'By most of them. Not all. If you polled the physics community, maybe six of ten would reject it out of hand, two would withhold judgement but express strong skepticism, and two would say something like, it's heuristically interesting and might lead to new understanding.
'But science isn't supposed to be democratic, in the sense of a vote making a theory viable or valid. Most of those who reject Ali Hasad's theory haven't read it, except perhaps the summary of his first paper on it. And aren't likely to.
'Its chief problem is, it supports and thus revives an old contention of Fred Hoyle's, based on the values of basic physical parameters of the universe.'
I knew what he was talking about, and kept my mouth shut, letting him continue.
'The basic parameters are those fundamental forces on which the universe depends for its characteristics. And if those parameters were even moderately different than they are, we wouldn't simply have elements and planets and life somewhat different than they are. We wouldn't have them at all. And considering probabilities, Hoyle couldn't accept that those parameters are what they are simply by accident. He contended that it must have been designed. That this universe is an artifact programmed by some superintelligence operating outside our universe.
'An intelligence that some people identified with God, which is a word with a lot of unfortunate Bronze Age superstitions attached to it.'
He cocked an eyebrow. 'Have I thoroughly confused you?'
'I'm familiar with Hoyle's view,' I said. 'I never read anything by him, but I read an article about it years ago. It sounded reasonable enough, and when I read a description of Ali Hasad's theory, it did remind me of Hoyle. But I'm in no position to evaluate either one scientifically.'
Ashkenazi chuckled. 'Neither are the physicists who refuse to look. It's interesting how much of advanced physics is nonexperimental. Which in the traditional sense means nonscientific. That's not to knock it. Given the problems, they do what they can. For decades, the frontiers of physics have lain largely in the realm of mathematics. The subject demands theories that commonly
'That's a simplification, I'll admit, but basically it's accurate. And Ali Hasad's math
My half hour was melting, but I let him go on. I had a notion he might let it stretch to as long as it took.
'You don't look old enough,' Ashkenazi went on, 'to remember when legislative know-nothings had the Tarzan books banned from school libraries in Tennessee. They said Tarzan and Jane weren't married, were living in sin, and the books were a danger to the morals of young people.
'Actually they were married. In Book Two. Jane's father was a professor, and they were married in the jungle at Tarzan's family's cabin, if I remember correctly. The damned know-nothings had never read the sonofabitch. Typical.
'Well, Ali-Hasad's critics haven't examined his math. There are know-nothings in science, too.
'Considering the track records of all the earlier mathematical super-theories, Ali-Hasad's will probably turn out to have serious holes and loose ends, but . . .'
He stopped and grinned, shaking his head ruefully. 'You punched my buttons,' he said. 'And I suppose you're recording this.'
I was, and admitted it. My audio recorder was in my shoulder bag, beside my chair. 'But you'll have a chance to critique the manuscript,' I told him.
'Hmh! That's something, anyway. As for my work, it has no theory. It's totally empirical.'
He turned serious again. 'I'm not worried about explanations. Arne Haugen had only a rough notion of the basis for the geogravitic power converter, but that didn't keep him from inventing it. I've established a certain predictive and planning value in a revised and sharpened form of astrology I developed empirically. It's no big deal to me if the astronomical community doesn't accept it. I'd have given odds of a hundred to one against it, and taken all the bets I could cover.
'My career doesn't depend on anyone's approval. My degrees are in astronomy, but I've never been employed in it. I made my initial money in computer software and consulting, back in the days before the personal computer. My real wealth I made through investments. Guided, I might add, by every predictive tool, including astrology, that I could program. Also I have clients, as many as I care to deal with, who don't give a damn about explanations, and even less about compatibility with current theory. They're interested in results, and that's what I give them.'
With that, he seemed to have run down. I nodded. 'And what does Eldon think of all this?'
His eyebrows raised. 'You
'Ah. Then I probably shouldn't bother him.'
'I'm quite sure Veronica would prefer that.'
What I said next was a shot in the dark, totally unpremeditated. 'Do you, uh, contribute to his support, Mr. Ashkenazi?'
He frowned. 'Really, Mr. Seppanen, I don't care to . . .' He paused, lips pursing. 'I will answer that question. A number of years ago I set up a trust fund. Not that it's necessary. Veronica is a capable provider. She's the trust fund's payee of course, not Eldon.
'And she's a COGS,' he added drily. 'COGS put a lot of emphasis on being financially honorable and intellectually shabby.'
A COGS! She wouldn't like at all what Ashkenazi was into. The Church of God in Science—COGS—is an attempt to meld fundamentalist Christian views with classical science. It's become a fairly major church since the plagues of 1999 and 2000. It's how some people are trying to come to terms with the accelerating changes in the world. The way that COGS feel about anything like astrology or psychic phenomena pretty much ranges between contempt and hatred.
