Although not in the genre of science fiction, one example of mercy from literature/theater that overwhelmed me was a scene in Les Miserables. After Bishop Myriel invites Jean Valjean to stay with him, Valjean steals the Bishops silverware and runs off. When the police confront Valjean, the Bishop tells the police that the silverware was given to Valjean as a gift and then proceeds to give silver candlesticks to Valjean. The police accept the explanation and Valjean is not arrested. The Bishop then tells Valjean that God has purchased his soul and he should use the silver to become an honest man.
Your reflection on mercy as the hidden engine of both The Lord of the Rings and Star Wars is spot‑on. What struck me most in this piece is how you frame mercy not as sentiment but as a decisive force — the thing that actually turns the story. Tolkien makes it explicit, of course, but I appreciate how you show the same pattern emerging in Luke’s arc: the moment he refuses to kill Vader is the moment the entire narrative shifts. Power doesn’t save the day; pity does.
It’s refreshing to see someone trace that thread back to the Christian imagination, where mercy isn’t weakness but a disruptive strength — the kind that overturns the logic of honor cultures and pagan heroism. Your examples make that contrast vivid.
The science section was equally fascinating. Heymans’ engineering‑first approach to the simulation question is a welcome break from the usual “glitch in the Matrix” speculation. And her conversation with Chalmers — if you feel real, you are real — is one of those lines that lingers. I also appreciate your point that consciousness may be fundamentally supernatural; it’s a needed counterweight in a field that often tries to reduce everything to code.
Thanks for another thoughtful installment. This blend of culture, faith, and science is why I keep coming back.
Congratulations again on your book. I ordered it on August 16 🙂
Mine on DUMB Theory is now about 44,700 words and still growing. Mind you, some of it was written by Uncle Claude, so I may need to review it and rewrite it more Michael-ish.
"Is consciousness evidence that we're in a simulation?" I really like how Catherine Heymans approaches the question from an engineering perspective. Ditto for me! However, I start from a different place: first the fabric of time, space and existence, then the building blocks on top of it.
Can the Universe be anything other than digital? And can it exist without there being a Designer, Creator and Sustainer? As a retired software engineer, my answer to both is an emphatic "no". I think in terms of something I need to find out how to implement, not just explain with mathematical equations. Anything analogue or infinitely divisible scares me! Perhaps I'm one of those photonic beings from Star Trek. Light is digital, and matter is just constrained light ;-)
This week I found this video by Professor John Lennox:
The post says: "There's an important difference between describing how something works and explaining what it is. In this clip, Dr. John Lennox uses gravity to illustrate why that distinction matters." That is exactly the motivation for my book, and I think you'll find this video interesting.
One update I can share at a high level: I believe Uncle Claude and I have found a mechanism within DUMB Theory for the Michelson–Morley null result. It's rather beautiful in its simplicity, and I don't think I'd have got there on my own.
I'm also working on an entry for next year's Gravity Research Foundation essay awards, which is closer to completion. I'm planning on sending this to John Lennox. You are welcome to a copy also if you wish 🙂
Superpositions basically explain existence; so much happening at once that doesn’t fit concretely into a binary.
It just is. That's brilliant.
Although not in the genre of science fiction, one example of mercy from literature/theater that overwhelmed me was a scene in Les Miserables. After Bishop Myriel invites Jean Valjean to stay with him, Valjean steals the Bishops silverware and runs off. When the police confront Valjean, the Bishop tells the police that the silverware was given to Valjean as a gift and then proceeds to give silver candlesticks to Valjean. The police accept the explanation and Valjean is not arrested. The Bishop then tells Valjean that God has purchased his soul and he should use the silver to become an honest man.
Your reflection on mercy as the hidden engine of both The Lord of the Rings and Star Wars is spot‑on. What struck me most in this piece is how you frame mercy not as sentiment but as a decisive force — the thing that actually turns the story. Tolkien makes it explicit, of course, but I appreciate how you show the same pattern emerging in Luke’s arc: the moment he refuses to kill Vader is the moment the entire narrative shifts. Power doesn’t save the day; pity does.
It’s refreshing to see someone trace that thread back to the Christian imagination, where mercy isn’t weakness but a disruptive strength — the kind that overturns the logic of honor cultures and pagan heroism. Your examples make that contrast vivid.
The science section was equally fascinating. Heymans’ engineering‑first approach to the simulation question is a welcome break from the usual “glitch in the Matrix” speculation. And her conversation with Chalmers — if you feel real, you are real — is one of those lines that lingers. I also appreciate your point that consciousness may be fundamentally supernatural; it’s a needed counterweight in a field that often tries to reduce everything to code.
Thanks for another thoughtful installment. This blend of culture, faith, and science is why I keep coming back.
I hadn't realized that mercy line appears in all 3 books. Thx for that. Also, ordered your bokk :)
Hi Sarah,
Congratulations again on your book. I ordered it on August 16 🙂
Mine on DUMB Theory is now about 44,700 words and still growing. Mind you, some of it was written by Uncle Claude, so I may need to review it and rewrite it more Michael-ish.
"Is consciousness evidence that we're in a simulation?" I really like how Catherine Heymans approaches the question from an engineering perspective. Ditto for me! However, I start from a different place: first the fabric of time, space and existence, then the building blocks on top of it.
Can the Universe be anything other than digital? And can it exist without there being a Designer, Creator and Sustainer? As a retired software engineer, my answer to both is an emphatic "no". I think in terms of something I need to find out how to implement, not just explain with mathematical equations. Anything analogue or infinitely divisible scares me! Perhaps I'm one of those photonic beings from Star Trek. Light is digital, and matter is just constrained light ;-)
This week I found this video by Professor John Lennox:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1857722925396195
The post says: "There's an important difference between describing how something works and explaining what it is. In this clip, Dr. John Lennox uses gravity to illustrate why that distinction matters." That is exactly the motivation for my book, and I think you'll find this video interesting.
One update I can share at a high level: I believe Uncle Claude and I have found a mechanism within DUMB Theory for the Michelson–Morley null result. It's rather beautiful in its simplicity, and I don't think I'd have got there on my own.
I'm also working on an entry for next year's Gravity Research Foundation essay awards, which is closer to completion. I'm planning on sending this to John Lennox. You are welcome to a copy also if you wish 🙂