Obsolescence of Science
Since the world was created, from the Stone Age to the present day, every era has considered itself to be in the modern era in its own way. Based on the discoveries and inventions that will have been made after five hundred or a thousand years from now, it would not be surprising if our era is considered ancient, lacking knowledge and myths
New discoveries and theories of science are taken in a very fascinating and attractive way. In every era, these theories are considered final in a passionate way, and a storm of misogyny arises. Along with modern scientists, everyone, no matter how distant, starts singing their own tune. Especially the class that is somehow related to religion, agnosticism or atheism, takes the lead in using the new theory as final and using it in their favor or in spreading slander against their opponents.
When the temptation of science and modern discoveries reaches its peak and people start doubting the basics of religion, the temptation of skepticism reaches its peak, as it is in today's era. In such a situation, some religious scholars, who are under the pressure of science, try to explain the miracles and events described in the Quran according to the laws of nature or science that are going on in this universe and which science has discovered.
Due to their lack of understanding of scientific knowledge, religious scholars have come to believe that the laws of nature that humans have understood so far are the real ones and that no change or alteration is possible in them. Therefore, the miracles and unusual events mentioned in the Quran are interpreted and interpreted in such a way that they become in accordance with current science and that they are events that do not contradict the natural laws that science has considered to be valid. Some people also try to interpret miracles in such a way that they are reasonable or in accordance with modern science. They do not know that the laws of nature are not limited to the laws of nature that your intellect has understood so far. The laws of nature that humans have understood are a very small part of the laws of nature that are in force in this universe. It is not yet known what else is yet to be discovered.
Reason is not the final ruler and supreme judge, and the rationality of reason is not the final standard. Because reason and science keep changing their ideas along with scientific evolution and new discoveries, it cannot be trusted. In every era, philosophers, scientists and intellectuals have defended their theories as correct and continue to do so. This can be called a kind of stubbornness, ego problem or scientific prejudice. But history is witness that old scientific myths have been rejected on the basis of new discoveries and observations. It is not surprising that scientific theories that are considered valid today will prove to be obsolete (or myths) tomorrow.
Now, what are the obsolescence of science theories in the light of historical events and why can them be called myths, and how scientists themselves become obstacles in the way of new theories. That is, those theories about the universe that were considered valid in their own time but were later proven to be obsolete by research. Here are some of them:
Theories obsolete now, were accepted then:
Obsolete theory No. 1. The 19th Century Theory of Heat as a Matter:
1783 caloric theory by Antoine Lavoisier
Until 1841, heat was considered a material thing, a fluid called "caloric" that could flow between objects.
Joule's challenge, the end of the caloric theory:
In 1841, Joule challenged it. He said that mechanical motion could produce heat. ... This was a revolutionary theory. This true discovery faced many obstacles, including problems of prejudice and ego. Even in science, it is not so easy to abandon old ideas and theories. Despite the evidence, people defend their old theories to the last. In 1850, after nine years of efforts, his theory was accepted. Which began a revolutionary era in the science of heat. The first law of thermodynamics was created, and then the second and then the third. By applying this law, many other machines, including engines, were invented.
In 1872, Joule was nominated for the President of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. Joule should have received the Nobel Prize but could not because the first Nobel Prize was issued in 1901. Joule had died in 1889.
Obsolete No. 2. The theory that the Earth is the center of the universe
Geocentric model
Old theories of astronomy basically held the view that the Earth is the center of the universe, with the Sun, Moon and stars revolving around it, because that is how it looks! This view persisted in ancient Greece for centuries. Philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle supported this view, however, alternative models, such as the sun being the center, also emerged but were not initially widely accepted. In the 2nd century AD, Ptolemy improved the geocentric view by adding epicycles (circles on circles) to explain the apparent retrograde motion of the planets.
End of the Geo-centered theory
Heliocentric model
In the 16th century, Nicolaus Copernicus revived the heliocentric model by placing the Sun at the center of the solar system and describing the motion of the planets more accurately. This theory faced strong opposition from religious circles. In the 17th century, the Protestant Church banned Copernican ideas. Isaac Newton's work on gravity provided an explanation for the motions of the planets around the Sun, which solidified the heliocentric model.
Obsolete Theory No. 3...The nature of gravity:
Newton (born 1643) saw gravity as the force of attraction between objects of mass.
The theory of the curvature of space...the theory of relativity...the end of gravity as a force
Wrapping of space...general theory of relativity
Einstein (born 1879) redefined gravity in 1915 as the curvature or warping of space due to mass and energy. Large-scale objects create a curvature in the fabric of space, and this distortion or warping explains how objects move in space. Although it goes against our intuitive imagination, it is the truth. In 1919, Sir Arthur took advantage of a total solar eclipse to prove this theory experimentally.
Obsolete Theory No. 4...The theory of separate space and time:
Newton considered space and time as separate, absolute. The speed of time is constant and motion is separate and unrelated to time... or time to motion.
The end of the theory of separation of time and space, and the speed of time being constant
Time dilation and contraction of length... Space-time fabric
Einstein's theory of special relativity proved that space and time are connected to each other and the speed of time is affected by the speed of motion, it slows down or speeds up. This gave rise to theories such as time dilation and length contraction.
Obsolete Theory No. 5. A physicist's misconception about physics in 1878 and the Nobel Prize of 1918:
Johann Philipp Gustav von Jolly
(September 1809 - December 24, 1884) was a German experimental physicist. He accurately measured the acceleration of gravity and also worked on osmosis. One of Joly's students at the University of Munich was Max Planck, whom Johann Philipp advised against going into theoretical physics in 1878. He believed that there was nothing left to be discovered in the subject of physics, that everything that had to be discovered had already been discovered. Despite this advice, Planck continued to study physics, and his later work led to the discovery of a modern branch of physics, quantum mechanics.
Later in life, Planck wrote:
"When I began my university studies, I asked my esteemed teacher Philipp von Joly for advice on the conditions and prospects of my chosen field of study, physics. He described physics to me as a highly developed, almost completely mature science, which would soon take its final, stable form through the important achievement of the discovery of the principle of conservation of energy." Theoretical physics is approaching the same degree of completion as geometry was centuries ago.
"A hundred and fifty years ago, a respected physicist of the time had this idea." That physics was complete and there was nothing left to do in the field!
The end of the idea of physics being complete:
In the early twentieth century, Max Planck, through his intellect and tireless work, was credited with the discovery of quantum mechanics. A new era in physics began. He received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1918. Planck's constant h is now used in many formulas of quantum mechanics.
Obsolete Theory No. 6...The theory of rigid, immobile plates
The field of geology was in its infancy in the early 20th century. Up until then, leading scientists had believed for centuries in the theory of a static, immobile Earth's crust. That is, the continents were where they were, fixed in the same place since the beginning of time. At that time, suggesting otherwise was not only wrong but also considered a sign of intellectual deficiency. A German meteorologist and polar explorer, Alfred Wegener, stepped into this field... In 1912, he proposed to respected geologists that the continents had drifted from their old positions to their present locations. They had previously been joined together in a supercontinent called Pangaea and were floating like icebergs on a frozen ocean...
His reaction was not only skepticism but also contemptuous laughter. Wegener became a laughing stock. After all, he was a meteorologist, not a geologist, so his theory was not considered worthy of attention. The president of the American Philosophical Society declared the theory to be completely absurd. Geologists on both sides of the Atlantic rose up against the theory. They called him a fraud, a pseudo-scientist, a man whose ideas were like fairy tales.
Wegener had overwhelming evidence. He pointed out that the coastlines of South America and Africa fit together like pieces of a puzzle. He showed that fossils of creatures that could never have crossed the ocean were found on separate continents. He presented evidence of tropical plants in the Arctic and of glacial glaciers in the deserts of Africa. The evidence was there, . But he couldn’t explain how. What force was powerful enough to push entire continents onto the Earth? He speculated about the Earth’s rotational forces, but the math didn’t work. His rival seized on this weakness. He dismissed it as a collection of strange coincidences?
For decades, Wegener’s theory of continental drift was held up as a scientific failure. He died in 1930 during the Greenland expedition.
The end of the theory of static and immobile tectonic plates. Every geology textbook was rewritten.
Then the world descended into World War II. And in the depths of the Cold War, submarines began to map the ocean floor to hide from each other. What they found changed everything. They discovered the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a huge underwater mountain range running down the middle of the ocean. They found that the seafloor was spreading outward from this ridge, creating new crust. They found magnetic belts in the rock, a perfect record of the reversal of the Earth’s magnetic field over millions of years, proving that the seafloor was in motion. Suddenly, Wegener’s mechanism, which he had not been able to explain, was found. It turned out that the continents were riding on large tectonic plates under the ocean, which were being pushed and pulled like engines by convection currents in the Earth’s mantle along the seafloor. By the 1960s, the theory of continental drift plate tectonics, which had been dismissed as nonsense, had been reborn.
Every geology textbook was rewritten. Alfred Wegener, who had been ridiculed, was no longer a fool. He was the founder of a theory.
Obsolete Theory No. 7...Medicine and Treatment...Most myths were found in diseases and their treatment and some still exist.
Before the discovery of germs, doctors, philosophers and priests, etc. explained disease in many different ways. Each offered their own logic as to why people get sick and how they can be treated
1. Disease is caused by supernatural, angry gods, evil spirits, witchcraft, and moral reasons or sins.
.Treatment:, exorcism, sacrifice, offering, amulet, worship of the god, prayer, confession of sins, etc.
Early period
2. The four bodily fluids should be in proper proportion; — blood, phlegm, yellow bile, black bile — their imbalance causes disease and mood changes
Treatment:. Bloodletting, cleansing,, dietary regulation,, leech therapy., Balancing the "hot/cold" or "wet/dry" qualities
Middle Ages
1. Cholera, plague, malaria were blamed on dirty air.
Treatment: improving ventilation, draining swamps, burning incense or gunpowder, herbs, improving urban sewers.
2. Some diseases were spread by mysterious seeds or poisons or by inanimate objects.
Treatment: isolation, quarantine, fumigation,
Living organisms (including disease agents)... Non-living things can arise from dirt. For example, maggots can arise from meat, "cotton seeds" from dirty clothes can turn into mice, frogs and flies can arise from mud, etc. Aristotle and many 17th century philosophers also confirmed this. (Because the microscope had not been invented at that time.)
The end of superstitions and myths about diseases
Pasteur's work finally disproved these ideas in 1864. Louis Pasteur, who lived from 1822 to 1895, is the world's most famous microbiologist. He is widely credited with discovering the germ theory of disease and the process of pasteurization. This led to the invention of antibiotics and the birth of modern medical treatment. Moreover, in our modern era, due to the rapidity of research, a new study comes out every few days that something that was wrong before is now right, such as the prohibition of eating egg yolks to reduce blood fat and its permission later, etc.
By the way, after five hundred, or a thousand years from now, based on the discoveries and inventions that will have been made, our era will be considered ancient, less knowledgeable and obsolete. Because since the world was created, every era from the Stone Age to the present has considered itself a modern era. There is no doubt about it.
Amazing modern science theories about the known universe so far:
These theories have been proven by observations and calculations so far and some have even been awarded the Nobel Prize, it is quite possible that these ideas will become obsolete in the future!
Superposition state
An object can exist in multiple places at the same time unless it is measured or observed.
This is called state of superposition. An object can exist in multiple probable places at the same time, as long as it is not observed.
Entanglement... Nobel Prize 2022.
The quantum states of two (or more) particles become entangled, such that measuring one instantly affects the state of the other - no matter how far apart they are.
Even if the particles are light years apart, their properties remain interconnected in a way that cannot be explained by classical physics.
Quantum tunneling... Nobel Prize 2025
This is a phenomenon where a particle passes through a potential barrier that it cannot classically cross because its energy is less than the height of the barrier.
In classical physics, if a ball doesn't have enough energy to climb a hill, it will start rolling back.
In quantum mechanics, particles are described by wave functions, which have a finite probability of "leaking" through obstacles.
A particle doesn't "climb" an obstacle. But because of its wave nature, it also has a finite probability of being found in the forbidden region on the other side of the obstacle.
Dark matter..
Ordinary matter (atoms, stars, planets, gas, etc.) makes up only about 5% of the universe.
Dark matter doesn't interact with electromagnetic radiation - so telescopes can't see it directly.
It's detected by its gravitational effects - it pulls on visible matter, bends light, and affects the way galaxies move.
It's no wonder that these theories could change in the future.
Conclusion
The knowledge of worldly nature is evolutionary. The knowledge of nature or contemporary science cannot be conclusive for anyone. Human knowledge ultimately becomes speculative and arbitrary. We cannot obtain absolute knowledge ourselves. Experimentation and observation can also be wrong. The collection of facts leads to speculation. Repeated observations and logical analysis provide new information. Scientific knowledge is verifiable only in the light of existing tools and evidence, which can change later. That is, scientific knowledge is in its essence probable or ultimately speculative. And probability is not free from error.
A word of wisdom
I am a creature, I can see myself coming into existence. I am. Observing the creation from the sperm to the birth proves me to be a creature. So there must be a creator for me too... My DNA is a program of my personality. There must also be a programmer for it... Logically, reason brings me here. That is, being a creature is rationally an explanation for the existence of the creator. Which is a reasonable and acceptable explanation.
Now there are only two ways: the universe or nature is the creator. Or there is a knowing and wise being who is the creator of nature and also our creator. To believe this, rational evidence will have to be seen. Which gives satisfaction. Its final destination is the Quran. Which it will be necessary to understand. This gives internal satisfaction, which the Quran calls light.
Regarding the interpretation of the Quran, Sayyid Qutub writes:
"We should not consider any verse in such a way that we first establish some principles in our minds, accept some popular and scientific thoughts and make our own decisions on these topics and then interpret the verses. Rather, our method should be that we, being empty of reason, draw conclusions from the Quranic verses. Draw faith and belief from these verses and draw our thoughts, our thinking and our understanding from these verses. If something is determined in these verses, then consider it as determined. This is because what we consider to be human reason and by which we judge Quranic, historical, and cosmic events, is the result of human limited experiences and is a very uncertain and temporary thing. Although this reason is an absolute power and it is not limited within individual events and experiences. Rather, reason is an abstract reality beyond these individual events, but this abstract reason is nevertheless a reality within our limited existence, and our existence is limited and constrained. The real existence belongs to God, who is unlimited and infinite. And this Quran has been revealed by this real existence "Therefore, the real ruler is the Absolute Being and His Quran. And the Quran makes the decisions that our position is to derive our decisions and our rational decisions from the Quran."
|