Quantum entanglement is interesting. How is that for the start of a devotional? This subject has become an interest of mine, though I don’t claim to understand quantum physics very well. I feel as though I am in good company since Niels Bohr, one of history’s leading physicists, claimed that entanglement made his head spin. Now that I have scared you away from reading this devotional, let’s dive in.
Quantum entanglement is one phenomenon among many in the past decade that has scientists baffled. Classical physics is a model of understanding the world that begins to fall apart at the molecular level. The shortest explanation I can offer is as follows: Quantum Entanglement is the reality that two particles that have interacted (become entangled) in some way can no longer be observed without affecting each other, even if they are separated by vast distances. When one particle is observed the other one is affected.
Two pioneering physicists, Einstein and Niels Bohr, disagreed on the reason particles seemed to behave as they did on the quantum level. Einstein theorized that the particles must be infused with some hidden information that allows them to react as they did even though they were separated. Niels Bohr hypothesized that the particles were actually changed by the observer. Bohr believed that the universe is actually, in some way, affected by the observation of it. In 1982 an experiment was finally run that proved that Bohr’s theories were actually more accurate to the situation. In essence, two entangled particles are affected by each other faster than the speed of light, which contradicts the laws of relativity. Since that day, other scientists have postulated theories beyond Bohr’s in an attempt to preserve relativity.
The natural question is, “what does quantum physics have to do with our faith?” Well, quantum physics is a discipline that is currently operating heavily on faith. Scientists are discovering things in the universe that they cannot explain. Things that even break the rules of classical physics. These new discoveries have driven physicists to rethink reality. It has forced them to consider multiple universes, wormholes, and matter being a projection of some unknown force. Some physicists would cringe at the idea that these questions will eventually lead to God, but for others it has opened that door more widely.
Faith in God is a logical and reasonable option to explain the world we observe through science. Scientific pursuit has created as many, if not more, questions than it has answered. Einstein called Bohr’s view spooky. Some might call resurrection spooky. The fact is, there are strange forces in our universe. Forces that the greatest minds in history cannot explain through observation alone. Does the science point directly to God? I am biased and I believe that science does, and eventually always will, point to God. My propensity to see God’s hands in creation is the same propensity an atheist has to avoid God in creation. At this stage in history, both worldviews demand faith-filled seeking. I have a hunch that faith isn’t going anywhere.
The hard questions of life, theology, and science are meant to drive us forward into a world of discovery. We need not fear. Instead we should continue to seek all the while trusting God to guide our search. This week, let yourself be curious about something. Ask God to teach you something about himself through your learning process.
By Aaron Bjorklund
