Thinking about Creation: Eternal Torah and Modern Physics

Goldfinger, who works at the Applied Physics Laboratory at Johns Hopkins University, opens his autobiographical reflection with a story. As a Hasidic Jew, he notes, he loves Torah, and as a practicing scientist, he loves science. When he engages in both Torah study and science, he says he can't help but marvel at the similarities between the two. For example, Goldfinger writes, the principal name of God as source of mercy has four letters and the principal name of God as source of justice has five. Similarly, DNA and RNA have four bases, but they differ in one of the bases, so altogether there are five bases. Goldfinger points to this four-five dichotomy, ""the tension between justice and mercy,"" and wonders whether or not it is ""found at the very foundations of life itself."" Through the rest of the book, Goldfinger explores the relationship between science and religion in brief reflections on each discipline. These reflections range from remarks on the limitations of science and the methods of quantum mechanics to approaches to reading Torah. Goldfinger passes on to readers his own sense of wonder and curiosity about the intricacy and beauty of the universe and God. (Dec.)