Fractals Killed Scientific Atheism

Mandelbrot Changed Man’s Perspective
About Science more than he realized

Benoit Mandelbrot, Polish Jew, was the man who developed the concept of fractals and singlehandedly changed how man would view science. His family moved to France pre-WWII and he specialized in mathematics. He had the ability, talent, to view algebraic formulas in three dimensional figures.

After WWII he came to America and in 1952 was hired by IBM which was looking for innovative thinkers to pioneer its research in the new field of computers. It was in the early 1960s that Mandelbrot plugged the relatively simple formula, z = z^2 + c, into a computer. Man could not do the millions of calculations required and plot them accurately but the computer could do this mundane work quite effortlessly, and did. The resultant graphic is pictured above. On the face of it it looks oriental, mystical and quite avant garde in a 1960s sort of way. However, if one looks closer one can see patterns emerging, patterns that would change the way man viewed scientific discovers.

Highly Magnified Mandelbrot Fractal
Displaying Complex Repeating Patterns

The so called “fat Buddha” is literally lined with “fat Buddhas”; in fact, as each “fat Buddha” is magnified more “fat Buddhas” are observed continuing at every higher magnifications. The implications of this discovery were not lost on Mr. Mandelbrot and in 1975, he coined the term, fractals. While he was not the first to understand the concept of repeating mathematical, geometrical patterns, he was the first to have the technology to discover what patterns would emerge after millions of calculations. His work has had wide implications in many fields since and others have expanded on his concept of fractals.

“His math and geometry-centered research career included contributions to such fields as statistical physics, meteorology, hydrology, geomorphology, anatomy, taxonomy, neurology, linguistics, information technology, computer graphics, economics, geology, medicine, physical cosmology, engineering, chaos theory, econophysics, metallurgy and the social sciences (Hudson & Mandelbrot, the Prelude, p. xvi, and p. 26).” I am not saying that his work has no merit or is anti-God; far from it, I am saying that the implications of his work are a major step in demonstrating the work of a creator, God, despite the fact that scientists continually claim that their studies have proved God is not necessary. The majority of those who study the physical creation in its various manifestations claim that natural processes alone are sufficient to explain all observed phenomenon in this universe. They are constantly proved incorrect but remain undaunted by ignoring the evidence contradicting their own mantra of “letting the evidence speak for itself”. Take the night sky for instance.

Hubble Space Telescope Photo
Each Bright Light is a Galaxy

This enhanced photo from the Hubble Space Telescope appears similar to some of the fractal images. Each bright “speck”is actually a galaxy composed of millions of stars. As man moves from the stars to the molecular to the subatomic regions the patterns are eerily similar to fractals. In fact, scientists had great difficulty explaining the “night sky,” Olbers’ paradox; i.e., why were they vast distances of nothingness between the galaxies? A “Big Bang” should have evenly distributed matter, not clumped it together in various particulate densities. Mr. Mandelbrot’s fractal viewpoint appeared to explain why this occurred, not how. His fractal perspective also led to the development of information science according to  Nicolas Sarkozy, President of France at the time of Mandelbrot’s death.

Observation of the night sky has driven sinful man to worship nature, physical creation. Yet, this very same sky proclaims the requirement for God not only as creator but also as sustainer of such a vast complex universe (Ps 19:1-4). Every time we look up we are confronted with the need for God. Sinful man seeks to replace knowledge of God with his own knowledge. But his knowledge demands God’s existence (Ro 1:18-22). Fractals were discovered via a formula. This was not a randomness but a clearly defined order. If the universe came into existence via natural processes we have a problem. Nowhere has anything “come into existence” in an ordered state. Natural processes go from an ordered to a disordered state (Law of Entropy). The fact that fractals are the results of mathematical formulas demand order. The fact that fractals repeat in a near infinite depth also implies God’s existence. Only intelligence creates order from disorder. Fractals prove God’s existence while those who study and promote natural phenomenon steadfastly reject God. Their very tools acknowledge God while they choose to remain ignorant.

Information requires intelligence. The existence of information speaks of ordered data arranged in patterns comprehensible to those who use the information. Information science recognizes that information does not arise spontaneously though it may be discovered accidentally. It is this quality of information science that disproves the entire concept of evolution. Evolution demands that information arise spontaneously in an upwardly random (contradictory concepts) sequence. The fact that a mathematical formula defines many of the patterns observed in the physical world derails any concept of randomness. In fact, I postulate that words such as chance and randomness are used to hide the fact that man does not understand all the threads involved in any particular phenomenon. Therefore, man hides his ignorance by claiming that God does not exist and that faith can only exist by rejecting science.

The concept of fractals tells me God exists or there would be no order since order does not arise spontaneously. God has arranged His creation in repeating pattern on many levels demonstrating to lost man His existence; even coronary arteries demonstrate a type of fractal pattern of roughness. The study of natural phenomenon, science, always leads back to God. There is futility in trying to discover a universe without God.

Solomon, supposedly a wise man (he asked for and received political wisdom), wasted his life seeking truth apart from God. At the end of his wasted life he wrote the book, Ecclesiastes. He begins this work complaining about the emptiness of life (Ec 1:1-11). At the end of his life, at the end of this book, he comes to the truth he knew from his beginning, there is no truth apart from God (Ec 12:9-14). Man may write many books but all his study will not find the truth he seeks – it only reveals an empty life. The more man studies the more man will find the same emptiness apart from God. God told this to Daniel about the people in the last days (period of time between Christ’s ascension and His return). He said, “Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase (Da 12:1-4).” Today, many run to and fro seeking knowledge apart from God and find only emptiness. By rejecting God, the aim of scientific atheism, people have rejected true knowledge. Exchanging the truth of God for the lie of self (Lucifer), sinful man has doomed himself to an ever increasingly violent world without hope.

As God told Daniel, in the time after the great trouble there shall be a resurrection and those who embraced God will find life while those who rejected God will find contempt. The very knowledge man believes that refutes God actually acknowledges God for all creation believes in God, all creation waits for God’s redemption (Ro 8:18-23). Benoit Mandelbrot died at the age of 85 and I could find no word that he believed in Christ’s atoning salvation. Many of those who call themselves scientists put their trust in scientific atheism. These are the priests of this religion that leads many of the general population to follow them in their unbelief of God and trust in science which points them to God if they could only open their eyes. I must stand with Paul who said, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith (Ro 1:16-17).'” I write these so Christians may discern His truth and abide in their faith and so the lost may realize that they live contradictory lives of emptiness and come to the knowledge of the Gospel and find salvation so they may arise at the end to everlasting life.