Quakers and...Astrophysics?

My astronomy and my Quakerism have grown up together and are comfortable bedfellows.

When Jocelyn Bell Burnell was a 20-something astrophysics doctoral student at Cambridge University in the 1960's she made an extraordinary discovery. Recognizing radio pulsars became one of the most significant scientific discoveries of the 20th century. The 1974 Nobel Prize for Physics was awarded to her supervisor Antony Hewish and Martin Ryle for this breakthrough and Bell Burnell got...zip. She was included in photographs and asked if she would "unbutton my blouse lower, whilst journalists wanted to know my vital statistics and whether I was taller than princess Margaret".



At the time others in the field of astrophyics protested her exclusion but to no avail, and she downplayed her omission because she was a research assistant.  Bell Burnell went on to a distinguished career and last Fall she was awarded the three million dollar (US) Breakthrough prize, all of which she gave away to help women, ethnic minority, and refugee students become physics researchers.

Bell Burnell has also figured out how to be both a scientist and a Christian -- a Quaker, specifically. In 2013, she gave the Backhouse Lecture in Canberra A Quaker Astronomer Reflects: Can a Scientist Also Be Religious? in which she described her own personal theology/cosmology.

She also spoke on the BBC Radio 4 program Beautiful Minds:

 

I find that Quakerism and research science fit together very, very well. In Quakerism you're expected to develop your own understanding of god from your experience in the world. There isn't a creed, and there isn't a dogma. There's an understanding but nothing as formal as a dogma or creed and this idea that you develop your own understanding also means that you keep redeveloping your understanding as you get more experience, and it seems to me that's very like what goes on in ‘the scientific method’.

Along the way she was assessed as one of the 100 most powerful women in the United Kingdom and awarded a Quaker prize for peace and justice.

On this International Women's Day we can celebrate Jocelyn Bell Burnell as a scientist, a philanthropist, and a Christian.

Sea Dragons and Mary Anning

Back in January PBS aired a BBC television special called Attenborough and the Sea Dragon. Sir David Attenborough's name is gold when it comes to projects about the natural world and science, so it shouldn't be surprising that this remarkable nonegenarian gets first billing.

The program is about the discovery and excavation of the fossil remains of a 200 million year old ichthyosaur near Lyme Regis in southern England. Icthyosaurs were up to 16 metres in length and were fierce predators.

There was only passing mention of the first discovery of what was thought to be a form of fossilized crocodile in the same cliffs nearly 200 years ago. It was a young woman from a working class family named Mary Anning who developed a keen eye for fossils in a time when scientists and clergy were beginning to appreciate that there was literally more than the eye could see when it came to an understanding of creation. Mary discovered the first ichthyosaur and was soon sought out the men who were exploring this relatively new and religiously fraught field.



Tracey Chevalier has written a very readable and enjoyable fictional exploration of Mary's life called Remarkable Creatures. It helps readers appreciate the issues of the day, including the general contempt society had for the intelligence of women and particularly those of the "lower class."

In the novel Mary, whose family was religious, asks the Rev. Buckland (an actual Anglican priest and paleontologist of the period) about extinction of species and the implications for the emerging exploration of different theories of evolution. The priest is cautious in his response but responds "God in his infinite wisdom has peppered the world with mysteries for men to solve. This is one of them, and I am honoured to take on the task."

Eventually Mary Anning was recognized for her contributions and last year - two hundred years later --  a room at the Natural History Museum in south Kensington, London, was transformed in her honour. I thought it rather sad that two centuries after Anning's extraordinary discovery Sir David and the crew didn't more to acknowledge this pioneer.

Oh yes, Anning may have been the source of the tongue-twister "she sells sea shells by the seashore!"

Volcanoes and Transfiguration

We have come at Christ's own bidding
  to this high and holy place,
 where we wait with hope and longing
  for some token of God's grace.
 Here we pray for new assurance
  that our faith is not in vain,
 searching like those first disciples
  for a sign both clear and plain.

Voices United 104

When we visited the Azores last September, a group of islands in the Atlantic which are part of Portugal, our final stop of four was to Terceira. Ruth did a great job of researching each island before the trip but it was once we arrived on Terceira that we realized we could climb down into the largest hollow volcano on the planet which is called Algo do Carvao. We drove up and up to get to the summit, then walked down and down, hundreds of steps to the bottom where there is a small lake. It was a stunning experience, perhaps enhanced by not knowing what to expect.  It is a place where choral groups and instrumental ensembles offer events because of the acoustics. We could tell that others were also in awe of the surroundings.

There was something holy about this natural phenomenon, and it was one of the most remarkable places we've ever visited. We did a lot of descending and ascending in different locations that day. When Ruth checked her phone app for physical activity a couple of weeks later (we hadn't realized at the time that it was recording our ups and downs) we discovered that we had walked 18,000 steps and the equivalent of 91 stories that day. No wonder we were weary that evening!


The Transfiguration of Christ -- Earl Mott

We have come at Christ's own bidding
  to this high and holy place,
 where we wait with hope and longing
  for some token of God's grace.
 Here we pray for new assurance
  that our faith is not in vain,
 searching like those first disciples
  for a sign both clear and plain.

Voices United 104

In my Lion Lamb blog today I reflect on the notion of "thin places," which seems to fit with the mystical story of the Transfiguration. Rarely do we speak about the very experience of physical exertion as an aspect of what makes the story of Jesus and his disciples climbing the mountain for their numinous, bewildering encounter with Moses and Elijah, two mountain climbers of Jewish tradition who had been dead for hundreds of years so profound.
https://lionlamb-bowmanville.blogspot.com/2019/03/transfiguration-and-thin-places.html

It seems to me that sitting a pew or seat listening to the Transfiguration passage doesn't quite cut it, although that's the practicality of gathering for worship. Ascending and descending literally take us to places outside our comfort zone where we may experience God through the wonder of Creation and be opened to the presence of the living, present Christ. At times we resist breathing hard, whether metaphorically or physically, when it comes to our faith, yet that's when we have the most remarkable encounters with the holy.

Butterflies and Theophanies

Monarch butterflies -- all butterflies really -- are a gift from God...period. That's about as definitive as I can be on any subject. Butterflies are at once fragile and remarkably durable, not unlike the stained glass windows to which their wings are often compared. For Canadians Monarchs are one of the most if not the splashiest butterflies we're going to see. And we've learned that they undertake a remarkable migration from Canada to Mexico mostly, although Western Monarchs end up in California. Sadly, these creatures which never fail to create in me a sense of wonder have been in a decline which is more like a free-fall. It's estimated that the North American population has declined by 90% or more. Pesticides, elimination of milkweed, and habitat loss have conspired to cause this haphazard path to extinction.

This past Summer and Fall I was heartened to see a lot more Monarchs in different locations across Southern Ontario. My observations are what are termed "anecdotal" by researcher, but lo-and-behold the scientific evidence is that there was an uptick of as much as 150 in populations in some regions. Many municipalities are leaving milkweed and even seeding it to provide this essential breeding and feeding crop. There is actually research into how milkweed can be a viable commercial crop, a win-win for humans and butterflies.

 

I rummaged around in Barbara Kingsolver's novel, Flight Behavior, which is about a discontented 28-year-old mom named Dellarobia who stumbles upon a woods full of roosting Monarchs in her rural Tennessee area, where they aren't supposed to be. This discovery changes her hard-scrabble community and enlivens her. When she first sees them it is what we often call a "theophany" in scripture, an unexplainable experience of the holy, the numinous. Dellarobia is quietly cynical about the conservative Christianity of her town, yet:

"Trees turn to fire, a burning bush. Moses came to mind, and Ezekiel, words that occupied a space in her brain but no longer carried honest weight, if they ever had. Burning coals of fire went up and down among the living creatures.

We had this sort of unexpected experience ourselves years ago, walking a trail along the shore of Lake Ontario near sunset. We were puzzled by the movement in tree branches, then realized it was thousand of Monarch butterflies, staging before the arduous flight across the huge expanse of water. It really was extraordinary.

Let's hope that the summer of 2018 wasn't an aberration in the disappearance of a species. Surely the Creator is waiting for us to do the right thing on behalf of these glorious creatures.


https://www.canadiangeographic.ca/article/tracking-milkweed-save-monarch-butterflies

https://www.newyorker.com/science/elements/the-vanishing-flights-of-the-monarch-butterfly

Wandering in the Woods of Climate Change

Map of the Hundred Acre Wood drawn by E. H. Shepard to illustrate Winnie-the-Pooh.

 

  He also said to the crowds,

“When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, ‘It is going to rain’;

and so it happens. 

And when you see the south wind blowing, you say,

‘There will be scorching heat’; and it happens. 
 You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky,
but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?

 Luke 12:54-56 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

 We visited the Five Hundred Acre Wood to see the great tree,
one to climb it, three to watch.
And of those who watched,
one perhaps to dream of finding there a door with a knocker and a bell,
 and someone living behind it. Who? Who? Could it be owl?

Christopher Robin Milne    

I've wondered about un-following some Twitter accounts from Britain which have been gushing about the blossoming of Spring, complete with photos of crocuses and other early flowers. Do I really need to be taunted as Winter still has its icy grip on us on the cusp of March? It's bad enough dealing with the smug gloaters on Vancouver Island.

 Actually, this is not normal for the British Isles. There have been record warm temperatures for various parts of Great Britain -- 20C in Wales the other day -- with fires breaking out in forests and on heaths, including the area made famous as the Hundred Acre Wood. A.A. Milne was inspired by a woodland called Ashdown Forest for his creation of the Hundred Acre Wood in Winnie-the-Pooh According to the BBC more than 35 hectares — about 86 acres —  of the 200 hectares in Ashdown were affected.

 

 

Environmentalists are pointing to what is happening in Britain as one more example of the uncertainty created by Climate Change. As with many other parts of the planet, weather is changing and so are the seasons. A new report says that people get used to these shifts within a few years yet plants and animals don't adapt as readily. We actually don't know what psychological and physiological effects result for humans from what's called Shifting Baseline Syndrome. It's likely that a lot of us don't really notice until a catastrophic event or even a relatively minor one which affects a beloved place, usually because someone deems it newsworthy.

 

Jesus seems fairly clear that if we aren't willing to act on what we can clearly see then we are hypocrites suffering from a dangerous form of blindness. Do we really want to be Winnie and Tigger, so befuddled we end up walking in circles? I suppose we already are.

 

                 

 

Read more here: https://www.kansascity.com/news/nation-world/article226856249.html#storylink=cpy

Rights and Respect for Lake Erie

Lake Erie Algae Bloom

 You make springs gush forth in the valleys;
    they flow between the hills,
giving drink to every wild animal;
    the wild asses quench their thirst.
By the streams^[e] the birds of the air have their habitation;
    they sing among the branches.
 From your lofty abode you water the mountains;
    the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.

Psalm 104: 10-13

I have often drawn attention to Psalm 104 because it praises God as Creator, then barely mentions humans as it celebrates all creatures great and small. The psalmist also includes the solar system, mountains, and bodies of water as worthy of our respect, because God has brought them into being.

There is no mention of "rights" for these entities in the psalm, a relatively modern concept which is never mentioned in the bible. Yet respect and the accompanying dignity for all that exists is foundational to any rights, human or otherwise.

You may not have noticed that yesterday voters in Toledo Ohio voted in favour of adopting "Lake Erie Bill of Rights." This bill will be formally adopted into the city's charter which will mean that, as far as the City of Toledo is concerned, the entire Lake Erie ecosystem, which includes the watershed, possesses "the right to exist, flourish, and naturally evolve."

Not surprisingly the Toledoans for Safe Water are thrilled, and they should be. Not to rain on their parade, but it should be noted that while 61.37 per cent of voters were in favour of the measure, only 16,258 residents cast a ballot, a turnout rate of 8.9 per cent.



Deer Swimming in Lake Erie

 It's hard to know what the outcome of this decision will be. Toledo has a population of 275,000 and when I checked I discovered that it is the 71st largest city in the U.S. Who pays attention to Toledo? There is nothing to compel other Lake Erie cities on either side of the border to follow suit, and no one really knows what this will mean in practical terms for Toledo.

Still, this is a landmark decision on a continent which has traditionally treated bodies of water with contempt, and while the Great Lakes are the largest fresh water system in the world all of them have health issues. Lake Erie provides water for 12 million Americans and Canadians yet it is probably the sickest of the bunch with large dead zones because of massive algae blooms.

Hey, good for the people of Toledo to appreciate what is at stake here. The city may be relatively small, but lets pray it's influence will be mighty. I figure the Creator approves!



Great Lakes Ice Coverage January 2019

Here Comes the Sun -- Thank God!

1 Morning has broken like the first morning,
 blackbird has spoken like the first bird.
 Praise for the singing! Praise for the morning!
 Praise for them, springing fresh from the Word!

3 Ours is the sunlight! Ours is the morning
 born of the one light Eden saw play!
 Praise with elation, praise every morning,
 God's recreation of the new day!

Morning Has Broken Voices United 409

Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter
Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun
Here comes the sun, and I say
It's all right...

Here Comes the Sun -- The Beatles

It has seemed like a long Winter but the days are lengthening. Three weeks today there will be an equal number of light and dark hours as we arrive at the Spring or Vernal equinox a word which means equal hours. Of course it isn't the Spring Equinox in the Southern Hemisphere, but you get the picture.



I find that my spirit rises as the days get longer and through the ages religious folk have been keen observers of the heavens as an aspect of the spiritual life and relationship with the Creator. Judaism sets holy days according to the moon, and Christian Easter is dated according to the vernal equinox and moon phase. Despite the Galileo debacle the Roman Catholic church has employed astronomers for centuries and still does.



Sun Temple -- Mesa Verde

We know that aboriginal peoples on different continents have also been keen observers of seasons and skies. Several years ago I attended an Earth-Care conference at a Presbyterian centre in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. It was an excellent event and we stayed on for a few days of vacation. We travelled to the southwest, to the area called the Four Corners. Our goal was Mesa Verde, and the ancient Pueblo ruins there, including the cliff caves.

It was a remarkably spiritual experience to walk amidst  those ruins of a complex community which was mysteriously abandoned 700 years ago. Part of the excavations atop the mesa are of what has been termed the Sun Temple and the four tower-like elements of the complex which may have been used for observation of the rise or set of celestial bodies known to be sacred to the Pueblo Indians. While there is a lot of educated guess-work here the Sun Temple appears to represent the most comprehensive prehistoric astronomical observatory yet uncovered. Cool.

So vitamin-D deprived folks, live with hope as the sunlight strengthens and daylight hours extend. As the hymn says, each new day is God's re-creation.



Mesa Verde in Winter