Chaos Theory and God's Sovereignty

One of the most interesting subjects I ever encountered is Chaos Theory. Chaos Theory studies dynamic systems that are highly chaotic in behavior which makes these systems very hard to predict. The reason of these systems' chaotic behavoir is their sensitivity to initial conditions, which is more popularly known as the "butterfly effect." Very cool, eh? Actually, Chaos Theory is a complicated area of study of physics, mathematics, and philosophy and I really do not know the whole picture of it and I definitely don't understand the math of Chaos Theory. But in my simple basic understanding of the Chaos Theory, I can see the truths and the beauty of it.

Let me explain this in my simple understanding.

Let us say that there are two types of systems or behavior: simple and complicated. Simple systems are such that can easily be solved or predicted by the use of linear equations. Examples are simple physics problem regarding Galileo's cannonballs or some billiard balls. These are easily predicted by the use of some basic equations. Second, the complex systems. These systems are very chaotic in behavior that it seems to be random, thus it's difficult or impossible to make predictions. The most perfect example of this is weather (actually Chaos Theory was initially designed to understand weather). Other chaotic behavior is found in the human behavior, air moving under a wing, economics, etc. The reason of this is these systems are sensitive to initial factors. The "butterfly effect" comes to play ("a butterfly flaps its wings in China, causing a hurricane in the US."). A small variable can cause big dominoe effects that ultimately affect the output behavior in a big way. Let us compare the simple and complex system. In the simple system's cannonball, if a cannonball is fired, and then a second cannonball is fired after it - with the same weight, same speed, same startng place, same angle - basic mathematical linear equation can predict that the second cannonball would fall at the place where the first cannon ball fell. Now in the complex system's weather, have a weather system start with a particular temperature, particular wind speed, particular humidity, and then start another weather system with the same temperature, same wind speed, and same humidity, the second weather system would have a different result than the first; the first weather system may result in a typhoon, the second may result in a sunny day. Why is this? It is because these systems are very sensitive to small variables, thus there could be a teeny-weeny difference ("a butterfly flapping its wings") between the two systems that made the big difference in the outputs. That is a simplified explanation for us laymen. (Note: the illustrations are basic Michael Crichton illustrations :>)

Chaos Theory tries to define these small variations (small "butterflies") and find hidden regularities in these complex random systems. Thus, there could be actually small patterns that would help predict the bigger picture.

And, also, back to the "simple systems." Yes, these type of problems are easily solved. But these simple systems can also commit chaotic behavior in the long run. Let's use billiard balls as examples (another Crichton illustration). Newtonian Laws can predict their behavior in a pool table. Know the mass of the ball, the angle, the force to hit it, and all that factors, and you can predict where it will end up... in theory. But then, in the long run, tiny variables like imperfections in the surface of the ball or minor indentions of the table , all these small variables accumulating in the long run, would cause the ball the behave away from the basic Newtonian calculations.

Thus, in a comprehensive summary that I always say to describe Chaos Theory: "Chaos Theory says, 'Complex systems, though as if acting randomly, have an underlying order in it. And simple systems, though can easily be predicted in theory, can produce complex behavior.'"

As we apply this in our daily life, we realize that society, the world, the universe is consisted of many complex systems interacting - complex systems that are prone to behave or actually behaving in chaos. Tiny variables can affect the overall picture. The reality that we live in have many potential bombs that can go off. Murphy's Law will always apply. An infinity of things can go wrong. Everything, in an overall picture, is actually behaving in a complex manner, everything is dynamic, always changing, every behavior is hard to predict and understand. Creation and life are so very complex, very very complex, that it is impossible for us mere humans to completely understand it all. Spider's weaving their webs, the systems of organs and chemicals working together in a living thing, planets revolving around suns, the mind's qualities, the flow of history, economics, the sensitivity of the ecosystem, the unpredictably of an individual's psyche... indeed, everything in our reality our behaving in a complex manner. Countless complex systems that consist a bigger Complex System. How can this overall Complex System, which does not only consists of small "butterfly effect" variables but consists of countless complex systems, actually function if just one tiny variable may actually bring in the end of the cosmos?

With the complete complexity of life and creation which is impossible for us humans to completely understand and predict and with millions of small things that easily affect these systems, it can be easily proven that there is a Creator. There is a God.  Life and creation are just too much complicated to exist on their own.  There must be a Powerful Someone whom designed these complex creations and keep them from falling apart.

Let's choose one topic that we can apply Chaos Theory principles and prove the argument: Creation. Now so-called "great logical" scientists say that there is no God and that everything just happened. I find this very outrageous. How can these complex systems around us "just happened"? Isn't it more logical to think that A Great Power designed such complex systems? Life and creation is just too complex to "just happen." Let's continue with the argument. Let us say, hypothetically, there are many many factors that are needed to interact with each other, in specific appropriate times, in specific appropriate external or environmental conditions, to Create. Now, these "know-it-all" scientists claim that the existence of everything - time, matter, life, etc. - are nothing but accumulation of chance events; that these many many factors just suddenly interacted, in the appropriate times, and in the appropriate external or environmental condition, on their own by chance... by accidental accumulation and simultaneous happening of chance events. What are the odds that all of this happened by accident, by simultaneous and accumulated chance events? The odds on this argument that everything existed by chance is like a tornado htting a car in Sydney, disassembling it, and then reassembling the parts back together in the Australian Outback. An impossibilty. Logic fails this argument. It is more believable that a Creator made everything - time, matter, life, etc. - to exist and the factors that they call "simultaneous and accumuated chance events" are made possible by the Creator; that there is a Creator that guided and willed for these "many many factors to interact with each other, in specific appropriate times, and specific appropriate external or environmental conditions" to create Creation.

So, indeed, with the complexity of life and creation, claiming that there is no God that created them is very illogical and stupid. Definitely, there is a God that created and designed these complex systems.

Now we determined that there is a God, the second thing to determine is what kind of God is he, by the use of Chaos Theory basic principles. If we claim that there is a God that created everything, definitely it is already given that He is a powerful God that can create something from nothing. But we can appreciate more how powerful He really is by the complexity of Creation. Countless complex systems are interacting in Creation (the Complex System). For every complex system to work, that is very sensitive to small factors, and for the overall Complex System to be in constant existence, this God must be a hands-on God. Nothing happens by accident in His Complex System. Everything would definitely happen by His will. If we claim that God just Created and left Creation on its own, these complex systems would easily go into complete chaos, and everything will go into complete destruction. Thus, we can conclude that not only did God created the Complex System, but in such a System in which millions of things can go wrong in its own, He is always in control and everything happens by His will.

God is a Sovereign God. By Life and Creation, He proved this. It is plain arrogance and stupidity if we limit what God can do. He is always in control and can do anything He wills. We can never ever understand the complete complexity of Life and Creation. But by undestanding in small ways, by using such scientific/mathematical/philosophical methods like Chaos Theory that can understand complex systems of Life and Creation in its small limited ways, we become more in awe of the complexity and beauty of the Complex System, and ultimately realize how big, how powerful, how creative, how great God is.

Time Travel

Time travel had been an interesting topic and possibility. Sci-fi had been the number one interpreter on its potential. H.G. Well’s “The Time Machine”, Dean Koontz’s “Lightning”, countless novels, been used in TV shows, and several movies like “Déjà vu” and the classic “Back to the Future” trilogy. All imaginative conceptions. Some have scientific reality in them and intelligent facts. But nonetheless, the stories are fiction. So far, time travel is not yet possible (unless the number one conspiracy country in the world, USA, have a secret project on it).

Einstein said that it was possible to travel to the future, but not to the past. I am no Physics genius, and I don’t know the full details. Nonetheless, the greatest genius of the 20th century only has theories, not concrete technology. Unless the Einstein we’re talking about is that one in Red Alert and Yuri’s Revenge – again fiction.

Time travel fascinates me. But the technology and scientific principles that are needed are not yet available. Time travel still don’t exist.

Another thing that seems to make time travel impossible is the paradoxes in time travel. Paradoxes of time travel had been amazingly, impressively, and creatively used in fiction. In reality, will it work the same in fiction? I find it hard to see.

Can traveling to the past or to the future change the reality a time traveler knows? Will it change his present? Best example of a time travel paradox at work: You travel into the past and killed your parents before they meet or before you were conceived and born. Will you cease to exist then? Then again, how were you able to travel into the past in the first place when you were never even born in the first place?

Time travel paradox is a headache. An argument that seems to make time travel impossible. Paradoxes only work well in fiction.

Do human beings have the power to change reality? Another point. Is human free will really that powerful that it can overrule fate? It is just too incomprehensible… impossible almost.

If you change the past by time traveling thus changing the reality of the present, what would happen to the original present you know of? Will it just disappear? Or will it remain existing in a parallel universe? If the latter is true, then changing the reality of the present by time travel can also create parallel universes at the same time?

Fascinating are time travel, alternate universes, and the topics from them.

Do human beings have those powers – time travel, changing reality, creating universes? I don’t know. All I know is no one can change God’s will. (If it is God’s will that humans can have those powers, then so be it)

But it seems to me that changing reality by time travel is struggling with fate. It is much better to submit to God’s will. And life is already filled with paradoxes; do we need more that will be produced by time travel?

The popular line in the movie “Kung Fu Panda” goes roughly (not verbatim), “The past is history. The future is mystery. But today is a gift. That’s why it is called present.” Live life as a day-to-day basis. Don’t be anxious about the past and future. Be still. Live life one day at a time. Submit to God’s will, because His manuscript and blueprint of life is beautiful, good, fun, and exciting. With or without time travel.

Global Warming

These days, there is a certain phenomenon that is so popular called Global Warming. Let me define it first. Global warming, in a not too technical term, is the heating up of our world due to the increased levels of carbon dioxide and other gasses. And because of this heating up, there are certain changes – dramatic changes – in world weather. It causes extreme storms, melting of glaciers and ices in the world (particularly in the Artic and the Antarctic), wiping out in the map of islands (even small island nations) due in sea levels, and other such events. Ultimately, this may lead to another Ice Age, or even maybe complete word catastrophe. That is the popular belief about Global Warming.

I think the majority obtain their beliefs and facts about Global Warming from movies like “The Day After Tomorrow” and, Al Gore’s Oscar-winning documentary, “The Inconvenient Truth”, or from media features, rather than personal research. People treat it as a flawless truth. I think the last time I read it was still just a theory. Sure, it is true there are dramatic and extreme changes in the weather lately, but is it all attributable to Global Warming?

I am aware of the two sides of this issue: those who treat Global Warming as an absolute truth, and those who believe that Global Warming is just a clever manipulative hoax. There are a lot of strong facts and arguments from both sides. I don’t have the patience to enumerate all those data about it here. All I suggest is you look it up yourself, and decide for yourself.

The Global Warming topic is a lively and relevant contest. But there is a problem with it when supporters and skeptics of it became extremists. This could be dangerous. There could be hysteria, panic, eco-terrorism, and the most dangerous of all, tampering of facts to suit one’s argument. We are easily impressed by “facts” and statistics that we believe anything that it represents even if we don’t even understand what those graphs, tables and numbers say. I always say that facts can be manipulated. And I always say that we must be always prudent, analytic, open-minded, emotionally detached, and researchful – especially in important topics like Global Warming. Moreover, we must not swallow everything that is offered to us, right?

My stand on this issue is this: I stand in the middle. I am not sure if Global Warming is indeed true or not, though, maybe, is some degree and in some senses it is certainly true that it exist. But I am not sure about several other things attributed to Global Warming. It is not for me at all to decide about it anyway, it’s up to those bright minds who call themselves experts in this matter. But I believe that weather is too complex and unpredictable to be understood completely by scientists and meteorologists (like the mind is too complex for psychology and other sciences that deal with it). Yes, in some degree weather can be understood (like the mind). But completely and absolutely understood? I don’t think so. Probably, in the future. And whether weather changes are attributable to Global Warming or not, we can not completely do something about weather change (though I read and hear about certain governments have weather control projects – for war purposes, what else). Weather will always change.

But Global Warming or no Global Warming, an inconvenient truth or a clever hoax, we must take care of our environment. We must always respect and appreciate God’s creation. It is our responsibility.