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Has Science Found God? The Latest Results in the Search for Purpose in the Universe

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Of all the skeptical literature I have encountered dealing with the question of the existence of God and the supernatural, the books and essays of Physics Professor Victor Stenger have been among the most influential in steering me towards the philosophical position of atheistic naturalism. Dr. Stenger's compelling analysis, insight, and experience in dealing with issues lying at the interface between science and religion are admirably displayed in his well-balanced yet cogent new book, "Has Science Found God?" The book is rather unique in the skeptical literature in that it approaches the question of God from an empirical perspective (rather than just on the basis of philosophical arguments), persuasively arguing that God is an empirically confirmable hypothesis: If God exists, we should be able to find unambiguous evidence for his existence (for example, in evaluating the efficacy of prayer).
The central question Stenger addresses in the book is: Does our current scientific understanding of the world provide support for the existence of God or the supernatural? Has, indeed, science found God, as claimed by many religionists, including some theistically-minded scientists? Stenger concludes that current scientific data offer little support for the existence of God or for a supernatural realm beyond the natural world. However, Stenger correctly points out that science is non-dogmatic with regard to existence claims. Should phenomena or observations appear in the future which cannot be explained naturalistically, and which point to none other than a supernatural explanation, science should and will examine them. Thus, contrary to the claims of many religionists, science is not committed to metaphysical naturalism, and supernatural explanations do indeed have consequences that in principle should be empirically verifiable. All science asks for is evidence, as evidence and consistency with current knowledge is the only way to distinguish claims which are false from those which might have some basis in reality. Religionists cannot have it both ways, arguing that God is both undetectable and unfalsifiable, yet causally interacts with the world and intervenes in human affairs.
Stenger provides wholly naturalistic explanations consistent with current physics for the existence of the universe and its apparent "fine-tuning" for the emergence of (our form of) life, thus refuting the claim that a supernatural explanation is required. Stenger shows that no violation of the great conservation laws of physics, (e.g., the first and second laws of thermodynamics) necessarily occurred during the big bang and in the emergence of life: Current physics allows a zero-energy symmetric void to produce a non-empty universe with a total net energy of zero, thereby fulfilling energy conservation. An expanding universe allows local pockets of order to spontaneously form as the total allowable entropy of the universe increases. Current physical cosmological theories imply that our universe may be but a small bubble of an eternally inflating "multiverse" comprised of a potentially infinite number of universes characterized by different physical constants, thus providing a naturalistic explanation for the apparent "bio-friendly" conditions of our universe. Thus, Stenger argues, the universe is not tuned to us, but rather we are tuned to the universe. He also indicates how the great conservation laws of physics are simply consequences of the space and time symmetries of the void.
Stenger skillfully dismantles Dembski's information-theoretic argument for intelligent design and shows claims for the existence of paranormal phenomena and for the efficacy of prayer to be without scientific merit. Stenger persuasively argues that studies of ESP and other "psi" phenomena conducted over the past century have been flawed both experimentally and in their statistical analysis of data, and at best show results that are questionable or inconclusive.
Ultimately, the power of Stenger's book lies in its honest and objective appraisal of the facts that are currently available. While science cannot prove the non-existence of any entity, whether it be God or the soul, there is no reason why the existence of such extraordinary and presumably influential entities should not be compellingly revealed through scientific inquiry. Stenger concludes that the empirical facts support a Godless universe described by natural laws and in no need of supernatural explanation. Thus, God is a superfluous, non-parsimonious hypothesis that should be sliced away by Occam's razor. Besides, even if a God were introduced as an explanation, what would that really solve? We would then have to explain where God came from, thus leading to infinite regress. As the philosophical argument goes, If the universe has to be created and designed then so does God- and if God does not need to be created and designed, then neither does the universe. In fact, Stenger points out that current physics implies an eternal, time-symmetric universe that was not created, thereby rendering a supernatural explanation for the universe irrelevant. In conclusion, I cannot recommend this important book enough to those interested in the interface between science and religion, and especially to those who are "on the fence" in deciding between theism and naturalism. This is the kind of book that can persuade agnostics and even some open-minded theists to embrace atheistic naturalism as the only intellectually responsible and parsimonious philosophical position to adopt in light of our current scientific understanding of the world.

I laughed, I cried, I stroked my chin pensively. This book sheds a rare light on the most fundamental questions ever posed about the nature of reality. It gives us the benefit of scientific knowledge and methods, but without having to be scientists ourselves, which is pretty darn convenient. Anyone who wants to know how we can approach the "Big Questions" through science gets a good demonstration in "Has Science Found God?".

The book carefully and dispassionately addresses claims made by various religious sources that science supports their belief in a God of some sort. Some of these claims can be checked out on a factual basis, and this book does that in spades.

At other times, those same sources have also said that their God is beyond the scope of scientific investigation, so it's not quite clear what they really mean.

As confusing and uncertain as we may find humanity's sometimes fumbling journey of scientific discovery, many find it much more helpful and accomplished than the strange and wildly unreliable ways of faith.

As far as the impassioned, melodramatic criticisms of this book go, merely dismissing evidence or arguments we may find personally objectionable as "propaganda" is not a very reliable way to figure out the facts. As soon as the anti-science types come up with something better than science for learning about ourselves and our universe, then we can take them seriously. But to date, they don't got jack, and they don't even step up to the plate - it's heckling from the bleachers. I prefer the approach taken by Stenger in this book.

Stenger's book sketches the stormy road travelled since the science revolution of the 17th century and leads us up to the present, where the two titanic worldviews of Mythos and Logos are locked in a mighty death struggle. Appropriately, the preface begins with a commentary on the cataclysmic events of 9/11.

To borrow Plato's Cave analogy, Stenger is the slayer of shadows on the Cave wall. One by one, he demonstrates how each flickering supernatural shadow is but an illusion born of hopes, fears, a desire to control others, and to calm ourselves in the face of a capricious Nature.

There is, of course, a problem with leading people out of the Cave, as philosophers from Plato to Strauss have noted. What happens when we emerge from the warm, dark, cozy womb of illusion into the vast, glittering, majestic world of the real Cosmos? Gone is the anchoring (if stiffling) notion of being umbilically connected to an omnipotent creator and the constant focus of his angry-but-loving attention. Instead we find ourselves to be sovereign entities in a stunningly beautiful and overwhelmingly vast material universe, risen from bacteria, not fallen from grace; free to negotiate our destiny as individuals and as a species, but very much alone. The philosophers feared mass nihilism and despair if the common folk ever discovered the supernatural world is a noble lie.

Stenger does not give many tips on how to survive being born from the Cave into the Cosmos. As a physcist, perhaps curiosity provides all the ambroisa he needs to nourish his spirit. For the non-scientists among us, especially the poetically inclined, the story doesn't end with our birth from the Cave. Rather we are just beginning the preface of a new story, a story so exhilerating and awe-inspiring that our descendents will look back on the shallow myths of our generation and be amazed that any of us found substenance in the shabby worn-out stories from antiquity.

Birth is a bloody and traumatic experience. Many will react to Stenger's book as a newborn reacts to being thrust from his own comfy little cave - with a wailing "Waaaaaa-haaaaa!" -- not to mention clenched fists and kicking feet.

But it gets better for the newborn. The dark, warm, watery cave is quickly forgotten as he becomes absorbed in a brilliant unfolding new world of perceptions and sensations. It will get better for us, too, when the poets pick up where Stenger left off, and begin weaving from science, new stories of humanity's life in the Cosmos, and new, more effective ways to negotiate our existence.

and stop asking for time ZERO.
These two messages radiate from professor Stenger's new book. I wish he could have been my teacher. After all, believing that we are just a mere case of a probability is as much helpful and comforting to me as faith in Almighty Spirit.
His writing is very good, however I am a bit disappointed. Subtitle (The Latest Results in the Search for Purpose in the Universe) slightly misleads. Yes, book contains very good scientific part (chapter 4,5,6 and 7) devoted to main topic (evolutionary algorithm, natural selection, entropy of information and Universe, quintessence, symmetry, Big Bang, "beginning" of a time and global laws of physics). The most interesting was section devoted to properties of the Void -properties that remain unchanged today, in our full of matter Universe.
I truly enjoyed his innovative explanation of how simplicity, entropy and symmetry are connected. Excellent are mathematical Appendices showing equations of Planck constants, lifetime of stars (to convincingly prove that no fine tuning is required to produce a universe with long-lifetime stars) and entropy of the expanding Universe. Gracefully and using just a few pages, author connected all famous people (from Lucretius who talked about relativity ca. 55 B.C.E. through Hendrick Lorentz, Ernst Mach to Henri Poincare)involved in space research and science.
Remaining sections consist of polemics, demystification and attempts to settle the score with so called "science theists" like Dembski (prime target), Ross, Newberg and several others. Author's statistical argumentation gets sometimes humorous, but at the same time too aggressive, complicated and eventually boring.
Overall it was a pleasant reading.

This presentation of the latest results in the search for purpose in the universe provides a skeptic's view of scientific links between religion and theories of the universe's properties. In Has Science Found God: The Latest Results In The Search For Purpose In The Universe, Victor Stenger persuasively argues that nothing in modern science supports spiritual or supernatural explanations, and he provides rational explanations for empirical observations which originally seemed mystical in nature. An intriguing argument which will interest many.

I find this book to be a strong addition to my library of critical thought and analysis of our existence and the existence of all things. I very much enjoyed the perspective that Stenger was able to bring to this topic, due to his long years as a particle physicist and man of science generally.

His arguments are well founded, thoughtful and not a mere glossing over of what can be difficult terrain. The only reason I have reserved the final star in my review is for lack of narrative strength (which to me is certainly secondary but might cause some to shy away from such books). The book is written almost as a thesis and as an academic argument, and not in the elevated and inspiring prose of say a Carl Sagan or even a Brian Greene. Though even this may be slightly unfair on my part as it is quite possible that the nature of the argument could make it near impossible to improve the narrative strength of this work very much while still maintaining cohesion.


If you are willing to read a book for "Just the facts Ma'am" and do not need to be coddled in the process by warm and fuzzy writing, then I can give this book no higher endorsement than I do. Certainly Victor Stenger has truth on his side in this debate, if not popular agreement in this once rational nation of ours.

Without much jargon or technical math, Stenger's book presents accurate descriptions of the scientific arguments in support of a secular non-theistic existence as well as arguments in opposition to the contentions of theistic scientists. The book is a joy to read, I did not want to put it down.

I would rank Victor Stenger's "Has Science Found God?" as one of the most important books I have ever read. An experimental physicist, Dr. Stenger does a wonderful job describing the basic physics behind the universe to the lay reader, as best as can be done to simplify physics. Readers will find this more approachable than Steven Hawking's "A Brief History of Time", for example (though this is a great read on its own). Scientists will undoubtedly find Stenger's logic and explanations refreshing, but this book can also be enjoyed by non-scientists. In fact, it is non-scientists who might gain more from reading this book. Stenger does a great job answering many difficult questions like how the universe could arise from nothing, and how a "creator" (God) actually contradicts well-known physical laws such as Einstein's first and second laws of thermodynamics.

He also does a thorough job of dismantling the arguments of many renowned theists, especially those of creationists (or "intelligent design" followers). As Dr. Stenger rationally points out, truth is ultimately not determined by democratic vote. It is determined when disconnected persons (experimental scientists in all disciplines) arrive at the same answer by testing theories independently and their data fit that theory. Otherwise, the theory is replaced, like the theory that the Earth was the center of the universe. This is the scientific method, which Stenger does a wonderful service to the lay reader by explaining in simple terms. Thus, no matter what percentage of the world's population today still clings to any of the Abrahamic doctrines of Islam, Christianity or Judaism, the fact that NO data to date have ever been uncovered that support these theologies should encourage the reader to seek alternative answers about the world we inhabit.

This is worth reading, but more slowly than regular nonfiction. Neither Dr. Stenger nor science found a deity of any sort, and this is not surprising. Unlike many current writers, this author argues "the case of god" from the area of his expertise. This is why the book reads so well, and why it is an excellent choice for serious reading.

Midway through the book is a passage that well summarizes Victor Stenger's rationale against attempts to shift science from its primary place. He says, "electromagnetism is as material as breath [p. 275]," an example which pretty much explains the impossibility of mixing science and mysticism of any sort.

A notable gem in this book, page 268, is the statement, "Reductionism is not about a universe of isolated objects." Amen, if that can be said.

Did you notice how the truth jumps out at you when reading? It is almost like the words are shouting at you in bold print. That is what I found in reading Victor J. Stenger "Has Science Found God?" a honest insight into reality. Chet Zaremba, Fort Lauderdale ,Fl