God as a Scientist (Universes Within Universes)

Universes within universes; from an electron circling the neutron within an atom, to entire planets circling suns in a celestial orbit -- this reality appears to literally be comprised of universes within universes. How big each universe is, then, actually depends on the perspective of the viewer. Human beings are obviously massive in comparison to the single atoms of which we are comprised, yet we are small dots on the planet Earth and the equivalent of mere microns if we were to be observed on a universal level. In other words, it really is all "relative," it all depends on the context and circumstances.

It is easy, as human beings, to see ourselves as the ultimate construct, as the "master of all things" contained by planet Earth. This could be pure vanity, but is most likely just a result of our own limited perceptions, wherein we more or less are in control (or can learn to become in control) of most things we observe around us on this planet. How often do we truly look up into the sky and see beyond the aesthetic beauty of the stars, where we are instead looking out into vast expanses of space and seeing objects that are millions of times larger than our own planet? Most of the stars (if not all stars) we see are many, many times larger than our own planet, and even quite larger than our own sun, which is massive -- and yet these things are so very distant, they only appear as specks of light to us. To realize how much "depth" there is to our universe, then, and to subsequently realize that there are MANY such universes (literally universes inside universes) -- that is to realize how completely insignificant we might seem to any sort of being that was looking down at us in the same manner as we look down upon the smaller organisms within our own limited world.

Given the vast quantity of space and all the unknown things that exist within space (including those things that may exist well beyond the boundaries of what we are currently able to observe), it seems quite possible that there could be some sort of sentient being/intelligent life form that is infinitely larger than us that has the ability to observe us without us even realizing we are being observed. Perhaps there is some massive life form (massive to us, at least, given our own perspective) that does indeed watch over us. It could be that we would have no idea we were even being watched, as our own limited perceptive abilities would prevent us from being able to observe the observer. An analogy would be a very small insect, such as a dust mite, being observed by the scientist; the scientist observes the dust mite, but the dust mite doesn't even realize it is being observed, and would not be able to comprehend what it was looking at even if it did look at the observer, given its perceptive abilities and the massive differentiation in scale. The observer would be so huge to the dust mite, that it would be impossible for the dust mite to ever see more than a small part of the observer at any given time, and therefore would not be able to even realize what the observer looked like in its entirety, and therefore would be unable to comprehend what it was actually looking at.

So what if there is a higher life form, an intelligent being that is so much greater than we are, in terms of size, ability, intelligence, perceptive abilities, and all other related things? What if that life form watches over us, but does so in a purely speculative way? What if God is a scientist? What if God literally watches over us, but does so simply to study us? Worse yet, what if God created us -- but only as a medical experiment? It's a scary thought, and to many people probably seems absurd -- but should it be that absurd an idea? As human beings, we have learned to isolate life forms in structures in which they may be studied and observed. We have learned to modify and change life forms. Most recently, we have even begun to learn how to CREATE new life forms. We create life forms, and we study pre-existing life forms in the pursuit of knowledge. Yet many of the smallest life forms surely have no idea that we exist and that we are watching them -- even at times manipulating them and their environment. They exist in their own world and their perception of the world, never realizing how many larger and more complex life forms exist above them. Their limited perceptive abilities enable them to see only those things that exist close to them in a size or magnitude that they can readily observe and comprehend. And all the while, we are watching them and controlling the world around them.

The scariest part of that possibility, however, is the reasoning behind scientific study a large percentage of the time. Some scientists merely observe naturally occurring phenomenon, studying nature only in an attempt to better understand it, and by extension, better understand ourselves and the world around us (including the development of things that are beyond our comprehension, in an effort to understand the things that exist beyond our "normal" ability to perceive and understand). I would submit that this is a "pure" and noble and worthwhile form of science, where mankind only observes, and does not harm what it observes. However, there are also those that manipulate lesser things, including lesser creatures, and oftentimes even cause pain to those things "in the name of science." We expose animals to toxic chemicals and unknown medications just to see how badly the reactions are that occur from being exposed to these things. We even use science to devise weapons to destroy our own kind, to protect our own vested interests rather than working together to find compromises that suit everyone. We are selfish scientists. We use science mainly to improve our own lives, often not giving more than an afterthought to what sacrifices must be made by the unwilling subjects of our grand experiments, the subjects that have no choice in the matter and no way to escape whatever we wish to impose upon them. By simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time, they become subjects in experiments that we know will cause them pain and sometimes even death. We breed animals for the sole purpose of exposing them to things that we would never, ever want to be exposed to ourselves. We subject animals to these things only to determine how bad the pain will be, or how quickly death will come. Rather than use science and our advanced knowledge to help all living beings, we expose these certain living beings to almost unspeakable acts of scientific torture, all in an effort to improve our own lives, by learning how to minimize the effects of dangerous things, or how to maximize the benefits of those things that are helpful to us.

In our own arrogance and conceit, we try to justify these things, saying it is for "the common good" -- and yet the destruction of other things and other living beings can, by definition, never be for the common good.  Some go as far as to say that animals do not think or feel, but merely react according to some sort of stimulus-response pattern, perhaps only reacting to a reinforcement schedule as a learned behavior. There are those that surmise that ONLY humans truly think and feel. Yet I contend that those that believe that are the least scientific among us, because any logical observer (the definition of a true scientist) has to recognize that animals consistently demonstrate genuine emotion and the ability to think and reason, to act in a way that is far beyond any type of stimulus-response theory. To state that smaller other creatures and  animals do not think or feel, is to ignore the very aspect of what any sort of true observation would clearly show.

All living creatures think and feel, and we have the ability to help each other and all those things that exist around us, and yet we are racing down a path of selfishness that may literally be destroying the planet and many of the species that exist on the planet. We not only harm other creatures out of arrogant self-interest, we literally devise extraordinary methods for killing off our own kind.

Thanatos be upon us, as we push ourselves and all other living things around us toward our self-imposed path toward extinction.

It's all related, and it's all connected.

Upon realizing how we are scientists that hold so much power over smaller things, but also realizing how small we are on the grand (literally and figuratively speaking) scale of things, one must at least acknowledge the possibility that we ourselves may be prone to being studied. To many smaller creatures, we are basically gods, having powers and abilities far beyond what they may ever have. Yet we are selfish gods. We use our power and abilities to harm less powerful creatures, and even to harm those of our own kind, all in a misguided attempt to maximize our own benefits and pleasure despite the costs to others, and ultimately even ourselves. It is all connected, and our actions toward others will ultimately lead back to ourselves, whether through dogmatic principle ("an eye for an eye," "do unto others as you would have them do unto you"), the concept of "karma," or just sound scientific principle and the understanding that every action has an equal and opposite reaction.  We have the power, knowledge, and technology to forge a society where no one has to suffer from hunger, thirst, rampant disease, or the lack of any basic need -- and yet we continue (through short-sightedness, arrogance, and the need for immediate gratification) to endeavor down paths that ultimately lead to destruction and pain.

Do I really believe that we are just subjects in a grand experiment being conducted by a higher power? No. However, I do believe in a higher power. This being the case, I can only hope (perhaps only pray, as that would somehow seem fitting) that if there is indeed a life form out there that watches over us from afar -- that this God is not a selfish God, willing to use weak rationalizations to someday subject us to the cruelties to which we routinely subject all other living beings around us.