Perhaps the term "science of prayer" is an oxymoron. However, prayer is such a foundational element of billions of religious people on earth. So I think it's worth considering the science of prayer. Perhaps our resident physicist Jesus Smith and/or other scientifically inclined board members could provide some insight on the subject.

According to Einstein, nothing travels faster than light does in a vacuum. This includes particles and waves. No information, matter or energy can surpass the speed of light. Something that theoretical physicists have been trying to prove wrong or redefine for some time but realize it's a lot more complicated than simply getting a rocket and accelerating past the speed of light. I know little or nothing about quantum entanglement, but apparently there is some kind of instantaneous (faster than light) transfer of information between entangled particles, but at this point in time as I understand it inherently cannot be exploited for practical purposes. But does this leave the door open for something a few hundred years down the road?

Growing up I was taught that the speed of thought was infinitely fast. That our prayers would be heard instantly by Kolob which is supposedly a distant star, or by whichever god people pray to. I had also been taught that god himself is still subject to the laws of physics, but being the great scientist that he supposedly is, just knows how to get around quicker, somehow being able to move through space instantly without also moving through time, which is impossible since the two are inseparably and inherently connected. Perhaps this isn't as much of an issue if people pray to a god that they believe is inside them, but mormons seem to be much more literal and specific on how time and space plays into the concept of a god.

I think that the concept of a catholic god might make more sense with respect to prayer since god is supposedly everywhere (or might make just as much nonsense). But mormons trying to stamp a very specific and finite location and size on deity then creates the problem of speed of communication due to physical distance.

Then there's the issue of here and now. Our here and now is someone else's future or past. For example, the galaxy is 100 thousand light years across. So from the perspective of the other side of the galaxy, we are 100 thousand years into the future (or the past depending on how you look at it). This means that someone observing earth on the other side of the galaxy right now, would be observing earth shortly after the evolution of the first humans.

Even the force of gravity works at the speed of light. For example, if the finger of god flicked our son to the other side of the galaxy instantly, and the sun simply vanished, we wouldn't know about it or feel it for about 8 minutes. The earth would continue to orbit the sun for 8 minutes after the sun vanished at which point the skies would fall dark, and the earth would cease its circular orbit and move in a straight line. Gravity is a kind of information or force whose effects are also limited by cosmic speed limit of the speed of light.

The only way that I can think of that information can travel faster than light is the laser pointer example. If you point a laser (let's assume the laser was perfect enough that it still appeared as a small dot on the moon). It might take a few seconds for that beam to arrive at the moon. But then if you move the laser around ever so slightly, that dot of light could move around on the face of the moon more quickly than light, from the perspective of someone standing on the moon. But that doesn't allow for information to be gathered from point A and delivered to point B on the moon.

Is it theoretically possible to get a wave or a thought or any type of energy or transfer of information to say Mars in an instant? If Nasa tells the Mars rover to take a picture, it takes several minutes for that command to get there. Then once the picture is taken it takes several minutes to get back. Surely god himself has figured out a way around this.

You obviously need to read the BOM and pray about this :)

Ironic that that's exactly how many mormons would seek an answer on this particular topic. Their answer would no doubt be something like they will find out after they are exalted and not essential to our salvation to understand in this life.

deco Wrote:
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> You obviously need to read the BOM and pray about
> this :)

That's my first good laugh of the day! Keep them coming!! :-)

After all, the Xtian deity is supposed to be omniscient and knows all the past, present, and future. Accordingly, the future is predetermined, and what will be will be regardless of prayer. Of course, that means that whether or not you will pray is equally predetermined, so I guess pray away--but don't expect it to accomplish anything that wouldn't happen anyway.

Is-your-head-hurting-yet-ly yrs,

S

I think that's along the lines of a calvanism. Yes, my head hurts.

The whole point of prayer seems to be mostly a matter of support, comfort and help from some higher source, deity, savior.

It's a mental exercise that works for many people to accomplish what they use it for.

How it works, really doesn't matter, from what I have observed.

Some call it just talking to yourself. Whatever it is, if it provides support, comfort and help -- I'm OK with it.

Yes, I agree, it's an effective placebo. But my reasoning here is that there's a good reason blood pressure medication isn't made from a placebo, while a placebo may actually help in some cases. Just like someone who tries smoking banana peals might think they get high from it, but they're not.