“Multiverse”, Teori Tanpa Bukti

The New York Times terbitan 12 April 2003 memuat tulisan ahli astrofisika terkenal Paul Davies berjudul “A Brief History of the Multiverse” [“Sejarah Singkat Teori Multiverse (Jagat Raya Majemuk)”]. Dalam tulisan ini, Prof. Davies berupaya mempertahankan pernyataan tentang kemungkinan adanya jagat raya berjumlah tak hingga, dan jagat raya kita telah secara kebetulan menjadi sesuai bagi adanya kehidupan. Inilah pernyataan terbaru yang telah digunakan para pemikir materialis untuk mengelak ketika mendapati adanya perancangan sempurna di alam semesta.

Pertama-tama perlu dijelaskan di sini mengapa mereka membuat pernyataan seperti itu: selama ribuan tahun, agama-agama samawi dan berbagai filsafat yang mengakui keberadaan Tuhan menyatakan bahwa terdapat tujuan dan perancangan sengaja di jagat raya. Sebaliknya, kaum materialis – yakni mereka yang menyatakan bahwa tiada sesuatu pun selain materi – menolak adanya tujuan dan perancangan sengaja ini. Namun, serangkaian penemuan astronomi dan fisika di abad ke-20 mengungkapkan bahwa perancangan sengaja di jagat raya sungguh jelas sehingga tak mungkin dapat diingkari. Berbagai penemuan ini mengungkapkan bahwa di saat awal terbentuknya jagat raya, seluruh variabel, dari kecepatan Big Bang hingga kekuatan empat gaya fundamental, dari struktur unsur-unsur hingga struktur Tata Surya yang kita huni, benar-benar sesuai bagi keberlangsungan kehidupan. Penemuan besar ini, yang oleh para ilmuwan di tahun 1970-an diumumkan dan dipaparkan sebagai the Prinsip Anthropik (yang menyatakan bahwa jagat raya secara khusus telah dirancang agar sesuai untuk kelangsungan hidup manusia), secara nyata menggugurkan pendapat materialis tentang ketiadaan perancangan.

Dalam tulisannya yang dimuat The New York Times, Paul Davies merangkum fakta ini dan mengakui kesimpulan tak terelakkan tentang keberadaan Tuhan:

Mengapa alam ini begitu cerdas – bahkan mungkin ada yang berkata dengan curiga – begitu bersahabat dengan kehidupan? Mengapa hukum-hukum fisika begitu peduli terhadap kehidupan dan kesadaran sehingga hukum-hukum ini bersekongkol untuk membuat jagat raya yang nyaman dihuni? Ini hampir seolah Perancang Mahahebat telah melakukan semuanya.

Akan tetapi, meskipun menganggap perancangan di jagat raya sebagai bukti keberadaan Tuhan, Prof. Davies mengingkari kenyataan ini. Agar dapat menjelaskan asal-usul perancangan di jagat raya, ia terpaksa menggunakan teori multiverse (jagat raya majemuk), sebagai pilihan terakhir kalangan materialis, sebagaimana telah kita pahami.

Teori Multiverse (Jagat Raya Majemuk)
Teori multiverse (jagat raya majemuk) adalah satu di antara sejumlah teori yang dikemukakan dalam rangka menolak kebenaran penciptaan. Teori ini sama sekali tidak memiliki landasan ilmiah. Ketiadaan bukti ilmiah yang mendukung teori ini, sebagaimana diakui Prof. Davies sendiri, menjadikan teori tersebut sebatas pada keyakinan belaka. Keyakinan tanpa bukti ilmiah. Tambahan lagi, sungguh memperdayakan jika kaum materialis membuat pernyataan seperti: “Anda percaya bahwa Tuhan menciptakan jagat raya, kami percaya pada keberadaan banyak jagat raya,” dengan kata lain mereka menganggap keduanya memiliki semacam kesamaan.
Penjelasan masuk akal atas adanya perancangan di jagat raya adalah keberadaan sang perancang cerdas. Ketika Anda melihat sebuah patung, Anda yakin bahwa pastilah terdapat seorang ahli patung. Bantahan seperti “Karena terdapat bebatuan berjumlah tak hingga di jagat raya, maka yang satu ini terbentuk begitu saja dengan sendirinya secara kebetulan,” sudah tentu sangat tidak masuk akal. Asal-usul kesempurnaan dan kecermatan perhitungan dan pengaturan di jagat raya hanya dapat dijelaskan dengan istilah perancangan (desain) dan bukan kebetulan.

Menurut teori ini, jagat raya (universe) yang kita tempati mungkin hanyalah satu dari sekian banyak jagat raya (universes) berjumlah tak hingga yang membentuk sebuah “jagat raya majemuk” yang jauh lebih besar lagi yang dinamakan “multiverse” (=kumpulan dari banyak “universe”, multi=banyak/majemuk, uni=satu/tunggal). Dalam pandangan kalangan materialis, sangatlah biasa jika ada satu atau beberapa dari jagat raya berjumlah banyak tersebut yang cocok bagi kehidupan.

Namun, adakah satu bukti ilmiah pun yang mendukung teori ini? Tidak. Tak ada sama sekali. Ini tak lebih dari sekedar rekaan. Yang menarik dari tulisan Prof. Davies adalah ia berusaha memberi kesan seolah benar-benar ada cukup banyak bukti penting yang mendukung teori multiverse. Terdapat keterangan gambar singkat pada surat kabar tersebut yang merangkum tulisannya, yang diarahkan untuk memunculkan kesan tersebut:

“Gagasan tentang jagat raya majemuk, atau realitas majemuk, telah ada selama berabad-abad. Akan tetapi, pembenaran ilmiah yang mendukungnya adalah hal yang baru.”

Siapa pun yang memahami kalimat pendahuluan di atas tanpa membaca keseluruhan isi artikelnya akan benar-benar mendapatkan kesan bahwa teori multiverse didasarkan pada bukti ilmiah nyata dan bahwa Prof. Davies akan memaparkan bukti-bukti ini di dalam tulisannya. Namun sebaliknya, bukti seperti itu tak pernah ada, dan nyatanya penulis tak menyebutkan sepatah kata pun tentang bukti ilmiah baru ini, yang pastilah akan dibicarakannya dengan penuh percaya diri jika bukti baru tersebut memang benar-benar ada.

Sebaliknya, terdapat sejumlah pengakuan dalam tulisan Prof. Davies bahwa teori multiverse hanyalah reka-reka saja. Menurut Prof. Davies, teori multiverse telah dirumuskan “dengan cara berimajinasi.” Terlebih lagi, berkenaan dengan teori ini ia mengatakan bahwa “tingkat kebenarannya mencapai suatu batas (untuk dapat diterima)” dan teori ini “semakin lama semakin wajib diterima atas dasar keyakinan.”

Singkatnya, ketertarikan Prof. Davies dan semua kalangan materialis lainnya terhadap teori multiverse lebih disebabkan kecenderungan pribadi daripada keberadaan bukti ilmiahnya. Titik awal yang memunculkan kecenderungan pribadi ini adalah keengganannya untuk menerima bahwa jagat raya adalah karya Pencipta. Paul Davies menyatakan fakta ini dalam tulisannya. Ia mengatakan bahwa penjelasan apa pun yang didasarkan pada perkataan “Tuhan menjadikannya demikian” tidaklah “memuaskan” bagi seorang ilmuwan.

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The Most Beautiful Waterfall

Plitvice Waterfalls Plitvicka Jezera, Croatia

Geography and geology

The lakes are situated on the eponymous Plitvice plateau, between the mountains of Lička Plješevica (Gornja Plješevica peak 1,640 m), Mala Kapela (Seliški Vrh peak at 1,280 m) and Medveđak (884 m). The sixteen lakes are separated into an upper and lower cluster formed by runoff from the mountains, descending from an altitude of 636 m to 503 m over a distance of some 8 km, aligned in a south-north direction. The lakes collectively cover an area of about 2 km², with the water exiting from the lowest lake to form the Korana river.

The Plitvice Lakes lie in a basin of karstic rock, mainly dolomite and limestone, which has given rise to their most distinctive feature. The lakes are separated by natural dams of travertine, which is deposited by the action of moss, algae and bacteria. The encrusted plants and bacteria accumulate on top of each other, forming travertine barriers which grow at the rate of about 1 cm per year.

The lakes are renowned for their distinctive colours, ranging from azure to green, grey or blue. The colours change constantly depending on the quantity of minerals or organisms in the water and the angle of sunlight.

Flora and fauna
The Plitvice Lakes national park is heavily forested, mainly with beech, spruce, and fir trees, and features a mixture of Alpine and Mediterranean vegetation. It has a notably wide variety of plant communities, due to its range of microclimates, differing soils and varying levels of altitude.

The area is also home to an extremely wide variety of animal and bird species. Rare fauna such as the European brown bear, wolf, eagle, owl, lynx, wild cat and capercaillie can be found there, along with many more common species. At least 126 species of birds have been recorded there, of which 70 have been recorded as breeding there

History
Humans have inhabited the Plitvice Lakes area for thousands of years. It has been settled in turn by Illyrians, Thracians, Celts, Japods, Romans, Avars, Slavs and Turks. In 1528 the area fell to the Ottomans before being retaken by the Austrian Empire 150 years later. The Austrians subsequently incorporated it into their Military Frontier and, in addition to the native Croats who already inhabited the region, Serbs who had fled Ottoman repression settled there.

The Plitvice Lakes had became a major tourist attraction in the late 19th century. The first hotel was built there in 1896, and as early as 1893 it already had a conservation committee - the predecessor of today's national park authority. In 1949 the communist government of Yugoslavia nationalized the lakes and made them a national park. The park was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979 in recognition of its "outstanding natural beauty, and the undisturbed production of travertine (tuff) through chemical and biological action".

The park soon became one of Yugoslavia's most popular tourist attractions. However, in March 1991 it became the scene of the Plitvice Lakes incident - the first armed confrontation of the Croatian War of Independence that resulted in fatalities. The park was held by forces of the Republic of Serbian Krajina during the conflict and suffered some damage in the process, with hotels and other facilities being used as barracks. At auto-camp Grabovac there was massacre of civilians (three children) by the Yugoslav Army in September of 1991. It was retaken by the Croatian Army in August 1995 during Operation Storm, which ended the Croatian war.

The war led UNESCO to add the park to its List of World Heritage in Danger. Due to the economic importance of the park, the Croatian government made it a priority for its de-mining efforts, and in December 1998 UNESCO recognised the park's newly mine-free status by removing it from the list of endangered sites. However, the surrounding Plitvice municipality outside the park boundary still has some problems with mine contamination.

The Plitvice Lakes are today one of Croatia's biggest tourist attractions. In 2000, the national park was expanded by a further 102 km².

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Most Wanted Places in 2008

Choosing the world’s next big travel destinations is never an easy feat, especially when there’s seemingly so little left of the globe to discover. But when our editors got into a room to hash out our top picks for 2008, we realized that we could have done a Top 13 this year, as all eyes will be on Beijing (when it hosts the Summer Olympic Games), and there’s never been a better time to visit Quebec City (which celebrates its 400th birthday in 2008) or Liverpool (the year’s European Capital of Culture). Here's the remainder of our list.

1. Bhutan

Cradled by the majestic Himalayas in a remote corner of Southern Asia, the “Land of the Thunder Dragon” has long held steadfast to its rich culture and Buddhist heritage. Though an isolated locale and high tourist entry tariffs (of up to $200 per person per night) keep crowds at bay, these factors have also permitted this last Shangri-La to keep its traditions intact. If the lush valleys and snowcapped mountains, ancient temples and monasteries, and expansive markets full of cheerful locals haven’t lured you to Bhutan yet, reconsider in 2008, when the 101st anniversary of the country’s monarchy will be commemorated by a yearlong celebration.

2. Greenland

Though Greenland promoters prefer to avoid using the term “catastrophe tourism” to describe its surging popularity, new weekly flights from Baltimore (late June through early August in 2008) have indeed made this Danish province the most accessible place to bear firsthand witness to the inconvenient truths of climate change. The midnight sun practically guarantees encounters with reindeer, seals, and narwhals, but it's the Arctic island's Ilulissat ice fjord, which has retreated six miles in just a few years, and Warming Island, which was thought to have been part of mainland Greenland until the connecting ice thawed, that tend to leave visitors dumbstruck.

3. Lisbon

The cheapest capital in Western Europe (according to the 2007 Mercer Consulting survey) is worth a visit not only for its affordability–a huge plus when considering the anemic exchange rate of the U.S. dollar against the Euro these days–but for its dramatic hillside villages, fashionable cobblestone enclaves, and innovative cuisine. No longer just a stopover on the road to Porto, the capital of Portugal is fast becoming Europe’s next “it” city, which means crowds and inflated prices are bound to follow. Visit in 2008 before the buzz signals the hordes.

4. Mozambique

Safely removed from decades of civil war, Mozambique is poised to become Africa’s next big tourist destination. The country’s recent economic success is finally permitting its natural assets–1,500 miles of unspoiled tropical shoreline, clear blue seas, and pristine reef-fringed archipelagos–to shine. Upscale, eco-friendly properties are opening along the Bazaruto and Quirimbas archipelagos, the government is restoring the million-acre Gorongosa National Park, and tour operators now run diving excursions to see sea cows, whale sharks, and staghorn coral. It’s been a long haul for this former Portuguese colony, but there’s no question that the nation is a rising star in the travel world.

5. New Orleans

Many have already returned to New Orleans since Katrina, but recent events give every indication that 2008 is poised to be the best year the city has seen since the hurricane. Combine a rebuilding boom with powerhouse couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie moving in to the French Quarter, and a revitalized Canal Street beckoning musicians and ramblers back to its pretty riverside promenade, and you've got the makings of a fully revitalized city. Plus, with some of the nation’s most-beloved festivals getting under way in the first part of the year (Mardi Gras in February and Jazz Fest in late April and early May) it’s easy to make the Big Easy a must this year to herald the rebirth of one of the country’s most storied and fascinating cities.

6. Okanagan Valley

Move over, Napa and Sonoma: Oenophiles looking for a taste of the next best thing are taking their palates north, to British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley. A four-hour drive northwest of Spokane, Wash., the Okanagan Valley boasts a cool and dry summer climate ideal for traditional grape harvesting, and frosty winters, which vintners use to advantage to produce Canada’s famed ice wine. With landscapes dotted with verdant fields, cascading hillsides, and ample lakes, there’s no question the area makes for a great wine-country getaway; Cedar Creek and Kettle Valley are just two of our favorite vineyards here.

7. Quito

Long thought of as just a pit stop en route to the Galapagos, the capital of Ecuador is finally coming into its own, thanks to a burgeoning culinary and nightlife scene, new attractions ranging from botanical gardens to cultural heritage museums, and the opening of several luxury hotels. Quito’s Old Town–a UNESCO World Heritage Site that just completed a seven-year, $200 million restoration–is at the heart of the city’s regeneration. Its colonial mansions and churches now flaunt fantastic face-lifts.

8. Slovenia

With Eastern Europe's popularity growing by leaps and bounds, Slovenia is now enjoying a newfound moment in the tourism spotlight. Slovenia is chock-full of the same kind of medieval towns and quaint villages that made the Czech Republic–namely Prague–a household name, but its charms can be enjoyed for a fraction of the price of its trail-blazing predecessor and arguably offer more value to boot. Though Slovenia was one of the first Eastern European countries to adopt the euro, the country’s hesitance to adapt to modern times has made its Venetian-era squares and tiny Alpine cities a fantastic bargain for the buck.

9. Tobago

One of the last remaining "undiscovered" Caribbean islands, Tobago has long been overshadowed by its better-known sister island of Trinidad. A power shift may be in the making as of 2008, however, as Tobago's pink-sand beaches and serene waters became accessible for the first time by direct flights from New York and Atlanta on Delta Air Lines in December 2007. The new flights allow visitors to bypass Trinidad altogether to reach Tobago's secluded and romantic shores, where an unpretentious, slow-paced, and eco-friendly atmosphere prevails, relatively free of tourists and overdevelopment–for now.

10. Tunisia

While 40 percent of this North African nation is swathed in arid Sahara desert, the remainder is blanketed by fertile soil and hemmed in by over 600 miles of Mediterranean coastline. No wonder it garnered a lot of (often unwanted) attention over the centuries from some of the world’s greatest civilizations. See what all the fuss was about by visiting the ruins of the ancient Phoenician city of Carthage and historic sites like the coliseum at El Jem (arguably the finest example of its kind outside of Rome). When not taking in archaeological gems, you can relax and rejuvenate at one of several beach resorts; venture through the Sahara on camelback or 4x4; or camp out in the desert in luxurious linen tents. Indeed, if there's one place on our list that packs the ultimate vacation into its borders–what with culture, beaches, adventure travel, and luxury camping–this is it.

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All About Dead Sea

Why is it called the Dead Sea?

Sounds kinda creepy, doesn't it? It's called the Dead Sea because nothing lives in it. It is some of the saltiest water anywhere in the world, almost six times as salty as the ocean! The Dead Sea is completely landlocked and it gets saltier with increasing depth. The surface, fed by the River Jordan, is the least saline. Down to about 130 feet (40 meters), the seawater comprises about 300 grams of salt per kilogram of seawater. That's about ten times the salinity of the oceans. Below 300 feet, though, the sea has 332 grams of salt per kilogram of seawater and is saturated. Salt precipitates out and piles up on the bottom of the sea.

There's no seaweed or plants of any kind in or around the water. There are no fish or any kind of swimming, squirming creatures living in or near the water. As a matter of fact, what you'll see on the shores of the Sea is white, crystals of salt covering EVERYTHING. And this is no ordinary table salt, either. The salts found in the Dead Sea are mineral salts, just like you find in the oceans of the world, only in extreme concentrations. The water in the Dead Sea is deadly to living things. Fish accidentally swimming into the waters from one of the several freshwater streams that feed the Sea are killed instantly, their bodies quickly coated with a preserving layer of salt crystals and then tossed onto shore by the wind and waves. Brutal!

We are actually floating in the Dead Sea. "But, hey, I thought you said the Dead Sea was DEADLY!" Not to us. Humans are remarkably adaptable. We can swim in the Dead Sea, just like we can swim in the ocean. Well, people don't really "swim" in the Dead Sea - they just "hang out". That's what's so cool about the Dead Sea. Because of the extremely high concentration of dissolved mineral salts in the water its density is way more than that of plain old fresh water. What this means is our bodies are more buoyant in the Dead Sea - so you bob like a cork. In fact, people are so buoyant in this water, it makes it kinda tough to actually swim. Most people like to just kick back in the water and read. It almost looks as though this guy is sitting on an air mattress that has sunk below the surface, but he's not. He's really just floating, without having to hold is feet in that position! If you think this is easy, try floating like this in a freshwater swimming pool.

What Caused the Dead Sea to Form?

This lesson takes us back to the subject of plate tectonics. In this part of the world there is a rift forming where two crustal plates are spreading apart. The East Rift Valley runs through most of Africa, but it starts north of the Dead Sea and runs south along the eastern side of the continent (go look at the map). The Sea is located right along the Rift Valley where the earth's crust is being stretched thin. To get an idea of how this "crustal spreading" thing works, take a bar of taffy, or taffy-like candy and try to pull it apart. You'll see where the candy starts to come apart it gets really thin just before it breaks. That's what is happening to the earth's crust in the Rift Valley. Where the earth's crust gets thin that part of the surface sinks downward. Look at the picture at left to see how the rift forms, sinking downward where the crust is stretched thin. You know what? The Dead Sea is still sinking lower, even today. Scientists figure that the Dead Sea lowers by as much as 13 inches per year. On a geologic time scale that's incredibly fast!

Why is the Dead Sea so Salty?

Anyway, back to the formation of the Dead Sea. We talked about how the surface of the Sea got down so low in elevation, but why is it so salty? All roads lead to the Sea when it comes to the rivers in the area. The Dead Sea is continually fed water from the rivers and streams coming down off the mountains that surround it. But the kicker is this....no rivers drain out of the Dead Sea. The only way water gets out of the Sea is through evaporation. And boy does it evaporate! This part of the world get plenty hot. When the

water evaporates, it leaves behind all the dissolved minerals in the Sea, just making it saltier. In fact, it's through the dual action of; 1) continuing evaporation and 2) minerals salts carried into the Sea from the local rivers, that makes the Sea so salty. The fact that the water doesn't escape the Sea just traps the salts within its shores. There's nothing living in the Dead Sea because it got so salty, so quickly, that evolution has not had a chance to produce any creatures that could adapt to such brutal conditions.

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