Techcordance

Embeded in the Digital Age.

By Joe Silino

April 15, 2010
Gadgets

While listening to a tech podcast the other day the host remarked that his new IPad was the most “intimate gadget” he has ever owned. He really enjoys the ease of use and the way it delivers information to him. An image of him sitting at home in his favorite chair, kicked back with a big smile on his face put a smile on my face. It reminded me of something but it took a few minutes to hit me. It was soon after my Christian conversion. I used to look forward to those early morning hours in my favorite chair, just me and God and my Bible. There was a similar feeling about the feel of that Book in my hands as my techie friend’s IPad experience. The feel and quietness of the moment was special, and there was something special about the way the information was being transmitted. No audible voices or visions accompanied those moments but a quiet confidence that this is where I should be and that the “information” would help me to plow through the hours to come in a more connected and positive way. I’m still there in the mornings but I must admit it isn’t always with the same anticipation and intimacy. Maybe a download of contriteness will do the trick.

March 6, 2010
Special Events Within Nature

Being a techie without a scientific background can be a frustrating existence at times. The nature of most geek types is one of curiosity, exploration and a sense of wonder at the intricate design the universe exposes to even the least knowledgeable among us. I enjoy consuming information about things that are admittedly over my head in the hopes that I might glean some information helpful to my understanding of the way God works in nature and how the laws of nature and human existence interact.
One very interesting conversation I listened to recently was about the way in which God intervenes in the world or as some wonder, if at all. Is it 1) creation and observation 2) through natural processes 3) special events within nature 4) miracles 5) or all of the above? This third aspect of intervention, special events within nature, was the topic of the conversation and in particular the idea of God and quantum mechanics. The idea that God might suspend the laws of physics to intervene in nature is abhorrent to many scientists but quantum theory says that this realm of reality runs by its own rules. We can not understand the sub-atomic world in terms of cause and effect, predictability or even the affect of the very one doing the observing. It is within this framework that some scientists propose that here, God could be continually active in His creation without suspending the laws of physics, and observers wouldn’t even be aware. The idea of determinism within a reality that works outside of nature is one that is familiar to Christians. God is not limited by space-time dimensions but is outside this realm. When I think about this it inevitably leads me to another tenant of my faith. God at work in the universe, affecting all of nature, space and time in an unseen Cosmic Transaction that determines the purpose of human existence in not only a physical sense but in a metaphysical way. The Incarnation and redemption of mankind by the Creator Himself is an article of faith and should not be a point of ridicule by scientists or anyone else. We can all think of strongly held beliefs in the world of science that cannot be proven. If theres a way to theorize God at work in the world of quantum physics it shouldn’t seem implausible for scientists to at least consider that He might also be at work outside of space and time.

Feb. 23, 2010
Open Source for the Source

In the digital world truth is absolute. Its either, or. 1 or 0. On or off. Yes or no. You get the idea. As a Christian I believe in absolute truth but when it comes to living it out thats a very different story. I face challenges and choices daily and as a self proclaimed “techie” living in a post modern culture my digital choices can be influenced by streams of data as much as any other cultural phenomenon. Let me give you one quick example of this meme as I experienced it in recent years. Maybe you’ve noticed the “Powered by Ubuntu” icon on this site. I’ve been playing with Linux on and off since back in the day. But I finally decided to become a full convert more than a year ago. Admittedly, my being somewhat tight with a buck, was one of the reasons. The cost, free! Another was the sense of community and that its finally ready for “prime time”. You can use a number of different distros and enjoy a robust, stable and did I mention free! experience. Anyway, an important reason I switched was a personal challenge I was facing. With the advent of peer to peer and bit torrent came a new problem or if you like, challenge. The ability to obtain proprietary and copyrighted material at no cost with the click of a mouse. Music in the form of mp3’s seemed to be the most popular “get” but software soon followed and now the movie bug is widespread. It really was much to easy to steal (remember “thou shalt not?”) and enjoy the fruits thereof until Mr. Conscience came knocking on the door, not to mention possibly Mr. RIAA. So, switching to Linux gave me the ability to use a platform that offers a sense of community, the gift of free software (not without some restrictions and obligation) an acquired desire to give back to the community somehow and relief from the guilt of not being who I truly wanted to be. Now that seems to to fall in very nicely with my Christian beliefs. Not that I’ve finally arrived but at least now that part of my life doesn’t resemble some slick, highly touted version of vapor-ware.