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Faulking Around - Dec 31, 2005 - Printable Version
- Let's Teach the Controversy
by Robin Buckallew
I'd like to tell you a story about a close friend of mine who is a physicist - we'll just refer to him as "H". Poor H has been poorly treated by the entrenched, dogmatic world of established science. For years, he has worked very hard developing a theory and collecting evidence for it, and now the scientific establishment refuses to allow it to be taught in physics classes. Their narrow-minded, closed circle of dogmatic pedagogues has simply dismissed this theory, just because it flies in the face of one of their fondest beliefs - the belief in the theory of gravity. You see, H has done a great many calculations, and reviewed a great body of scientific literature, and he has come to the conclusion that the theory of gravity is simply inadequate to account for the complexity of matter remaining on the earth without flying into space. Such complexity, he reasons, could not be accounted for by the mere physical force of gravity exerting a compelling force and holding matter down. Especially since there are big gaps in the theory of gravity. What is gravity? What is it made of? Where did it come from? How did it begin? Always a questioning spirit, not to mention a brilliant mind, H has come up with what could possibly be the only answer to these as yet unanswered questions - the theory of the Intelligent Positioner. You see, H has devised some complicated equations that prove beyond a doubt that the gravitational force expounded by Sir Isaac Newton is simply too weak and too inefficient to hold people in place. The positioning of matter, both organic and inorganic, is simply too perfect, too specific. He has determined that the probabilities against gravity being just the right amount of force in just the right place on earth are too astronomical to be acceptable. No matter where you want or need to be at any given moment, the force of gravity somehow or other is just the right force so that you will be there and not somewhere else. If the gravitational force were just a little weaker, you would fly off into space. If the force were just a little stronger, you would not be able to move around as needed. So, what are the odds? H has calculated that the odds against the force being just the right amount at just the right time is 1247912239487631592112733578887212:1. Against such impossible odds, it becomes obvious that the only possible answer is that there is an Intelligent Positioner that is holding you in the proper place on the earth at all times, as well as holding everything else on earth in just the right place. The many large, invisible hands of this Intelligent Positioner hold you lightly in place, and let up the pressure just enough when you need to move around so that you can walk without flying off into space. The identity of the Intelligent Positioner is, of course, vague and non-specific, but there must indeed be an intelligent force in the universe holding all matter where it needs to be at all times.
Unfortunately, the rigidity of the traditional physics establishment prevents this theory from being taught in the science classes. They point to gravity as though it were somehow fact, no matter how often we IP advocates remind them that gravity is, after all, only a theory. In addition, they maintain that the IP theory is somehow a religious doctrine, and therefore teaching it would violate the First Amendment prohibition against establishment of religion. I would like to point out that IP is not any sort of religious doctrine at all (it doesn't name the Intelligent Positioner as any particular deity, and the Intelligent Positionery doesn't, in fact, have to be a deity at all). IP is, in fact, scientific and strongly supported by the fact that the evidence for gravity is inconclusive. We, the IP proponents, are asking only that the schools teach the controversy, that they present IP theory to the physics students along with the theory of gravity, and let the students make up their own minds. We ask that they include in the physics curriculum the criticisms of gravity that have been laid down in H's s books, Newton on Trial and Newton's Black Box, so that the students will not be indoctrinated into believing unquestioningly a theory that has never actually been proven as fact.
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