The Big Bang Theory Theme Song Part IV

Here are Part I, Part II, and Part III.

Have you noticed that The Big Bang Theory theme song lyrics are mostly descriptive of how the universe and humans came to be?



There are four ways to describe things that Aristotle wrote about, called Aristotle's Four Causes. They are:

1. The material cause; What is the thing made out of?
2. The formal cause; What is the essential structure of the thing?
3. The final cause; Where it the thing headed? What is its purpose or ultimate orientation (telos)?
4. The efficient cause; How did the thing get where it is? How did it come to be?

It seems as if The Big Bang Theory theme song really relays the material and efficient causes but doesn't address the formal and final causes, especially on the portion that is shown on TV.

The only lines that minimally address the formal and final causes are:

Math, science, history, unraveling the mysteries,
That all started with the big bang!
...
Australopithecus would really have been sick of us
Debating how we're here they're catching deer (we're catching viruses)
Religion or astronomy, Descartes or Deuteronomy
It all started with the big bang!

Music and mythology, Einstein and astrology
It all started with the big bang!
It all started with the big BANG!!!

Why does this matter? Many young people think that all one needs to learn about are the material and efficient causes, especially in school.

I was asked once by a middle school student why they needed to learn about formal and final causes (I didn't present the labels formally, but was teaching them nonetheless). The student thought that school was solely about learning what they needed to get a good job, mainly with science and math. I couldn't blame her assessment since public education (in government schools), especially now with Common Core, stresses only material and efficient causes in the classroom.

There are schools which teach the entire range of causes called classical schools (here's a link to an institute on the subject; here's a school list), but they are few in number.

From the link above:

[1] But I observed that even the good artisans fell into the same error as the poets; because they were good workmen they thought that they also knew all sorts of high matters, and this defect in them overshadowed their wisdom.... – Socrates, The Apology

[2] Hence it is that his education is called "Liberal." A habit of mind is formed which lasts through life, of which the attributes are, freedom, equitableness, calmness, moderation, and wisdom.

[3] But education is a higher word [than instruction]; it implies an action upon our mental nature, and the formation of a character; it is something individual and permanent, and is commonly spoken of in connexion with religion and virtue. When, then, we speak of the communication of Knowledge as being Education, we thereby really imply that that Knowledge is a state or condition of mind.... Newman, Idea of a University

May we return to learning about the fullness of God's creation with all its causes.

The Big Bang Theory Theme Song Part III

(Parts one and two are here.)

The story behind making The Big Bang Theory theme song relayed an extremely fortunate turn of events for the Bare Naked Ladies.



One of my roommates in college loved the Bare Naked Ladies and Billy Joel while I liked Huey Lewis and The News and classical music (Bruckner was my favorite composer). We quite often remarked that we both had one good and one bad taste in music: Billy Joel and classical music for the good, Bare Naked Ladies and Huey Lewis and The News for the bad.

It's worth noting how the Bare Naked Ladies made it with their TV Big Bang Theory theme song and Huey Lewis and The News with their two Back to the Future movies. Well, I contend that in the final analysis Huey Lewis and The News were better since they were on the big screen while the Bare Naked Ladies were only on TV.

Well, we'll see who is still listened to in about 25 years. (Perhaps neither? That's also possible.)

The thing is, is it important to see what will survive history?

Well, an important analysis by a Jewish official, Gamaliel, after the resurrection of Jesus informs a possible answer.

Upon the Jewish leadership's attempt to squash the Jesus movement, or The Way, or the Church, he said,

So now I tell you, have nothing to do with these men, and let them go. For if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God. Acts 5:38-39

So, after 2000 years, the Church is still here. Perhaps, "it [indeed] comes from God."

The Big Bang Theory Theme Song Part II

So, last time I mentioned that it seemed like The Big Bang Theory theme song implied that oh-so-tiresome argument that hard science and religion are at odds with one another (the song starts at 2:25 in the video below).



I sincerely hope that I am wrong on this score. For you see, the Big Bang Theory actually proves that the universe had a creator that Christians call God (timeless, immaterial, powerful).

St. Thomas Aquinas had "five ways" of proving God's existence. At the time, way back around the 1200's, no one knew scientifically about the Bing Bang. Aristotle, who St. Thomas loved to use for his proofs, believed that the universe existed for infinite time, however, through other means, St. Thomas proved that there was a beginning (first cause by God).

If St. Thomas knew that there was a Big Bang, his theoretical proofs for a temporally finite universe wouldn't be needed. So, it turns out that the Big Bang helps Theists' assertion that there is a Creator of the universe (or even multiverse). Someone needs to tell the Bare Naked Ladies.

Well, I tried here: maybe they may come across this over the internet machine someday.

In recent times, Dr. Craig has used other means to show that the universe was created by God. They can be viewed below.

The Kalam Cosmological Argument (Dr. Craig)