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2 A scientific description of creation 2 possible conflicts between Biblical and scientific views? Or Agreement between the two approaches? 3 questions for everyone A Scientist looks at Darwin or A Scientist looks at Creation

3 Galaxies – thousands of millions of stars

4 Debris from a supernova

5 13,700 M years ago – big bang. Space & time; matter, antimatter & radiation. Cosmic inflation Matter excess (over antimatter); quark plasma 0.1 ms: protons & neutrons form 1 s to 7 mins: first nuclei –  particles 350,000 years: Hydrogen and Helium atoms (Universe transparent) M years: galaxies & stars form Fusion in stars over ~8,000 M years: He, then C, N, O, Si, … Fe 9000 M years: Supernova explosion triggers 2 nd generation stars 9,100 M years after BB (4,600 M years ago): formation of earth The first 9,000 million years - matter

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7 Simple organic molecules, proteins, membranes, RNA 4,100 M years ago – simple life 3,600 M y single celled organisms, blue-green algae, oxygen 2,100 M y cells with nuclei 720 M y multicellular organisms 540 M y Precambrian explosion – many phyla appear 480 M y land plants appear, followed by land animals 350 M y reptiles 225 M y early mammals and dinosaurs. 65 M y mass extinction 50 M y primates evolve. 6 M y hominids evolve 200,000 years Homo Sapiens (150,000 “mitochondrial Eve”) The last 4,600 million years - life

8 Isn’t Biblical account a miraculous beginning, while scientific version is an ongoing, natural process? Bible describes God’s deliberate intention; science describes result of random processes. Are scientific and Biblical accounts of creation compatible?

9 Three examples of random processes, and their interpretation: Snowflakes Oxygen Plague survivors Can randomness be part of God’s plan?

10 Random condensation plus precise physical laws Snowflakes

11 What probability my next breath will contain no oxygen molecules? (or even just 10% fewer than normal?) 0.000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,001%? A breath without oxygen? N2N2 O2O2 N2N2 N2N2 N2N2 N2N2 N2N2 N2N2 N2N2 N2N2 N2N2 N2N2 N2N2 N2N2 N2N2 O2O2 O2O2 O2O2 O2O2 O2O2 O2O2 N2N2 N2N2 N2N2 N2N2 N2N2 N2N2 N2N2 N2N2 N2N2 N2N2 N2N2 ??

12 Survivors of the plague! %

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14 How does God reveal himself to you? Do you acknowledge him? Do you expect that God will do things your way? How do you (and should you) react to those with views you disagree with? Three questions for us all

15 Conducting science is “thinking God’s thoughts after him” – Astronomer Johannes Kepler ( ) “The faithful have the obligation to listen to that which secular modern science has to offer, just as we ask that knowledge of the faith be taken in consideration as an expert voice in humanity” – RC Cardinal Paul Poupard “In my opinion, science offers a surer path to God than religion” – Paul Davies, philosopher and physicist