Edition: U.S. / Global

Explaining the Universe

Published: April 11, 2000

To the Editor:

The superstring theory, as described in ''Physicists Finally Find a Way to Test Superstring Theory,'' April 4), resembles the concentric sphere theory, which served as a foundation for medieval Christianity.

This theory explained how heavenly bodies revolved around Earth. Each time that astronomers encountered new difficulties -- like explaining the retrograde motion of Mars, Jupiter and Saturn -- they developed highly creative new concepts like epicycles and deferents.

The advocates of superstring theory state that the disappearance of energy in certain particle collision experiments would be proof that gravitons snatched this energy into the fourth dimension.

In fact this would simply indicate a phenomenon that was hitherto unknown.

We could just as well say that the unexplained mass in the universe is caused by the mind of God, and is concentrated in the halos around galaxies because galaxies are where sentient life is located.

The universe appears to be intelligently designed, not random, given its finite age and size and its high degree of structure and complexity. Physicists are attracted to theories like superstring because they desire to keep God out of the cosmic equation as much as medieval religious leaders wanted to keep God in.


Beacon, N.Y.