Every day, headlines tell of new artificial intelligence systems that amaze us—machines that write, learn, and even create art.
We stand in awe of these breakthroughs, marvelling at the power of human ingenuity.
And with our typical human pride, there is a part within us that certainly must feel like we have become a creator, that we have achieved some new level of consciousness and universal potential.
Yet, as impressive as these AI machines are, they stop at a point.
They cannot answer the deep questions of our existence.
We cannot state how life started. We cannot create life, a single working cell, from scratch.
And we cannot know what came before our own creation.
The Wonder of Our Creations
In our modern world, technology fills our lives. We use smartphones, computers, and devices every day.
These tools often feel like magic. They process vast amounts of data and solve puzzles in seconds.
But behind every algorithm and circuit lies human creativity and effort. We built these systems to extend our capabilities, and we take great pride in that achievement.
AI shows us what we can do. It reminds us of our ability to imagine, design, and build things that once belonged only in our dreams.
We feel a thrill when we see a machine learn a new skill or create something beautiful. This sense of wonder makes us think about our own potential. Yet, even as we celebrate our inventions, we recognize that there are limits.
The Paradox of “What Came Before Nothing?”
According to the science, The Big Bang marks the moment we believe the universe began. It is the starting point of time, space, and matter. Yet, this idea leaves us with a puzzling question: what came before nothing?
We think of the Big Bang as the birth of everything. But when we try to imagine a time before it, our ideas start to unravel.
Before the Big Bang, there might not have been “time” at all, as we understand it. The rules of cause and effect may not have applied. In other words, “nothing” might truly have been the state before “something” emerged.
This paradox stretches our minds. We live in a world of events and experiences, so the idea of “nothingness” is hard to grasp. Our thoughts struggle with the notion of a state that lacks all the familiar markers of existence.
Even though we see pieces of evidence for the Big Bang, such as cosmic expansion and background radiation, its true origin remains a mystery.
We don’t actually ‘know’ anything about it.
All we know is the universe has expanded, seemingly from an origin of nothing.
The question “What came before nothing?” remains.
The faithful among us are not spared this knowledge. Even with a benevolent creator sparking the creation of the universe, the same question remains!
The difference is, accepting that there is a creator, whether one personally wishes to call it the ‘big bang’ or ‘God’, means we accept that is a factor outside of our understanding, and bigger than all of us.
And it reminds us that there are deep puzzles beyond our full understanding. It shows us that some truths in the universe may forever lie outside the reach of human thought.
The Limits Within Our Minds
Our brains evolved to help us survive and make sense of the world around us. They are fantastic at dealing with the practical and the familiar.
Yet, when it comes to the deepest puzzles of the universe, our understanding falls short. We use logic and reason to push the boundaries of knowledge, but some concepts remain beyond our reach.
These limits are not a sign of failure. They are a natural part of what it means to be human. The same way that an A.I. follows its programmed rules, our minds work within the framework of our biology and experiences.
The big questions are a reminder that, despite our progress, there are things that remain a mystery.
Do we possess the humility to accept that?
That may also be a question that has no answer when it comes to humans…
Finding Beauty in the Unknown
There is beauty in admitting that we do not have all the answers.
The gaps in our understanding invite us to wonder, to question, and to seek deeper meaning. They encourage us to look beyond the surface and explore ideas that might seem impossible to grasp.
This mystery can be a source of inspiration.
It pushes us to keep asking questions and to search for truth in places where clear answers do not exist.
Faith. Family. Prayer. Humility. Generosity.
These are ways proven to give meaning to our lives and help fill the holes that unanswered questions – and it can help us create a better world for the parts of our existence we DO understand.