Caleb Dawson: Christian Research Scientist

God vs. Science

Some outspoken figures, both Christian and non-believers, aggressively push the notion that God and Science are incompatible. These views are perhaps amplified by their extremity. Some see science and nature as self-explanatory, making God unnecessary. On the other hand, many Christians reject scientific evidence because it contradicts their interpretation of the Bible. There is misunderstanding and stubbornness on both sides. There are many that find science and faith in a God to be in harmony, even complimentary

To sceptical Christians I would ask: If God created life and the universe, wouldn’t the science, the study of his creation, point directly to God and his work?

If science tells us that the universe is 14 billion years old, but your interpretation of the bible says it is 6000 years old, perhaps this interpretation should be reconsidered. It might be more reasonable, and historically accurate, that the creation story of Genesis is symbolic and serves to establish that there is one almighty God and creator, not to provide a scientific account. For me, holding science and my faith together enriches both. There are many aspects of science and God that I don’t understand and that’s ok. God knows and I’m sure that his ways are more incredible and scientifically robust than I can imagine. These are my views but others will think differently. Whatever we believe, it’s important to be open to discussion, to recognise that complete understanding these things is impossible and unnecessary, and to not let this distract us from loving God and each other.

To non-believers I would ask: As science reveals a universe that is increasingly logical, consistent and understandable, could this point towards a all-powerful, competent and perfect creator rather than disprove one?

God did not create a flawed universe that he patches up with miracles (as even some Christians claim). He created and sustains a magnificent universe that reflects his strength, wisdom and authority on a scale that we cannot even begin to comprehend.

Big Questions

There are many questions that can lead people towards considering whether there may be a divine being behind the universe. Here are some of my faviourites.

How can space and time have a beginning unless there is a being outside of space and time to initiate it?

The universe is fine-tuned for life – is it more reasonable to conclude that it was purposefully created that way, or that there are infinite universes to account for each differently tuned possibility?

Do you believe that some actions are inherently right and others wrong? Should there be consequences for doing wrong?

An objective Right and Wrong is dependent upon a perfect standard. Most of us are keenly aware of this but can’t name it. It is God. In a world without God, objective morality wouldn’t exist and there would be no consequences for our actions. Thankfully, this isn’t the case. God offers us peace in the midst of suffering, freedom from our wrongdoing and the way to life and truth through Jesus.

Have you rejected Christianity without actually investigating the life of Jesus and the claims about him? He is truly wonderful, other-worldly and powerful. He claimed to be God then rose from the dead. He will free us from our futile ways if we are willing to humble ourselves rightfully before him.

Science art

I’m fascinated by the beauty of life and the complex puzzles it contains. Working to solve these puzzles is satiates my obsessive curiosity and will hopefully help people as well. Looking at the world at the microscopic scale is like entering an alien landscape. It is a great blessing and privilege to enter this world every day and I want to share this experience with others through art.

The power of microscopy

State-of-the-art imaging technology gives us huge amounts of information about how our bodies work. They reveal the arrangement of cells in 3-dimensions and how changes in structure and organisation lead to disease. Imaging tissues in 3D rather than 2D leads to discoveries that we never expected. Microscopy is a powerful scientific approach, as it breaks through the limitations of our imagination. It is hard to hold on to a misconception when a different answer stares straight back at you through the microscope.

Thanks to WEHI and the Center for Dynamic Imaging where all of the images on this site were captured.

A colour blind fluorescence microscopist?

Quite ironically, I am colour blind. Microscopy is entirely digital these days, so I can choose colours that I can distinguish easily. The problem is with others who hold to the traditional microscopy colours of red/green/blue, which is a disaster for any colour blind person. For some, the red becomes almost invisible, while for others, red and green look similar.

This needs to change. I’ve found that most people are more than willing to make their work accessible, they’re just not sure how. In cases where only 2 colours are needed, magenta/green is the best. For 3 colours, a beautiful, easy and accessible alternative is yellow/cyan/magenta. Even better is a blue-ish/orange/purple-ish (BOP) combination: just download the LUTs here and plug them into ImageJ/FIJI.

Science in 3D

In my efforts to communicate the 3D nature of our images, I developed a method of viewing microscopy in 3D using old-school cyan/red 3D glasses. Get a pair and check out the Science in 3D page.