Big Bang is a fact
From James O’Dwyer
Sir: Paul Johnson (‘And another thing, 12 November) betrays a certain naivety in his understanding of theoretical physics and the scientific method. He tells us that ‘the Big Bang is only a theory’ and that ‘a hundred years ago nobody had heard of the Big Bang’. But then Einstein’s relativity was unknown 101 years ago, as were Newton’s laws 400 years ago. Their theories, too, are ‘only theories’. When did theory become a derogatory term?
Science develops with our changing understanding of nature, and no theory will ever be ‘proven fact’. However, Big Bang cosmology is supported by a wealth of observational evidence, which Mr Johnson is welcome to investigate.
Our understanding of the physics of a ‘Big Bang’ itself is still in its infancy, but certainly theoretical physicists are interested in the deep questions raised by the observed universe. Making progress is hard work, both mathematically and experimentally, but Mr Johnson seems to take a short cut in answering these questions. His ill-defined assertions about God, human souls and their respective interactions with the observed universe are a poor substitute for the scientific method.
Taking Stephen Hawking’s quotation out of context isn’t the best way to understand modern theoretical physics. Perhaps Mr Johnson should spend some time with real, working ‘boffins’ to learn more about the subject and the kind of questions people are trying to answer.
James O’Dwyer
Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Trinity College, Cambridge
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