Albert Einstein- Split ends! OR Split Atoms!

Mass and energy are both but different manifestations of the same thing - a somewhat unfamiliar conception for the average mind. Today's Quote Albert Einstein-courtesy Google.


Original Writing by Aharon Moshe ben Dovid October 9, 2007


The following post breaks in format, presentation and method of strictly adhering to generally accepted Torah concepts. I ask my readers to privately or publicly share any opposition they might have to my presentation of the following ideas:

Science and Religion: Often seem to be at odds with each other!

When you look at the Big Picture there is no reason for this to be.

First:

Torah Concept: Yom Echod! This is how our Torah refers to the first day of creation.

Science Concept: The Age of the Universe, Big Bang, Evolution


Big Picture: The dispute over the age of the universe and the scientific information which points to the world and the Universe being anwhere from say 15-19 Billion Years older then some members of the orthodox community hold to be at 5,768.

Question from a Torah Source: (appologies in advance if not 100% correct)
Chagigah (either page 11, 12 or 13) states that one is not to be engaged in extensive or group dialogues regarding what was before, after, above or below man! (Main ideas or Chapter Headings may be introduced but not thoroughly explained)

Science: Does not hold by this restriction.

Conclusion: Science may concern itself with what happened before, howvere Torah learning may safely begin with the following Torah Statement:

Vayomer Elokim Ne-ase Adam Bialimanu Kidimoosanu
Let us make man in our image.

So, what's the problem?
What is meant by we, and what is meant by in our image?

The ready made answer given at the Shabbos to table is:
G-d Elokim, consulted with Angels.

The Kabbalistic Answer is:
The Ten Sphierot!

The tact I would like to take with this is:

G-d Elokim consulting with angels is the more mainstream approach by today's orthodox jews. So Before I post any further on this matter, I would like to invite others to comment on this matter.

As someone who is newly frum I have adopted the following perspective:

I try to take the most accepted belief as my own. I endeavor to find support within scriptual sources, and explanations that help me understand a mainstream perspective befor supplying my own, which may be a monority opionion or perspective. The simple and direct method to challenge an unknown, untried, and poorly documented or under-documented perspective is usually done by insisting on the truth and documenting the generally accepted mainstream explanation.

A Related Thought- just becuase most people have come to accept a given explanation, does that mean that this is the best and most comprehensive explanation?

There are subtle mysteries in the Torah. Generally we are advised to steer away from probing to deeply into these mysteries. The basics or ABC's of Torah are emphasized. Shabbos table discussions endeavor to stick very closely with Chazal's interpretation of Torah meaning. Ways in which unique perspectives on Torah may be developed are generally not encouraged.

The Scientific Method:

Science uses experimentation as well as observations. The hard sciences such as Chemistry and Physics rely almost exclusively on experimentation. Large concepts are developed and then applied to other disciplines. Often scientific theories are accepted as true until proven to be false.

Unlike chemistry, physics deals with the areas of energy as well as matter. The single scientist who had the greatest impact on the Science of Physics would most certainly be Albert Einstein.

His well known (even if poorly understood) theory of Relativity is often incorrectly stated as E=mc2. My hope is that the theory is rembered this way be cause our keyboards and fonts do not allow to put the little number two above the c.
E (energy)= m (the mass of the given object) times c (a constant which is the speed of light, which is 186,000 miles per second) squared (this huge number is multiplied times itself).

In other words the Energy which is contained within a given object (say a teaspoon) is equal to its weight given in grams times 186,000 x 186,000. Sound like a big number? Yes!

Albert Einstein was the force behind the invention of the atomic bomb! (now I must appologize to the scietific community if I these ideas get written down perhaps even slightly incorrectly)

The energy which gets liberated by the plitting of a single atom is immense! Imagine an atom to be like a single grain of salt or sugar. The energy gets released from the tiny atom (which can not be seen with even the highest powered microscopes) when its entire mass gets transformed into energy.

First law of thermodynamics:

Energy is neither created nor destroyed (this is not referring to Bereishis-so lets say existing energy is neither...) but is converted from one form to another. Einstein's Discovery was: that matter could be converted into energy.

The original Table used to conduct experimentation on Einstein's Theory of Relativity can be found at the Smithosian Institute in Washington DC.

This crude instrument (a huge knife on a table about as large as the largest Shabbos Table in Passaic) was being used to slice an atom. I guess he used tweezers to ge the tiny partcle to rest on the edge of the hugh knife!

I wonder what the neighbors must have thought when they heard an explosion and a Einstein with a face blackened from the explosion came running out shouting Eureka!