Why Science Does Not Disprove God

By: Amir Aczel

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

The renowned science writer, mathematician, and best-selling author of Fermat's Last Theorem masterfully refutes the overreaching claims of the "New Atheists," providing millions of educated believers with a clear, engaging explanation of what science really says, how there's still much space for the Divine in the universe, and why faith in both God and empirical science are not mutually exclusive.

A highly publicized coterie of scientists and thinkers, including Richard Dawkins, the late Christopher Hitchens, and Lawrence Krauss, have vehemently contended that breakthroughs in modern science have disproven the existence of God, asserting that we must accept that the creation of the universe came out of nothing, that religion is evil, that evolution fully explains the dazzling complexity of life, and more. In this much-needed audiobook, science journalist Amir Aczel profoundly disagrees and conclusively demonstrates that science has not, as yet, provided any definitive proof refuting the existence of God.

Why Science Does Not Disprove God is his brilliant and incisive analyses of the theories and findings of such titans as Albert Einstein, Roger Penrose, Alan Guth, and Charles Darwin, all of whose major breakthroughs leave open the possibility - and even the strong likelihood - of a Creator. Bolstering his argument, Aczel lucidly discourses on arcane aspects of physics to reveal how quantum theory, the anthropic principle, the fine-tuned dance of protons and quarks, the existence of anti-matter, and the theory of parallel universes, also fail to disprove God.

©2014 Amir Aczel (P)2014 HarperCollins Publishers

Helps keep science in the right place.

One of the best exposures of sciences attempt to exult itself above GOD. GOD had put in His word that it is impossible to please GOD
without faith and by faith we live and move and have our being.

An argument for agnostic or deist views

True to the title, the book does little to argue for an existence of a god, just that science can't fully disprove it. While the author feels that he is opposing atheists, I know few atheists who don't also feel agnostic or deistic, but use the term atheist when it comes to the idea of knowing a personal god that will deal judgement based on actions, level of worship, sacrifice, and abstaining from thought crimes.
He mentions the anthropic principle and discusses how atheists assert authority on things they cannot know but then assumes things such as observed laws needing a lawgiver.
The author has or uses very little understanding of evolution. He points out peacock tails and acts of altruism and asserts that no one has any good theories on why these things exist. He also attempts to compare one field of science with another with a short list of quantum mechanics vs evolution. He makes the point that evolution shouldn't be trusted because it is not mathematical and because it has an inability to predict species thousands of years into the future. Biologists can't fully predict what will happen in a petri dish in 12 hours, this doesn't disqualify biology as a science or diminish it. Evolution has made many predictions such as age of the earth later verified by forms of dating, depths of various excavated lifeforms, the existence of transitional fossils, predicted resistance in infectious diseases to treatments, insects resistance to pesticides and changes with GM crops, and changes to insects like the peppered moth where it was expected that the light colored genes would emerge dominant after pollution is cleaned.
His observations on human differences from that of the animal world lacks the clarity and research like that of Jared Diamond who show that most hallmarks of humanity have animal origins or at least convergence.
All in all, this book gives more compelling arguments than do most religious arguments, but the conclusion is more of an agnostic or deist one, one that is already shared by a majority of those that identify as an atheist.

Finally a scientist who does not overreach

Would you consider the audio edition of Why Science Does Not Disprove God to be better than the print version?

Haven't read the printed version.

What did you like best about this story?

A scientific mind explains carefully and methodically about the limits of science. He exposes some of the non scientific emotional responses of atheistic scientists in a scientific manner. The arguments are very well put forward and the author does not take sides, just leaves room for others.

Which character – as performed by Grover Gardner – was your favorite?

His excellent rebuttels of neo atheists such as Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris makes them look more ideological than the people they oppose.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

The modern science conspiracy. You are not a scientist if you believe in a creator.

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed this book. The author speaks like a true scientist, and is sceptic, unlike others in his field. He eloquently explains the things outside the realm of science in an age where everything is made into a science. Thumbs up. Great listen!

Good but not what I expected

This was a very good book. It broke down the science on both sides of the argument of the existence of God. However, the author seems to be someone from a non religious background that believes in creation - but not the bible. In fact, he waves off almost all of the bible claiming that it's not literal, saying that obviously these miracles didn't happen because they break the laws of physics.

I found it interesting that someone who believes in a superior being that can create the universe and all of the laws of nature, but can't break them when it suits His purpose. It struck me as someone who is so steeped in the laws of physics that he couldn't see past them.

Beyond that, I highly recommend this book.

A bit deep in spots, but worth powering through them!

As a scientist that was raised in the church, I have many, many questions about this topic. Yet, through all my studies, I could not let go of the "what if/perhaps" of God's existence, and embrace the atheism as so many of my colleagues. The book talks to this deep feeling and belief I have in a scientific manner, using the excuses of the new atheist movement to call to question their declarations, as well uses deep theoretical but scientific declarations to illuminate that question mark.
I am now more confident in my belief that I stated in my 6th grade class - that things are just too complex and too perfect to be a sheer happenstance.

God is Real

Would you consider the audio edition of Why Science Does Not Disprove God to be better than the print version?

I always prefer hard copy but I travel so audio is at times more efficient for me.

Who was your favorite character and why?

God

If you could give Why Science Does Not Disprove God a new subtitle, what would it be?

A Christian's guide to navigate in a secular world!

Too much

Don’t really bring me to the conclusion until last few words in the final chapter

Excellent meeting of faith and mind.

The narrator is excellent. Unfortunately, I heard him read <Innocents Abroad>, and I kept thinking of an absurd Mark Twain!

I'll still reccomend this book, but...

Any additional comments?

Another fascinating subject covered by my favorite non-fiction writer/author.Too bad the reader mispronounces a fair percentage of names and of other words. For example, I think most narrators mangle "Tycho Brahe", but this gentleman doesn't even try. He just quickly mumbles something with a "T" and a "B".Overall, his reading style is actually quite good, but there is only so much Nik-o-lay-u-us Copernicus I can handle without wanting to plug my ears.

Excellent

I enjoyed this book immensely. So much that I bought a hard bound copy for my own library. It answered many questions for me. Such as why science can't disprove the existence of God. There were several things that I could grasp, such as what was said regarding physics, time and different components of space; that make up the universe. For me this book was so informative I've decided to go through it for a second time.