M: M-THEORY

The newest addition to theoretical physics is string theory. In the 1980’s, the search for the heart of all matter and energy went deeper than the single point particles that were always assumed and asked, “What if underneath it all, the whole universe beats to the rhythm of infinitesimally small vibrating “strings”? Complex math burgeoned along these lines and string theory became the trendiest branch of physics. However, the topic generated so much interest that no less than five different versions of string theory emerged, each mathematically different. Then in 1984, Ed Witten (the greatest living physicist?) rocked the world (or at least the theoretical physicists world) by suggesting that all five of the theories were just different angles of the same thing, each of them approaching the one central reality from a different mathematical limit, more or less. The name he gave to this new unified view of what underlies all matter and energy was “M-theory”. Ironically—since it is after all a theory purporting to explain everything--the choice of the letter “M” was left unexplained. Witten himself later said it stood for “magic, mystery, or matrix”. In reading about M theory, I have also found many other nominees for the “M”: monster, mother, master and membrane (the last of which does have something to do with the theory). While some of the speculations connected to M-theory seem as random as its name, a few are poignant. Firstly, M-theory exists in eleven dimensions. In other words, for theoretical physicists to define our reality, it takes seven other dimensions beyond the four we know (the three of space plus time). In an oversimplification that ignores size (but then, really, what is size in 11 dimensions?), we could say that 7/11 of reality is undetectable to us but ever present, according to M theory. String theorists speak extensively about parallel dimensions and have now even begun to rethink the Big Bang in terms of colliding membranes between them. But it is enough for me to just smile and say I knew Shakespeare was right when he had Hamlet say, “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” I also think of a little wooden plaque from my childhood that feels always engraved on my heart: “All I see of God’s world makes me trust him for all I don’t see.” The string theorist might scoff, judging it sentimental and silly to trust that those seven other dimensions are in the hand of Omniscience, but I don’t see it that way. What if those seven other dimensions beyond the few my mind is wired to process actually are the mere edges of His genius? What if their glaring message to us is not, “Hey come figure me out,” but rather, “You need better equipment.” What if the great beyond is the Spirit where we dance in God’s domain and see with our spiritual eyes? (I’m just asking, but yes, with a gleam in my eye as I think of it.) My God speculation has only been enhanced by the fact that string theory added a song and dance to the cosmological story! Instead of just points—focused infinitesimally small “balls” of energy—at the center of it all, we now have these vibrating (dancing) strings! We very seriously and solemnly focused in toward “the theory of everything” and we got, wait for it, music! It’s a lot like climbing the summit only to find the guru up there laughing! The idea of vibrating strings conjures up notions of an evening of good jazz. The vibrations come fast and furious as the players take readings off of each other and improvise and the strings are plucked (or the brass is reverberated). Smile: the universe is a bit like…JAZZ! Stephen Hawking recently set the religious word on fire (and not in a good way) when he said that the new explanations of M-theory, eliminated the necessity of a God for the universe. But, for me, God is the one plucking the strings! It isn’t that I “need” Him to explain it all, but more that I love knowing Him as the cosmic jazz-master! There is a little piece of the Bible that has for years caused Christians to speculate that at the center of it all we would find vibrations. Hebrews 1:3 declares that the Father (in the Son) “holds all things together by the word of His power.” What if we took our morality glasses off long enough to think of the Bible as a spiritual book? What if these words are more than just poetic praise of His majesty? What if the tiny word-packets of truth that give us the idea actually ARE the MATRIX of any other dimensions as well as those our minds perceive? What if God’s words—in whatever form they come--resonate throughout the universe with perpetual energy (the only source of it), creating the cosmic song that is vibrating with “mystery”, seeming like “magic”, creating a “matrix” or even a “membrane” of reality for us to dance upon? Perhaps we Christians need to update definition of a Creator. We have made Him too small and old-fashioned, too bearded and three (or four) dimensional! We did not realize that we had placed upon Him the limits of our own mind trying to understand the universe. No wonder scientists who generate crazy, wild expanded views of reality argue against our limited views of a Creator. Rather than defending our view, why not expand our notion of His vastness as we broaden our enjoyment of the Mystery? The universe is jazz with a purpose! It’s not just God’s position at the center of cosmological explanation that makes Him God to me. It’s that I find Him at the center of my own ridiculous struggles! He is not just the music of the spheres—he is the music in my local sphere. And if He chooses to run the universe on His rhythms, it behooves me to dance along.