The Hidden Order in the Chaos: Scientific Clues to a Designed Universe

All materials in the universe, from the largest star to the smallest speck, are made up of atoms. Atoms are tiny systems of particles that interact with each other in coordination.

Rather than having particles scattered in chaos, they are structured as atoms. Two distinct forces of nature hold the atom together:

The "strong nuclear force" keeps the protons and neutrons together within the "nucleus" of the atom, while the "weak nuclear force" moves the electrons around the nucleus.

But why should even a single atom exist in the universe at all?

Professor David Weiss, a doctor and cancer researcher, noted in an interview: "Science only deals with what exists. Where did all this originate at the beginning? To explain not just the creation of the world, but also the fact that such an atom, such a molecule, exists, and remains orderly without exploding - I must infer the existence of the Great Architect" (from "Haaretz Magazine", 26.7.96).

But here is where complexity begins. If only atoms existed in the universe, there would still be no solid matter, just tiny particles spinning around each other in empty space. Atoms are essentially independent systems, not touching one another. So where does matter come from?

To that end, the Creator introduced another force between atoms, known as the "electromagnetic force." This force attracts different atoms to each other, forming "molecules."

Molecules are atoms connected by electrical bonds (there are about a hundred types of such bonds, essentially the "Periodic Table"). This is how various substances like carbon, air, gold, iron, and more are created.

But even this complexity isn't the end. If the universe consisted solely of laws creating atoms and electrical laws forming connections between atoms, all that would exist are various materials floating in empty space. Where do galaxies, stars, and planets come from?

For this, the Creator established the force of gravity.

The equation of gravity was discovered in the 16th century by scientist Isaac Newton, explaining that smaller masses are attracted to heavier ones, "imprisoned" in their gravitational pull, and move around them in space. Gravity moves stars and planets, causing them to orbit one another with clockwork precision. Isaac Newton drew a natural conclusion from his scientific discoveries, inferring that the universe was designed by Hashem.

All pioneers of physical science inferred from natural laws about the existence of a Creator. For example:

- Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) stated: "Nature is a strict reflection of divine laws - the unity of phenomena in the heavens and the earth. The laws of motion, concepts of inertia and acceleration."

- Astronomer Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) said: "The world has a harmonious structure. The stars move in their orbits according to a rational cosmic order."

- Albert Einstein (1879-1955) said that nature is not random, as Hashem "does not play dice." In an interview with Time magazine, he remarked: "I think we're like a small child entering a vast library filled with books in many languages. The child knows that someone must have written all these books, but doesn't know how, can't understand the languages they are written in. Yet the child notices the order (design) behind these books."

Thus we see that nature is designed. Instead of chaos, the universe operates according to sophisticated laws that compose atoms, molecules, and countless other complex structures in our world: the water cycle, ozone, oxygen, and more. The wisdom found in nature is a scientific fact, providing a logical proof of the existence of a Creator who designed all this, for there can be no wisdom without a wise cause.

But the marvel doesn't end with design. The question arises, what actually drives the "invisible laws of nature" in our universe? Science has actually proven that, even now, a hidden order exists in nature, without which the universe would revert to chaos. Yet, there is no rational reason demanding the continuous operation of these laws!

This leads to further evidence of a divine supervision over the entire universe, even at this moment. The Creator governs the laws and sustains them "in His goodness, renewing daily the work of creation." Without His constant oversight, nothing else could mandate the continuation of order, and the universe would return to chaos, similar to how a software program wouldn't continue to operate without a constant supply of electricity.

Maimonides wrote (Mishneh Torah, Laws of the Foundations of the Torah, Chapter 1): "The foundation of foundations and pillar of wisdoms, to know that there is a First Existence... and if it could be imagined that He did not exist, nothing else could exist."

Working with youth? Want to be a responder to questions of faith? Know what to respond with Torah and science. "The Thinking Jew" course by Daniel Blass will take place in Bnei Brak, November 2021, men only. Limited places available. For details in the evenings: 052-712-5466