I'm really enjoying the Book Club selection for the month. It's a great narrative about cosmology by Lawrence Krauss called "A Universe From Nothing."

In chapter 2, Krauss conveys a wonderful story about Einstein's 1936 paper in the magazine Science entitled “Lens-Like Action of a Star by the Deviation of Light in the Gravitational Field.”

“In this brief note Einstein demonstrated the remarkable fact that space itself could act like a lens, bending light an magnifying it, just like the lenses in my own reading glasses.”

It turns out that Einstein was right and we can see this gravitational lensing effect. Gravitational lensing of distant quasars by intervening galaxies was first observed in 1987 (see image below).

 Krauss explains how this effect gives us insight into the mysterious dark matter that appears to make up the majority of “stuff” in the universe. It’s a compelling tale.  Krauss has this amazing ability to make cosmology and physics come alive even for the casual reader.  This book is a must read!

This month we are reading a great new book from Lawrence Krauss entitled A Universe from Nothing: Why There Is Something Rather than Nothing. Here's an excerpt:

Preface

Dream or nightmare, we have to live our experience as it is, and we have to live it awake. We live in a world which is penetrated through and through by science and which is both whole and real. We cannot turn it into a game simply by taking sides.

—JACOB BRONOWSKI

In the interests of full disclosure right at the outset I must admit that I am not sympathetic to the conviction that creation requires a creator, which is at the basis of all of the world’s religions. Every day beautiful and miraculous objects suddenly appear, from snowflakes on a cold winter morning to vibrant rainbows after a late-afternoon summer shower. Yet no one but the most ardent fundamentalists would suggest that each and every such object is lovingly and painstakingly and, most important, purposefully created by a divine intelligence. In fact, many laypeople as well as scientists revel in our ability to explain how snowflakes and rainbows can spontaneously appear, based on simple, elegant laws of physics.

Here's a video referenced in Dawkins' book "The Greatest Show on Earth". In the Channel 4 program "Inside Nature's Giants: The Giraffe" a young giraffe is dissected to determine the cause of death and to explore much of its unique physiology. This is a remarkable program which highlights evolution and natural selection. 5 parts, approximately 50 minutes.

This might be a fun one to read for book club. Only, I don't want to give the author any money.

To some, the concept of having faith in a higher power or a set of religious beliefs is nonsensical. Indeed, many view religion in general, and Christianity in particular, as unfounded and unreasonable. 

Norman Geisler and Frank Turek argue, however, that Christianity is not only more reasonable than all other belief systems, but is indeed more rational than unbelief itself. With conviction and clear thinking, Geisler and Turek guide readers through some of the traditional, tested arguments for the existence of a creator God. They move into an examination of the source of morality and the reliability of the New Testament accounts concerning Jesus. The final section of the book deals with a detailed investigation of the claims of Christ. This volume will be an interesting read for those skeptical about Christianity, as well as a helpful resource for Christians seeking to articulate a more sophisticated defense of their faith. 

Freethought Dayton hosts a monthly Book Club. Here's how it works... Members suggest books and then we create a poll and vote via the meetup site on which book to read next.The book club event is normally hosted in a local library. Members share their ideas and opinions about the book in open discussion forum. 

Want to see what we are reading? Then join us on our Meetup.com site.