Let it be noted that the older experiment of Alain Aspect was similar. His purpose, however, was not to determine if an observation could "influence" the past, but to discover if the observation of one of the two twin photons could influence the other one through space instantly, even at a great distance. The result was that they could, with no time loss! But this finding contradicts Einstein's special theory of relativity, where the speed of light is the absolute speed-barrier. While some scientists' hope of ghostly "hidden" variables capable of instantly transporting information from one photon to the other was understandable, the existence of variables that can transport information back in time seems ridiculous. So it is no wonder that these scientists now feel a certain angst because of the possible loss of their weltbild (world view).
Some may say that quantum physics, with all its strange results, does not matter in the macroscopic world, since all the problems described above deal only with elementary particles. And indeed, in the macroscopic world, we do not seem to have the problems mentioned here. But this is not really so. First, as I stated earlier, everything in our universe is made out of elementary particles. Secondly, quantum mechanics is not only applicable to elementary particles, quantum mechanics can also be accurately applied to macroscopic objects. A well-known example of strange behavior, even in our macroscopic world, is given by "Schrödinger's Cat." 5 And furthermore, phenomena seem to exist in the macroscopic world that are not explainable with classic physics. For example, some physicists try to explain certain ESP phenomena with quantum physics. 6
The assumption that our macroscopic past is not effected by the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle is not as clear as often postulated.
Others say that the conscious human is not crucial for reality, because a photographic plate could substitute for the observer. Of course, this is not a valid argument, because, as corresponding experiments show, the results come into being (reality) when the photographic plate is observed by a human being. So, this is only another example for the already described "observer-chain," since the time-point of the observation is only delayed to the observation of the plate.
Therefore, the assumption that our macroscopic past is not effected by the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle is not as clear as often postulated. Who can say for sure what the "past" of our universe looked like if one does not look at it, e.g., through telescopes? One may have many similar questions, as for example: "How far is it possible to extrapolate from Scully's quantum mechanical bench-top experiments to the classical world of the past?" "Is such an extrapolation troubling for sciences such as geology or astrophysics?" Because of limited space, it is not possible to answer these questions in this paper, but much material concerning such questions can be found in Wheeler's "Law without Law. 7
So, what remains? Obviously, only the "old" Copenhagen Interpretation, which leads to the assumption (simplified) that the observer during his observation creates that reality. Without an observer, there seems to be no "reasonable" reality "out there." But what does all this have to do with the Bible?
The Bible Connection
Let us consider the creation report in Gen.1:1-31. There we have the following events:
1. Creation of heaven and earth, light, and day and night.
2. Creation of land and water.
3. Creation of plants and fruit trees.
4. Creation of stars, sun, and moon.
5. Creation of fish and birds.
6. Creation of animals and humans.
Evolutionists complain that, as stated in the Bible, the sun and moon were created after the plants and trees, and because of this, they say, that the creation report cannot be (literally) true. Let us consider the following: According to the results of experiments, we now know that reality (at least as we observe it) is a "construct" of our interaction with it, that is, no one could really say what this reality "looks like" without our observation. And, as we have already seen, this even seems to be true for events that took place in a "past reality." So, what can we really say about any events of a past that were not observed by any human being (that is, before the existence of humankind)? We can only say that our "reconstruction" of the past is an image that obviously depends on our present observation of it. So the question, "What did the past really look like?" cannot be answered accurately as long as no observer was there.
Remember that the Scully experiment teaches us that the past (of the electron's decision about "how" to unite at the semi-transparent mirror) was created during its observation in the present. But we also understand that this reconstruction of the past leads us to more than one possibility. The past's reality "happens" while it is being observed in the present, and the kind of observation even determines what the past looked like. But according to the Bible, the creation of humans was the "last" event of the creation period, so this was the first time a conscious observer came into being. This is important to remember.
After seeing the famous movie, "Gone With the Wind," one knows which events took place. At first, there was the announcement of the Civil War, then there was the war with all its destruction, meanwhile there was a love story going on, and after the war, the famous "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a . . .!" scene took place. But was this really the order of the filmed sequences? Of course not! As everybody knows the sequences were filmed in an order suitable to logistic and organizational demands. If, for instance, a person is to appear only three times during the whole movie, let us say at the start, in the middle, and somewhere toward the end, then it would be easier (especially if the actor is costing the movie company lots and lots of money!) if these scenes were filmed at one time. Later these sequences are inserted at the proper position in the movie, even if "years" lay in between (according to the plot).
… our "reconstruction" of the past is an image that obviously depends on our present observation of it.
Or let us take the TV-series, Star Trek (the one with Kirk & Spock, etc.). After this series was on the air, authors "constructed" a matching past to the series, and wrote, e.g., about Spock's youth. So, in the present, a possible, "reasonable" past was created for Spock, which led to the "reality" of the stories of the series in a logical way. This reconstruction could be called an "extrapolation" from the present into the past. However, there could be more than one possibility for Spock's past which matches the TV-series! But remember, in reality (in the series), there was no "past" of Spock at all. Furthermore, Spock "exists" only if someone looks at one or more of the Star Trek series or movies. Thus, Spock exists only by observation, not in reality! And as we know from the movie, The Truman Show, even the reality of a "real" person can be a total fallacy.
Now, what do scientists do, when they are talking about a past where boldly no human has gone before? They are talking about an extrapolation of the present (of humankind) with three possibilities:
1. The extrapolated past could have really happened this way.
2. Another "reasonable" past could have happened.
3. There was no real past at all (at least no kind of past that we can imagine or talk about).
According to the results of Scully's experiments, only the third interpretation seems to make sense! But even the scientists, who believe in the "many-world hypothesis" must agree that there could be an infinite number of past "realities" that may lead to the same present world (depending upon our observation of it).
So, what remains? Obviously, only a "movie" we call reality, and an extrapolation postulated by some scientists of one of many possible pasts which may (or may not) match our present observation of this reality.
The Bible says:
"He [God] has made everything suitable for its time; moreover he has put a sense of past and future into their minds, yet they cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end" — Eccles. 3:11 (NRSV).
Now consider that the Bible is talking of a sense of past (and future), and God has put it into our minds. As the Scully experiments seem to tell us, we are not able to find out what God has really done, that is, know how the universe really "works" (at least with physics). Does the reality of our past exist only in our minds? Since CNN was not there with their camera teams, we can only produce a mathematical calculation of this past. Here is another example from the Bible that shows us how we possibly may have to deal with the experimental results.
"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness [of any thing] that [is] in heaven above, or that [is] in the earth beneath, or that [is] in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God [am] a jealous God . . ." — Exod. 20:4, 5 (KJV).
The "graven image" [Exod. 20:4] could also be the model a scientist makes of the universe.
According to the newest results, these verses now may stand in a brand-new light. The "graven image" could also be the model a scientist makes of the universe. Perhaps the Bible foresees the impossibility to complete the chain of logical conclusions within our weltbild based on such graven images. Obviously, severe contradictions arise if traditional reasoning is applied to the newest results of quantum physical experiments, like the ones done by Scully. This fits perfectly with the following Bible verses in an amazing way:
"Every man is brutish in [his] knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image [is] falsehood, and [there is] no breath in them. They [are] vanity, [and] the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish" — Jer. 10:14, 15 (KJV).