion/god threads we've had recently. Did people really expect him to say anything different?

seriously, i can't believe this is such big news...

Given the current mood of religion vs science and religion vs religion affecting much of the world and causing a great deal of unrest, I'm curious what you would consider big news... Halo on PS3?  MGSIV on 360?  ;)

it's not big news because it doesn't add anything new to the scenario.  physicists and aetheists have been claiming that the universe can exist by nature solely for years, so it isn't "new"s just because one more person says it because he has a greater visibility.

I'd disagree on a couple of points.

1 - while claims have been made for a while they've been disconnected, there have been gaps in some areas, and it hasn't really been via a channel with potentially broader public perception.  With his books and cultural presence - the guy was on The Simpsons! - Hawking saying this is far more likely to get more coverage and he's saying it in terms of bringing together various theories to be a more definitive - we're now absolutely sure no creator is needed - manner (so far as I can gather from the blurb)

2 - as I said religious fundamentalism is on the rise, and in this climate a prominant scientist making this claim (although I'd note he's saying no God is required, not that one doesn't exist, so far as I understand his wording) is news because it's almost certainly going to have impact.  A number of key figures from science are pushing back hard currently in this area - and therefore in this context this is clearly news.

But I agree, this isn't the first, OMIGOD he say's the Universe could come into existence without a God statement made ever.  But I'd say in the current climate its news for the reasons above.