About this Book

About the Author

Preface

Chapter 1: Science and Faith

Faith versus Science?

What is Faith?

What is Science?

The Origin of Modern Science

How Christianity Fostered Science

A Brief History of Faithful Science

The Copernican Model

Kepler and Galileo

Galileo vs. the Aristotelians

Faithful Scientists

Chapter 2: Classical Physics

The Birth of Classical Physics

Basic Concepts

Newton’s Laws of Motion

Fundamental Properties, Forces, and Laws

Gravitational Acceleration

Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation

Newtonian Explanations

Electromagnetic Forces

Electric and Magnetic Fields

Maxwell’s Equations

Waves

Light

Chapter 3: Energy and Entropy

Basic Concepts

Forms of Energy

Kinetic Energy

Potential Energy and Wave Energy

Thermal Energy

The First Law of Thermodynamics

The Second Law of Thermodynamics

Early Formulations of the Second Law

The Modern Formulation

Statistical Mechanics

Entropy as a Measure of Possibilities

How Entropy is Related to Probability

The Direction of Time

Irreversible Processes

The Asymmetry of Time

The Entropy of the Early Universe

Explaining the Low-Entropy Condition

Chapter 4: Atoms and Chemistry

Historical Beginnings of Atomic Theory

Pieces of Atoms

Inside the Nucleus

Theories of Atomic Structure

The Rutherford Model

The Bohr Model

Quantum Mechanical Models

Spectral Lines

Electron Shells and the Periodic Table

Periodicity of the Elements

Valence Electrons

Chemical Bonds

Chemical Reactions

Chapter 5: Subatomic Forces and Particles

Nuclear Physics

Isotopes

Nuclear Forces

Radioactivity

Nuclear Radiation

Radiometric Dating

Nuclear Reactions

Nuclear Energy

Nuclear Weapons

Particle Physics

Elementary Particles

Detecting Particles

Antimatter

Force-carrier Particles

The “God Particle” (Higgs boson)

Taxonomy of Particles

Chapter 6: Relativity

What is Relativity?

Relativity before Einstein

Galilean Relativity

A Privileged Frame of Reference?

Aether Theory

The Michelson-Morley Experiment

Stellar Aberration and the Aether Drag Hypothesis

Lorentzian Relativity

The Special Theory of Relativity

Is the Speed of Light Relative?

The Relativity of Distance and Time

Spacetime

Spacelike, Lightlike, and Timelike Intervals

Light Cones

Planes of Simultaneity

The Twin Paradox

Mass-Energy Equivalence

Relativistic Mass

The General Theory of Relativity

The Equivalence Principle

Curvy Spacetime

Reference Frames in General Relativity

Successful Predictions of General Relativity

The Principle of Relativity

Theological Implications of Relativity

Chapter 7: Quantum Physics

What is Quantum Physics?

The Double-Slit Test

Measurement and Superposition

The Schrodinger Equation and Born’s Rule

Fuzzy Photons

Quantum Entanglement and the EPR Paradox

Hidden Variables?

Interpretations of Quantum Mechanics

Chapter 8: Astronomy and Cosmology

How Big is the Universe?

How Old is the Universe?

Measuring Interstellar Distances

Galaxies

Groups, Clusters, and Superclusters

Hubble’s Law

The Big Bang Theory

Rewinding the Universe

Witnessing the Dawn of Creation

The Construction of Galaxies

How the Stars were Made

The Life and Death of a Star

Supernovae

The Formation of Planetary Systems

Could there be life on other planets?

Cosmic Mysteries

Black Holes

Dark Matter

Dark Energy

Cosmological Fine-Tuning

The Multiverse Hypothesis

A Universe from Nothing?

Chapter 9: Geology

[Coming soon]

Chapter 10: Evolution

Theories of Evolution

Introduction

On the Origin of Evolutionary Biology

Darwin’s Theory

Genetics

Mendel’s Laws

Modern Genetic Theory

DNA and the Genetic Code

Mutations

Other Evolutionary Mechanisms

Population-level Mechanisms

Epigenetics and Evo-Devo

Symbiogenesis

Examining the Evidence for Evolution

Evidence from observed cases

Evidence for evolutionary mechanisms

Evidence from biogeography

Evidence from homology

Evidence from genetics

Evidence from paleontology

How to Date a Fossil

Interpreting the Fossil Record

Chapter 11: Creationism

Introduction

The Word of God

Understanding the Biblical Account of Creation

The Mystery of Creation

Seven Interpretations of the Seven Days

The Message of Genesis 1

Varieties of Creationism

Is Evolution Compatible with Scripture?

Points of Contention

The Image of God

Adam and Eve

Christian Perspectives on Human Origins

Chapter 12: Intelligent Design

The Intelligent Design Movement

Cosmological fine-tuning arguments for design

Probabilistic evidence

My fine-tuning argument

Biological arguments for design

The Argument from Irreducible Complexity

The Argument from Specified Complexity

Perceiving Design

Design Hypotheses

Hypotheses Consistent with Mainstream Science

Hypotheses Inconsistent with Mainstream Science

Objections to Intelligent Design

Creationism in Disguise

God of the Gaps

Testability

Inept Design

Immoral Design

Chapter 13: The Nature of Science

Introduction

The Philosophy of Science

The Word ‘Science’

The Demarcation Problem

Deductivism

Inductivism

Hypothetico-Deductivism

Falsificationism

Demarcation’s Demise?

Scientific Methods

Appendices

The Rationality of Faith

Calculating the Mass of the Earth

Maxwell’s Equations

Boltzmann Entropy

Observing Spectral Lines

Noah’s Flood