An uncaused cause
April 21, 2012 at 10:35 pm
(This post was last modified: April 21, 2012 at 10:39 pm by Phil.)
Since our resident "confused" yet deconverted poster was asked a direct question about beta decay yet chose to claim I never asked yet assumed he or she was a Christian I am writing this post to eliminate all doubt that the Kallam Cosmological Argument has an idiotic premise and therefore is invalid.
The initial premise of the KCA is that everything that begins to exist has a cause. That is untrue and the reason I bring up beta decay whenever someone brings up the KCA.
There are three types of beta decay that occur. I will explain and give an example of each type.
Type I is your basic plain vanilla beta decay where a neutron turns into a proton and electron then the electron is emitted (begins to exist). This type is caused because of an instability in the atomic nucleus because the ratio of neutrons to protons is too large.An example would be Cesium137 decaying to Barium137. If type I was the only kind of beta decay, I wouldn't be making this thread so let's go on and look at the other two types.
Type II is where a proton turns into a neutron and a positron and the postiron is emitted (begins to exist). This type is caused because the ratio of neutrons to protons in the atomic nucleus is too small. An example would be Carbon11 decaying to Boron11. Two types, two different causes. This isn't looking too good is it? Onto the third type.
Type III is electron capture and also occurs when the neutron to proton ratio in the nucleus is too small (same cause as Type II). The nucleus captures an electron which basically turns a proton into a neutron. An example of this would be the decay of Beryllium7 into Lithium7.
Now that we have seen all three types of beta decay it is clear that there are two different causes and two of the three types have the same cause (neutron to proton ratio too small) so in this one instance it can be said that there is an uncaused cause that determines if an atomic nucleus undergoes type II or III beta decay. Unfortunately for the KCA only one instance of something that has no cause is enough to falsify it's premise that everything that begins to exist has a cause.
Now that the KCA has been falsified, no Christian, Muslim or whoever else uses this bogus argument can do so honestly and if they do, everyone who reads this post now has the knowledge to rip it to shreds.
The initial premise of the KCA is that everything that begins to exist has a cause. That is untrue and the reason I bring up beta decay whenever someone brings up the KCA.
There are three types of beta decay that occur. I will explain and give an example of each type.
Type I is your basic plain vanilla beta decay where a neutron turns into a proton and electron then the electron is emitted (begins to exist). This type is caused because of an instability in the atomic nucleus because the ratio of neutrons to protons is too large.An example would be Cesium137 decaying to Barium137. If type I was the only kind of beta decay, I wouldn't be making this thread so let's go on and look at the other two types.
Type II is where a proton turns into a neutron and a positron and the postiron is emitted (begins to exist). This type is caused because the ratio of neutrons to protons in the atomic nucleus is too small. An example would be Carbon11 decaying to Boron11. Two types, two different causes. This isn't looking too good is it? Onto the third type.
Type III is electron capture and also occurs when the neutron to proton ratio in the nucleus is too small (same cause as Type II). The nucleus captures an electron which basically turns a proton into a neutron. An example of this would be the decay of Beryllium7 into Lithium7.
Now that we have seen all three types of beta decay it is clear that there are two different causes and two of the three types have the same cause (neutron to proton ratio too small) so in this one instance it can be said that there is an uncaused cause that determines if an atomic nucleus undergoes type II or III beta decay. Unfortunately for the KCA only one instance of something that has no cause is enough to falsify it's premise that everything that begins to exist has a cause.
Now that the KCA has been falsified, no Christian, Muslim or whoever else uses this bogus argument can do so honestly and if they do, everyone who reads this post now has the knowledge to rip it to shreds.
