The Origin of the Universe and the Origin of Religion

by Fred Hoyle

Subtitle: Anshen transdisciplinary lectureships in art, science, and the philosophy of culture
This challenging treatise by Sir Fred Hoyle, astrophysicist, begins by instructing us how to avoid "being sucked into a maelstrom of respectable ignorance. Whenever the word 'origin' is used, disbelieve everything you are told." Then, in a progressive, fathomable, fascinating discourse, he posits his beliefs about the organ of the universe, beginning with an explanation of the ice ages and his theory of the giant comet, the disintegration of which, Hoyle maintains, contributed to the origin of religion. Under expert guidance, we see how this event gave rise to the belief in Mohammed, early Christianity, and impacts on the thinking of medieval times.

Genres: Science

108 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Professor Sir Fred Hoyle was one of the most distinguished, creative, and controversial scientists of the twentieth century. He was a Fellow of St John’s College (1939-1972, Honorary Fellow 1973-2001), was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1957, held the Plumian Chair of Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy (1958-1972), established the Institute of Theoretical Astronomy in Cambridge (now part of the Institute of Astronomy), and (in 1972) received a knighthood for his services to astronomy.

Hoyle was a keen mountain climber, an avid player of chess, a science fiction writer, a populariser of science, and the man who coined the phrase 'The Big Bang'.

Reviews

[Manny · Rating 1 out of 5]

Our friend A at CERN has told us about the various distinguished visitors they receive, many of them household names in the scientific community. But, she said, you surprisingly often discover that they have gone weird in their old age. People who absolutely merited the Nobel Prize they received thirty years ago are now embarrassing themselves and their audiences by advocating fringe science.

Fred Hoyle was one of the very greatest astrophysicists of the twentieth century and made enormous contributions in at least half a dozen different areas. But this obscure book, based on a lecture he gave at the age of 78, almost literally made my toes curl. We learn that a giant comet, returning every 1600 years to harry the Earth, has ended the ice ages, taught mankind the arts of metal smelting, destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, inspired several religions and the building of the Pyramids, caused the fall of the Roman Empire and the rise of Islam, and is due back in 2100. The leaps of logic are such that I suspected at several points that it had to be some kind of parody; alas, having reached the end, I fear it's not a joke.

I will at least say in Hoyle's defense that the people who claim he's ripping off Velikovsky are wrong. There are a few points of similarity, but Hoyle's story is just bizarre, far-fetched and poorly argued, not out-and-out lunacy. Unfortunately, I have trouble thinking of anything else positive that I can add to that.

If you want to check it out yourself, there's an online version here.

[Be Storie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This lecture ponders the question of universal consciousness- not if there is a collective consciousness, but if the universe, with its abiotic components, possesses free-will. Hoyle frames the origin of religions and significant global spiritual awakenings around extra-planetary events such as supernova and comets. I was particularly drawn to the concept of acausality, or the idea that the universe was aware of its future and acted in very specific ways during the creation of elements. This is paralleled by how humanity has been blindly preparing perfectly in the case of an incoming comet, that was recently discovered to hit Earth in 2100, the time in which we will be most aptly prepared.

[Noureddine El · Rating 3 out of 5]

Molto intrigante e interessante.

[Roberto Caione · Rating 4 out of 5]

La memoria di Hoyle spesso è accompagnata da una leggera puzza sotto il naso, non è poi così scontato per una persona polemica come quella in questione. L'aneddoto che i cosmologi riportano in quasi ogni libro di testo riguarda la nascita del termine Big Bang, dal momento che quest'ultimo nasce in realtà con tono di scherno. Si tratta di una teoria che l'astrofisico ha contrastato con tutto se stesso fino alla fine della sua vita (2001) tanto che la definì del "grande botto" per metterla in ridicolo e non per renderla famosa come poi è accaduto. Hoyle sosteneva, infatti, che l'universo si trova in uno stato stazionario e quindi non in espansione. Il fatto che l'ipotesi fosse in contrasto con la scoperta della radiazione cosmica di fondo, non turbò affatto lo scienziato il quale, in uno dei suoi ultimi lavori, continuò a mettere in dubbio i dati sperimentali che confermerebbero come l'universo fosse effettivamente nato da un "atomo primigenio".
Tuttavia Hoyle merita di essere ricordato non come una figura controversa bensì prestigiosa. È a lui infatti che fa capo la teoria della "panspermia" secondo la quale la vita è arrivata sul nostro pianeta trasportata dalle comete sotto forma di molecole organiche.
Ho apprezzato particolarmente le pagine di questo veloce tascabile per l'originalità con cui l'autore interpreta alcuni eventi legati alle origini non solo dei mattoni biologici ma anche religiosi. Tanti eventi narrati nei testi sacri rischiano di essere "favolizzati" perché apparentemente banali o impossibili; l'autore invece osa lanciarsi in teorie non facilmente confutabili che potrebbero dare un riscontro storico e scientifico a quanto scritto. La sua personalità scettica e a tratti agnostica non rischia in nessun modo di sfociare nel fanatismo religioso, anzi, uno dei motivi per il quale screditava il Big Bang era perché, a suo dire, questo è passibile di strumentalizzazione; lo ammoniva esplicitamente come un dogma di causalità in linea con la teologia occidentale piuttosto che con la scienza.