THE EVALUATION PROBLEM

The validity of a scientific theory rests upon its ability to make accurate empirical predictions. Whatever its assumptions or models, the validity of a theory will be determined by its predictive ability.

The Vedic and Hebrew sages may have expressed their theories of the universe using mystical formulas and diagrams conceived on the basis of a completely different paradigm from that used in modern science, but this does not necessarily mean that their theories were nonscientific. Just as the mathematical formulas of modern theorists must be interpreted in order to assign them empirical meaning, so the mystical formulas of the ancient sages must be interpreted.

Our interpretation of the mystical formula 32 + 1 = 33 suggests that it pertains to the first thirty-three layers above and below the half measure, which form collectively the spectrum of creation. On the basis of the universal rule of thumb derived from the ancient teachings, we can assign these layers characteristic scales expressed in terms of centimeters. This amounts to an empirical interpretation of the formula. The ancient theory suggests that the thirty-three layers above and below represent the limits of creation. This can be interpreted to mean that they represent the largest and smallest distance scales that have any direct empirical relevance. The system of matched pairs predicts that these limits are on the order of 2 ? 10³² centimeters and 2 ? 10^-33 centimeters, respectively. Given the fact that the ancient system is approximate, these are rough estimates. If they’re accurate, however, then the spectrum of creation is huge. The theory suggests that the largest span of creation is on the order of some three hundred trillion light-years, while the smallest span is some twenty-five orders of magnitude smaller than the radius of an atom.

In both cases, these estimates fall outside the range of direct empirical observation. There is no telescope or microscope that can fathom these scales. So how can we possibly evaluate the system using empirical methods? We are faced with a serious evaluation problem.