Good Heavens! The Human Side of Astronomy

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Good Heavens! The Human Side of Astronomy

Good Heavens! The human side of astronomy with Wayne and Dan.

  1. The Very Big and the Very Small Part 2 - A Conversation with a Cosmologist and Particle Physicist

    4 DAYS AGO

    The Very Big and the Very Small Part 2 - A Conversation with a Cosmologist and Particle Physicist

    How might things like "spooky action at a distance" or mysterious as "dark matter" point us to the glory of God? Whether you are a theist or a non-theist or a Christian who believes in a young or an old universe, we can all agree on at least one thing. The universe is a fascinating place in which we find ourselves. That the universe is intelligible to us is even more remarkable. But here at Good Heavens! we like to think the cosmos is more than just fascinating. We believe, as the Bible reveals, that the physical cosmos, at both the incredibly large and infinitesimally small scales, reveal to us something about God's invisible attributes. As both the psalms and Isaiah tell us, the whole of the heavens and earth are filled with the glory of God. Often we are told that Christianity and science cannot possibly go together, however. But hopefully our special guests will continue to dispel that misconception. As mentioned on part one, Dan had the remarkable opportunity this month (January) at the Defend 2025 apologetics conference at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary to have a fun and inspiring chat with not one, but two Christians who are professionally and popularly published doctors of the cosmos (at the same time!), one who studies the subatomic scale and one who studies galaxies, some of the largest entities in the cosmos. Dr. Michael G. Strauss is a particle physicist at CERN and the University of Oklahoma and Dr. Luke Barnes is a researcher and lecturer of cosmology and astrophysics at Western Sydney University in Sydney, Australia. Both have published works at the professional and popular levels. It was a wonder and a privilege to get them both at the table together to hear their insights about the structure of the universe at the large and small scales and how they see God in all of it. Here on part two, we chat about spooky action at a distance, the mystery of dark matter, and we'll glean some insights as to how we as Christians can have conversations about our differences in relation to the age of the universe. Good Heavens! this was a fun conversation. We hope you'll enjoy it as much as Dan did putting it together for you! Soli Deo Gloria.More about LukeMore about MichaelLuke's books Michael's book Podbean enables our podcast to be on Apple Podcasts and other major podcast platforms.  To support Good Heavens! on Podbean as a patron, you can use the Podbean app, or go to https://patron.podbean.com/goodheavens.  This goes to Wayne Spencer. If you would like to give to the ministry of Watchman Fellowship or to Daniel Ray, you can donate at https://www.watchman.org/daniel. Donations to Watchman are tax deductible.

    37 min
  2. The Very Big and the Very Small Part 1 - A Conversation with a Cosmologist and Particle Physicist

    4 DAYS AGO

    The Very Big and the Very Small Part 1 - A Conversation with a Cosmologist and Particle Physicist

    As human beings we occupy a wondrously peculiar size in the cosmos. With our unique stature, we are able to see and comprehend scales of the universe at the inconceivably huge and the unimaginably small. We here at Good Heavens! believe God has arranged this peculiar state of affairs and wants us to know and delight in what He has made.  The heavens are telling of His glory and we want to be a part in getting His word and the works of His hands out there for everyone to contemplate, consider, and enjoy. On this very special episode of Good Heavens! Dan had the remarkable opportunity this month (January) at the Defend 2025 apologetics conference at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary to have a fun and inspiring chat with not one, but two professionally and popularly published doctors of the cosmos (at the same time!), one who studies the subatomic scale and one who studies galaxies, some of the largest entities in the cosmos. Dr. Michael G. Strauss is a particle physicist at CERN and the University of Oklahoma and Dr. Luke Barnes is a researcher and lecturer of cosmology and astrophysics at Western Sydney University in Sydney, Australia. Both have published works at the professional and popular levels. It was a wonder and a privilege to get them both at the table together to hear their insights about the structure of the universe at the large and small scales and how they see God in all of it. Here on part one, we chat about the standard models of cosmology and particle physics, the wonder of stars, and the unsolved mysteries facing doctors of the cosmos today. Whether you are a theist, non-theist, or take a young earth or old earth perspective as a Christian, we hope you'll find these episodes encouraging and informative. Above all, we hope it will inspire you to have thoughtful and respectful dialogue with others with whom you might disagree. Good Heavens! this was a fun conversation. We hope you'll enjoy it as much as Dan did putting it together for you! Soli Deo Gloria.More about LukeMore about MichaelLuke's books Michael's book Podbean enables our podcast to be on Apple Podcasts and other major podcast platforms.  To support Good Heavens! on Podbean as a patron, you can use the Podbean app, or go to https://patron.podbean.com/goodheavens.  This goes to Wayne Spencer. If you would like to give to the ministry of Watchman Fellowship or to Daniel Ray, you can donate at https://www.watchman.org/daniel. Donations to Watchman are tax deductible.

    45 min
  3. Black Hole Surprises! Part 2

    12/06/2024

    Black Hole Surprises! Part 2

    Black holes continue to amaze and surprise us. Just when it seemed the scientific community was settling in on how black holes form, a string of recent discoveries has begun to call those assumptions into question. How about a triple black hole system? Or how about a black hole that is "feeding" itself many times faster than astrophysicists thought possible. Here on part two Wayne and Dan delve into the mysteries of these entities to the best of their knowledge and ability and they consider how these recent discoveries point us to the glory of God in Christ. Come and see! Mysterious Supermassive Black Hole mentioned on Part One https://phys.org/news/2024-06-black-hole-inexplicable-mass-jwst.html Triple black hole system https://www.caltech.edu/about/news/first-black-hole-in-a-triple-star-system-found Super hungry black hole! https://www.nasa.gov/missions/chandra/astronomers-find-early-fast-feeding-black-hole-using-nasa-telescopes/ Sarah Salviander's video on the history of science's understanding of black holes: https://youtu.be/xi0CwpY5ICg?si=3wZUSmRaQ-9pGyLO Press Conferences mentioned this series. First photograph of a black hole: https://www.youtube.com/live/XlrfBiuMzfE?si=RU3ZM2scyPAZE1wV Gravitational waves discovery: https://www.youtube.com/live/aEPIwEJmZyE?si=tZhq0Gs-WKZfRvOX FREE! Four-page articles from Watchman Fellowship - These articles help you better understand the ideas and ideologies of our time that challenge our Christian faith. Each profile offers a history, critique, and solidly biblical response to the topics. Scientism https://www.watchman.org/scientism/ProfileScientism.pdf Naturalism https://www.watchman.org/Naturalism/ProfileNaturalism.pdf Carl Sagan's Cosmos https://www.watchman.org/files/ProfileCosmos.pdf UFOS/UAPS https://www.watchman.org/ProfileUFOs.pdf Astrology https://www.watchman.org/files/profileastrology2018.pdf If you like the profile articles, be sure to check out Watchman's comprehensive two-volume collection of all of our profile articles, nearly 700 pages. You can get a print or digital edition. Check out our preview video of the notebook at https://www.Watchman.org/Notebook.  Podbean enables our podcast to be on Apple Podcasts and other major podcast platforms.  To support Good Heavens! on Podbean as a patron, you can use the Podbean app, or go to https://patron.podbean.com/goodheavens.  This goes to Wayne Spencer. If you would like to give to the ministry of Watchman Fellowship or to Daniel Ray, you can donate at https://www.watchman.org/daniel. Donations to Watchman are tax deductible.

    33 min
  4. Black Hole Surprises! Part 1

    11/28/2024

    Black Hole Surprises! Part 1

    Black holes remain one of the most enigmatic and wondrous entities in the cosmos. We have only known about them for less than a century. And just when you think you've got a handle on what exactly they are, new discoveries begin to challenge these assumptions. Just in the last decade, astrophysicists have not only photographed a black hole but have detected gravitational waves, the ripples in spacetime fabric created by the merger of two supermassive black holes.  (See a video on this at  https://www.youtube.com/live/aEPIwEJmZyE?si=tZhq0Gs-WKZfRvOX ) Here on part one, Wayne and Dan discuss the wonderful strangeness of black holes and a recent discovery of a black hole in a relatively young part of the universe. This black hole, based on current theories, shouldn't be there, as there were not enough stars or enough time for it to have accreted its mass.  So how did it get there? Astronomers are trying to figure that out. Come and see how the Good Heavens! duo thinks these dark stars point us once more back to the glory of God in Christ. Mysterious Supermassive Black Hole mentioned here on Part One https://phys.org/news/2024-06-black-hole-inexplicable-mass-jwst.html Sarah Salviander's video on the history of science's understanding of black holes: https://youtu.be/xi0CwpY5ICg?si=3wZUSmRaQ-9pGyLO How are Quasars related to Black Holes?https://www.space.com/17262-quasar-definition.html First photograph of a black hole: https://www.youtube.com/live/XlrfBiuMzfE?si=RU3ZM2scyPAZE1wV FREE! Four-page articles from Watchman Fellowship - These articles help you better understand the ideas and ideologies of our time that challenge our Christian faith. Each profile offers a history, critique, and solidly biblical response to the topics. Scientism https://www.watchman.org/scientism/ProfileScientism.pdfNaturalism https://www.watchman.org/Naturalism/ProfileNaturalism.pdfCarl Sagan's Cosmos https://www.watchman.org/files/ProfileCosmos.pdfUFOS/UAPS https://www.watchman.org/ProfileUFOs.pdfAstrology https://www.watchman.org/files/profileastrology2018.pdf If you like the profile articles, be sure to check out Watchman's comprehensive two-volume collection of all of our profile articles, nearly 700 pages. You can get a print or digital edition. Check out our preview video of the notebook at https://www.Watchman.org/Notebook.  Podbean enables our podcast to be on Apple Podcasts and other major podcast platforms.  To support Good Heavens! on Podbean as a patron, you can use the Podbean app, or go to https://patron.podbean.com/goodheavens.  This goes to Wayne Spencer. If you would like to give to the ministry of Watchman Fellowship or to Daniel Ray, you can donate at https://www.watchman.org/daniel. Donations to Watchman are tax deductible.

    1h 1m
  5. Who's Afraid of the Multiverse? Part 2 With Astrophysicist Dr. Jeff Zweerink

    11/12/2024

    Who's Afraid of the Multiverse? Part 2 With Astrophysicist Dr. Jeff Zweerink

    The telescope technology of our time has revealed wonders in the cosmos our ancestors could only dream about. But have these discoveries in any way undermined the biblical account of creation? Our guest again this week, astrophysicist and author at Reasons to Believe, Dr. Jeff Zweerink tells us that we have nothing to fear, not even the multiverse! Many atheists and skeptics have tried to employ the multiverse as a means of explaining away God as the cause of the existence of our universe. Come and hear what Jeff has to say this week about how creation not only is not threatened by modern science, but how it ultimately can encourage and strengthen our faith when we learn more about it. By faith we know that the physical universe and everything it contains, both seen and unseen, are all ultimately declaring the glory of God.  Jeff's Bio Astrophysicist Jeff Zweerink is a senior research scholar for Reasons to Believe (RTB), an organization dedicated to demonstrating the compatibility of science and the Christian faith. Jeff’s work focuses on helping people of all backgrounds bridge the perceived gap between science and the Christian faith. Jeff has also made many media appearances, on television, radio, and in print. He earned a BS in physics and a PhD in astrophysics with a focus on gamma rays from Iowa State University. He taught and ran the planetarium at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, until postdoctoral research in gamma rays led him to the University of California, Riverside. Prior to joining RTB, Jeff spent years working on the STACEE and VERITAS gamma-ray telescopes and was involved in research projects such as the Solar Two project and the Whipple Collaboration. He continues to work as a project scientist at UCLA on GAPS, a balloon experiment seeking to detect dark matter. Jeff is also a coauthor on more than 30 academic papers published in peer-reviewed journals, such as Astrophysical Journal, Astroparticle Physics, and Astrobiology. Jeff's Bio:  https://reasons.org/team/jeff-zweerink BLOG:  https://reasons.org/explore/blogs/author/jeff-zweerink BOOK:  https://support.reasons.org/purchase/whos-afraid-of-the-multiverse Free Resources from Watchman Fellowship Scientism: https://www.watchman.org/scientism/ProfileScientism.pdf Naturalism: https://www.watchman.org/Naturalism/ProfileNaturalism.pdf The Story of the Cosmos: https://www.watchman.org/CosmosBook Podbean enables our podcast to be on Apple Podcasts and other major podcast platforms.  To support Good Heavens! on Podbean as a patron, you can use the Podbean app, or go to https://patron.podbean.com/goodheavens.  This goes to Wayne Spencer. If you would like to give to the ministry of Watchman Fellowship or to Daniel Ray, you can donate at https://www.watchman.org/daniel. Donations to Watchman are tax deductible.

    35 min
  6. Who's Afraid of the Multiverse? Part 1 With Astrophysicist Dr. Jeff Zweerink

    11/07/2024

    Who's Afraid of the Multiverse? Part 1 With Astrophysicist Dr. Jeff Zweerink

    The universe is a fantastically wondrous place. There are more things in heaven and earth than are often dreamt of in our philosophies, to paraphrase Hamlet a little bit. And for the many things we can observe in the physical universe, science sometimes struggles to come up with an explanation as to what is really going on. How much more mysterious are those things which we cannot see? How should Christians think about things that the science of the heavens tells us cannot be seen, such as the idea of the existence of many different universes? That's the question we tackle this week and next on the broadcast with astrophysicist from Reasons to Believe Dr. Jeff Zweerink. We talk about his 2008 book Who's Afraid of the Multiverse? Come and see!  LINKS FOR JEFF   BIO:  https://reasons.org/team/jeff-zweerink. BLOG:  https://reasons.org/explore/blogs/author/jeff-zweerink BOOK: https://support.reasons.org/purchase/whos-afraid-of-the-multiverse   Astrophysicist Jeff Zweerink is a senior research scholar for Reasons to Believe (RTB), an organization dedicated to demonstrating the compatibility of science and the Christian faith. Jeff’s work focuses on helping people of all backgrounds bridge the perceived gap between science and the Christian faith. Jeff has also made many media appearances, on television, radio, and in print. He earned a BS in physics and a PhD in astrophysics with a focus on gamma rays from Iowa State University. He taught and ran the planetarium at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, until postdoctoral research in gamma rays led him to the University of California, Riverside.  Prior to joining RTB, Jeff spent years working on the STACEE and VERITAS gamma-ray telescopes and was involved in research projects such as the Solar Two project and the Whipple Collaboration. He continues to work as a project scientist at UCLA on GAPS, a balloon experiment seeking to detect dark matter. Jeff is also a coauthor on more than 30 academic papers published in peer-reviewed journals, such as Astrophysical Journal, Astroparticle Physics, and Astrobiology.   Free Resources from Watchman Fellowship Scientism:  https://www.watchman.org/scientism/ProfileScientism.pdf Carl Sagan's Cosmos:  https://www.watchman.org/CosmosTV Naturalism:  https://www.watchman.org/Naturalism/ProfileNaturalism.pdf The Story of the Cosmos:     DISCLAIMER The views expressed by Jeff regarding the multiverse or the big bang or the age of the universe do not imply an endorsement one way or the other by Good Heavens! and Watchman Fellowship, Inc. and its board of directors. We seek to present the best scientific information available to the body of Christ on these topics from Christians who are knowledgeable in their field who hold different perspectives. We have featured guests in the past who hold to both a young-earth and an old-earth view.    Podbean enables our podcast to be on Apple Podcasts and other major podcast platforms.  To support Good Heavens! on Podbean as a patron, you can use the Podbean app, or go to https://patron.podbean.com/goodheavens.  This goes to Wayne Spencer. If you would like to give to the ministry of Watchman Fellowship or to Daniel Ray, you can donate at https://www.watchman.org/daniel. Donations to Watchman are tax deductible.

    55 min
  7. News From Space! A New Segment for Good Heavens!

    10/14/2024

    News From Space! A New Segment for Good Heavens!

    Instead of just one topic, Wayne and Dan thought it would be fun to cover some current events in the heavens and call it "News from Space" for lack of a better segment title. On this episode they chat about astronauts stuck in space, some strange exoplanets, what it really means to be an "earth-like" planet, and there's even a black hole that shoots out a Death-Star like jet of plasma that seems to ignite supernovae! And of course, how Wayne and Dan think it all points to the glory of God in Christ.   Podbean enables our podcast to be on Apple Podcasts and other major podcast platforms.  To support Good Heavens! on Podbean as a patron, you can use the Podbean app, or go to https://patron.podbean.com/goodheavens.  This goes to Wayne Spencer. If you would like to give to the ministry of Watchman Fellowship or to Daniel Ray, you can donate at https://www.watchman.org/daniel. Donations to Watchman are tax deductible.

    1h 16m
  8. Many Worlds, Mormonism, and Multiverses Part Two

    10/07/2024

    Many Worlds, Mormonism, and Multiverses Part Two

    Part two with former 4th-generation Latter-day Saint James K. Walker and astrophysicist and Cosmologist Dr. Luke Barnes, plus some bonus surprise guests. Make sure you listen to Part One for fuller context of our conversation! There is a reason the Gospel has often been referred to as "the Greatest Story ever told." Here on part two, we flesh out a little bit more into the ideas of many universes, materialism, Mormonism cosmology, and how they compare to the Christian story and our place within it. Come and see! Free four-page profiles from Watchman Fellowship! Latter-Day Saints https://www.watchman.org/articles/mormonism/ Scientism https://www.watchman.org/scientism/ProfileScientism.pdf Carl Sagan's Cosmos https://www.watchman.org/CosmosTV Naturalism https://www.watchman.org/Naturalism/ProfileNaturalism.pdf Dan's presentation on the Book of Abraham https://youtu.be/GV5elJ_xSck?si=HtMfWVWBj5r675fx Wayne and Dan's book The Story of the Cosmos https://www.watchman.org/CosmosBook Luke A. Barnes is a Senior Lecturer in astronomy and cosmology. With PhD at the University of Cambridge, he has published papers in the field of galaxy formation and on the fine-tuning of the Universe for life. He is the author, with Geraint Lewis, of "A Fortunate Universe: Life in a Finely Tuned Cosmos" and "The Cosmic Revolutionary's Handbook: (Or: How to Beat the Big Bang)", published by Cambridge University Press. Luke, along with Allen Hainline, has also written a contributing chapter to The Story of the Cosmos - How The Heavens Declare the Glory of God (Harvest House).  James Walker, the president of Watchman Fellowship, is a former fourth generation Mormon with over twenty years of ministry experience in the field of Christian counter-cult evangelism, apologetics, and discernment. He has been interviewed as an expert on new religious movements and cults on a variety of network television programs including Nightline, ABC World News Tonight with Peter Jennings, and The News Hour with Jim Lehrer. He has spoken at hundreds of churches, colleges, universities, and seminaries throughout the United States and internationally. Luke's Books https://www.amazon.com/Fortunate-Universe-Finely-Tuned-Cosmos/dp/1107156610/ https://www.amazon.com/Cosmic-Revolutionarys-Handbook-Beat-Bang/dp/1108486703   Podbean enables our podcast to be on Apple Podcasts and other major podcast platforms.  To support Good Heavens! on Podbean as a patron, you can use the Podbean app, or go to https://patron.podbean.com/goodheavens.  This goes to Wayne Spencer. If you would like to give to the ministry of Watchman Fellowship or to Daniel Ray, you can donate at https://www.watchman.org/daniel. Donations to Watchman are tax deductible.

    35 min
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Good Heavens! The human side of astronomy with Wayne and Dan.

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