Title: Discussion Forum 1.1: The Existence of Natural Laws
Course: BC - Chemistry 12 - 1.0

In this course, you will be presented with some Reflections to encourage you to think deeper. It’s not enough to merely learn chemical principles in this course. You will go above and beyond that, which will truly educate you about science and (hopefully) give you the confidence and desire to explore this wonderfully made creation through scientific inquiry!

After reading each Reflection, you will be required to answer a question or two to reflect on what’s been discussed.

Your response will be marked based on effort and completeness. All you really need to demonstrate is that you've read and interacted with the material — not a "right answer," but rather evidence that you've thoughtfully engaged with what was written.

Read Reflections on Science: God and The Laws of Nature, then answer the following questions:

1. Pick a quote from the list below, and comment on it. Do you think these scientists are being reasonable?
2. Next, how do you think society usually portrays the relationship between belief in God and science? Why do you think this is?

Quotes for Question #1:

- Albert Einstein (Nobel Prize 1921): “Everyone who is seriously involved in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that a spirit is manifest in the laws of the universe – a spirit vastly superior to that of man, and one in the face of which we with our modest powers must feel humble.”
- Dr. Arno Penzias (Nobel Prize-winning astrophysicist): “I invite you to examine the snapshot provided by half a century’s worth of astrophysical data and see what the pieces of the universe actually look like…In order to achieve consistency with our observations we must…assume not only creation of matter and energy out of nothing, but creation of space and time as well. The best data we have are exactly what I would have predicted had I nothing to go on but the five books of Moses, the Psalms, the Bible as a whole.”
- Paul Davies: “Through my scientific work I have come to believe more and more strongly that the physical universe is put together with an ingenuity so astonishing that I cannot accept it merely as a brute fact. I cannot believe that our existence in this universe is a mere quirk of fate, an accident of history, an incidental blip in the great cosmic drama.”
- Sir Fred Hoyle: “A commonsense interpretation of the facts suggests that a super-intellect has monkeyed with physics, as well as chemistry and biology, and that there are no blind forces worth speaking about in Nature.”