In today’s world, many people hold the belief that science has already unlocked the secrets of reality, with only minor details left to explore. This perspective is often summed up by the phrase, “I don’t believe in God; I believe in science.” While science is a powerful tool for understanding the universe through reason, evidence, and collective inquiry, it can also become a restrictive belief system. This dual nature of science—both as a method of inquiry and as a worldview—can sometimes limit the very exploration it seeks to promote.
Since the late 19th century, science has largely operated under a materialist worldview. This perspective suggests that everything in the universe, including life itself, can be explained in terms of physical matter and processes. However, breaking free from this narrow view could invigorate scientific exploration. In my book, “The Science Solution” (also known as “Science Set Free” in the United States), I examine ten core assumptions of science by turning them into questions to test their validity.
These assumptions form the foundation of modern education and policy-making. However, upon closer examination, each of these dogmas can be questioned and often falls apart.
The belief that the laws of nature are fixed is a holdover from an outdated worldview. Before the Big Bang Theory, it was thought that the universe was eternal and governed by unchanging laws. However, the discovery of the Big Bang suggests a universe that has been evolving for about 14 billion years. If the universe evolves, why shouldn’t its laws evolve too? Human laws change over time, and the concept of fixed natural laws may be an anthropocentric metaphor. I propose that nature’s habits evolve, a concept I call morphic resonance, which suggests that everything in nature has a collective memory. For instance, a developing giraffe embryo might tap into the morphic resonance of past giraffes to grow and behave like one.
Another assumption worth questioning is the constancy of fundamental constants like the speed of light and gravitational constant. Historical data indicates that these values may fluctuate, suggesting our understanding is limited by rigid assumptions. Similarly, the prevailing view that consciousness is confined to the brain is restrictive. Our experiences often feel external, and I propose that perception involves projecting images outward, extending our minds beyond our physical brains.
By questioning these scientific dogmas, we can open up new avenues for research and understanding. Moving beyond these constraints can lead to a renaissance in science, making it more dynamic and life-affirming. Embracing this shift could lead to a more holistic and enriched understanding of the universe and our place within it.
Engage in a structured debate with your peers about one of the ten dogmas of science mentioned in the article. Choose a dogma and divide into two groups: one supporting the traditional view and the other challenging it. Use evidence from scientific literature to support your arguments and aim to understand both perspectives.
Select one of the ten dogmas and conduct a research project to explore its historical development and current challenges. Prepare a presentation to share your findings with the class, highlighting how questioning this dogma could lead to new scientific insights.
Imagine a world where the laws of nature evolve over time. Write a short essay or create a visual representation of how this could impact scientific research, technology, and daily life. Discuss your ideas with classmates to explore different perspectives.
Participate in a workshop where you explore the concept of morphic resonance. Work in groups to design an experiment or study that could test this hypothesis. Discuss the potential implications if morphic resonance were proven to be a valid scientific concept.
Keep a reflective journal for a week, documenting instances where you encounter scientific beliefs or assumptions in your studies or daily life. Reflect on how these beliefs shape your understanding of the world and consider alternative perspectives that could enrich your viewpoint.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
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Delusion is the belief that science already understands the nature of reality in principle, leaving any of the details to be filled in. This is a very widespread belief in our society, often expressed by those who say, “I don’t believe in God; I believe in science.” This belief system has now spread globally, but there is a conflict at the heart of science between science as a method of inquiry based on reason, evidence, hypothesis, and collective investigation, and science as a belief system or worldview. Unfortunately, the worldview aspect of science has come to inhibit and constrict the free inquiry that is the lifeblood of scientific endeavor.
Since the late 19th century, science has been conducted under the aspect of a belief system or worldview, which is essentially that of materialism. These sciences are now largely aligned with the materialist worldview. I believe that as we break out of this perspective, the sciences will be revitalized. In my book, “The Science Solution,” also titled “Science Set Free” in the United States, I take the ten dogmas or assumptions of science and turn them into questions to see how well they hold up under scrutiny.
The ten dogmas, which form the default worldview of most educated people worldwide, are as follows:
1. Nature is mechanical or machine-like; the universe operates like a machine, and we, including animals and plants, are akin to machines.
2. Matter is unconscious; the universe consists of unconscious matter, with no consciousness in stars, galaxies, or living beings.
3. The laws of nature are fixed; they remain the same now as they were at the time of the Big Bang and will remain unchanged.
4. The total amount of matter and energy is always the same, except at the moment of the Big Bang.
5. Nature is purposeless; there are no inherent purposes in nature, and the evolutionary process lacks direction.
6. Biological heredity is material; everything inherited is contained within genes or their modifications.
7. Memories are stored as material traces in the brain.
8. Consciousness is confined to the brain; all mental activity occurs within the brain.
9. Psychic phenomena, such as telepathy, are impossible; thoughts cannot affect anything at a distance.
10. Mechanistic medicine is the only effective form of medicine, leading to the neglect of complementary and alternative therapies.
This default worldview is held by almost all educated individuals and underpins our educational systems and governmental policies. However, I find each of these dogmas to be highly questionable, and upon examination, they tend to fall apart.
For instance, the idea that the laws of nature are fixed is a remnant of an older worldview. Before the Big Bang Theory, many believed the universe was eternal and governed by unchanging mathematical laws. However, the Big Bang revealed a universe that has been evolving for approximately 14 billion years. The notion that all laws of nature were fixed at the moment of the Big Bang is an oversimplification.
In an evolving universe, why shouldn’t the laws themselves evolve? Human laws change, and the idea of laws in nature is an anthropocentric metaphor. Instead, I propose that the habits of nature evolve. This concept, which I have developed into a scientific hypothesis called morphic resonance, suggests that everything in nature has a kind of collective memory. For example, as a young giraffe embryo develops, it tunes into the morphic resonance of previous giraffes, allowing it to grow and behave like one.
Additionally, I question the assumption that fundamental constants, such as the speed of light and gravitational constant, are truly constant. Historical data shows fluctuations in these values, suggesting they may vary over time and space. This raises the possibility that our understanding of these constants is limited by dogmatic assumptions.
The nature of the mind is another area where dogmatic thinking inhibits inquiry. The prevailing view suggests that our consciousness is confined to our brains, yet our experiences often feel external. I propose that perception involves an outward projection of images, extending our minds beyond our physical brains.
In conclusion, I believe that questioning these dogmas can open up new avenues of research and understanding. By moving beyond these constraints, science can experience a renaissance, becoming more interesting and life-affirming.
Thank you.
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This version removes any foreign language and music notations, while maintaining the core ideas and arguments presented in the original transcript.
Science – The systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment. – Science has revolutionized our understanding of the universe, from the smallest particles to the vastness of space.
Belief – An acceptance that something exists or is true, especially one without proof, often forming the basis of a philosophical or scientific hypothesis. – In the philosophy of science, belief in the existence of unobservable entities like electrons is justified by their explanatory power.
Worldview – A particular philosophy of life or conception of the world, often influencing scientific interpretation and inquiry. – A scientist’s worldview can significantly affect their approach to research and the interpretation of data.
Nature – The inherent qualities or characteristics of something, often referring to the physical world and its phenomena. – Understanding the laws of nature is fundamental to the development of scientific theories.
Consciousness – The state of being aware of and able to think about one’s own existence, sensations, thoughts, and surroundings, often studied in philosophy and cognitive science. – The nature of consciousness remains one of the most profound questions in both philosophy and neuroscience.
Evolution – The process by which different kinds of living organisms are thought to have developed and diversified from earlier forms during the history of the earth. – The theory of evolution provides a unifying framework for understanding the diversity of life on Earth.
Inquiry – The act of asking for information or conducting an investigation, often forming the basis of scientific research. – Scientific inquiry involves forming hypotheses, conducting experiments, and analyzing results to draw conclusions.
Memory – The faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information, a key area of study in both psychology and neuroscience. – Research into memory has revealed much about how the brain processes and retains information.
Constants – Quantities that remain unchanged under specified conditions, often fundamental in scientific equations and theories. – The speed of light in a vacuum is one of the most well-known constants in physics.
Exploration – The action of traveling in or through an unfamiliar area in order to learn about it, often applied to scientific and philosophical investigations. – Space exploration has expanded our understanding of the cosmos and our place within it.
