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by John Bryant (Author), Graham Swinerd (Author)
This book recounts the amazing grand narrative of what science is telling us of the sweep of cosmic history from the Big Bang to life on planet Earth. On the way, the challenging questions of the origins of the Universe and of life are examined. The authors, Graham and John, have been career scientists working in very different disciplines - physics and biology respectively - and they bring complementary expertise to these profound questions. For more information please go to our promotional website at bigbangtobiology 'dot' net. You can also follow us at our Facebook page. Login into Facebook and use 'Big Bang to Biology' in the the search box. Graham and John are also Christian believers, which opens for them a new dimension in their appreciation of scientific revelation. It also poses questions about how their scientific worldview can be reconciled with a belief in God. Science is very influential in our secular culture. Scientific research and technological spin-offs have provided huge benefits for the way we live. In contrast, some would say that religious faith seems staid and archaic. However, there is more to it than this simple view suggests. Although both authors love science, they are both appreciative of its limitations. It is a very common conviction that science has solved all the mysteries of life, the Universe and everything, and only minor, unfinished business remains to be resolved. However, an examination of this belief shows it is far from the truth. As human beings we hold many beliefs that have very little to do with the 'analytic' truths of science. These big issues, mostly to do with the meaning of life and our purpose within it, lead to the idea that there are effectively two ways of looking at existence, one stemming from science and the other from philosophy/theology. Can a satisfying synthesis of these two major worldviews be achieved? The book addresses many such questions. Has science made God irrelevant? Is it possible to be a scientist with a faith in God, or is the concept of God an archaic legacy of a distant and superstitious past? It is the answers to questions such as these that have inspired the authors to produce this book. The story of Graham's journey to belief in the Christian God is told in the text, and this was very much related to the relationship between science and faith. Both authors acknowledge personal experiences beyond the physical realm and are left with the inevitable conclusion that science gives an incomplete account of their reality. In summary, it is a multi-disciplinary text with a wide ranging discussion of the relevant threads of this story - including the limitations of science, the cosmology of the Bang Bang, the fine-tuning of physical laws to allow life to arise in the Universe, the origins, history and interdependencies of life on Earth, what makes us human, the scientific and Biblical account of creation and the issues of environmental damage and climate change. The book is written for believers and sceptics alike. Believers will feel more comfortable (and thus encouraged) that a harmony can be achieved between the two worldviews. Sceptics, who nevertheless may be seeking some kind of faith, may find guidance and support in their search for the spiritual realm, a search that is embodied in the title of the book.
