This is a terrific article that both explains science, reality and yet promotes hope. And lets face it were humans are suckers for hope. I mean what else do we have without hope.

Even though in reality the ultimate law of the universe (until the very end as was the case before the super startup) is probability balance. That is to say creation is always offset at some point in time by destruction — balance. This of course, as far as humanity goes, means that peace must always be offset by war and love by hate, just as stars are born and stars die.

In fact the seeds of destruction are always imbedded within acts of creation. For instance unleashing the atom has, perhaps, been humankind’s greatest creation, and ever since that event we have been hanging by a thread to have it do us in; and if some natural force does not extinguish us first, it’s only a matter of time and dumb luck until it does permanently extinguish us and most other life forms on earth as well.

And here is where religion comes into play. As primarily egocentric creatures, most humans can’t accept the concept of finality as it pertains to us. We are just too darn important to ourselves. There must be some inexplicable escape from death. So we invent God’s and profits to keep hope alive. This is how we manage to overcome the universe’s indifference to us.

Apprentice Killers: The War of Lincoln and Davis a great book.