In
the beginning was the law, and there was nothing but the law. The law was
creative, and it allowed energy to come out of nothing. Energy was positive and
negative; therefore, it could come out of nothing and return to nothing. The
law ruled the positive and the negative energy, and it allowed it to develop in
time to form universes until they again returned to nothing. Universes were
born, and universes died. This is the story of our universe.
When
the first age began, all energy was one and expansion began. The law broke into
four forces, and these four forces ruled the energy as it expanded. There was gravity
to rule the movements of the stars and planets and electromagnetism to rule the
living matter. There was the weak force to heat the sun and the strong force to
form atoms.
When
the second age began, energy developed and became matter. The simple elements
were formed—mostly hydrogen, but also helium and lithium. There was also some
beryllium that was formed, but there was not yet any element heavier than that
in the universe.
When
the third age began, simple matter collapsed under the force of gravity and
formed the young stars. The weak force lighted their fire, and the strong force
began to form the heavy atoms of our universe. When their development was
completed, the young stars exploded, spreading their matter throughout the
universe.
When
the fourth age began, matter collapsed again to form new stars out of the light
atoms and planets out of the heavy atoms. Solar systems were formed, with a sun
at the center to warm the planets. Some of these planets were far enough to
cool down so that atoms could form molecules, and the electromagnetic force
would rule them. But they were close enough to the sun to receive enough heat
from the sun. The heat would break molecules and new molecules would form.
When
the fifth age began, the breaking and forming of some molecules formed a circle.
These molecules began to form copies of themselves out of other molecules, and
they would spread. Life was born, but it was not life as we know it. It was
still chemistry, but it moved further and further away from chemical equilibrium.
When
the sixth age began, chemical life had developed enough to become biological
life. Biological life formed cells that formed copies of themselves. Some of these
cells formed complex organisms of many different cells. Biological life
developed into more and more complex shapes, until if finally formed the plants
and the animals.
When
the seventh age began, one of these animals became so complex that it became conscious
of itself and its environment. The human being became the human person, and it
looked up at the whole universe. And it saw that it was nothing.
Vanity
of vanities, says the teacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.
Well, what do you think? Maybe the first couple of chapters of the Book of Genesis aren't so bad after all.
