In the new podcast “Just a Question,” ZEIT editor-in-chief Jochen Wegner asks simple but fundamental questions to which a clear answer is difficult to find. He asks the best possible expert we can find on the topic in question – and tries to get a clear answer.
This episode is about the question of all questions: Does God exist? We asked Heino Falcke, an astrophysicist at Radboud University in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Falcke is considered a leading radio astronomer and gained worldwide fame when he presented the first image of a black hole in 2019.
For Falcke, who is a professed Christian, faith is not a contradiction to science – but rather a complement. The astrophysicist combines his scientific work with philosophical questions universe and faith. He also writes about it in his new book Between the Big Bang and the Apocalypse – the great history of our planet.
Falke explains that the Big Bang, the Natural laws and even that Quantum uncertainties For him, it doesn’t displace belief, but arouses wonder: the universe is not completely explainable, but is ultimately mysterious in its origin. Science can describe How Things happen, not buts Why. For him, what physics leaves open, faith fills – not as a gap-filler, but as an expression of awe and humility towards the unavailable.
He talks about the role of the Catholic priest Georges Lemaîtrewho founded the Big Bang theory, about the possibility of Multiverses and about the fascinating fact that the universe itself evolved in such a way that consciousness and personality could arise. Falcke sees the fact that the world is understandable at all as a “second miracle”.
Falcke says that for him faith is based on experience and trust – not on evidence. Praying is one thing for him Conversation with God and the Universe. In the end, faith is an act of trust, says Falcke, but one that inspires his thinking and research. When the famous image of the black hole was taken, he said a prayer of thanks.
Production: ifbbw – Institute for Image Movement
Editor: Jens Lubbadeh
You can find all episodes of our podcasthere. Questions, criticism, suggestions? Write an email ton1f@zeit.de.
