Although evolution is a very important concept in contemporary biology, it does not help to answer the question to the origin of the human consciousness. If all reductionist theories are ruled out because it tries to reduce consciousness to an objective aspect of the natural world and ignore the storytellers’ (consciousness) subjective side, panpsychism seems to be a favourable candidate for an alternative theory. The so called Copenhagen-interpretation furthermore brought an end to determinism and classical objectivity and pointed out that our reality is partly created by the observer. The work of Alfred North Whitehead establish the basis on which Christian de Quincey build his theory and attempt to build a bridge between the objective physical and the subjective psyche. Panpsychism provide a post-modern solution to the problem of identifying the origin of consciousness by presenting a relationship between psyche and physis as two temporal ordained poles of the same experiencing individual entity. The interaction between psyche and matter become a relationship between events or “moments of experience” where, through the natural process of the flow of time, subjects (psyches) become objects (physical matter). Time, as the lost link in the recurring body/mind problem is the radical solution for the explanation gap between physical systems and conscious systems. The reductionist solution demand an ontological leap (the emergence of an entity with an interior, subjective viewpoint from completely objective entities); and this is not the case with panpsychism (where primordial experience are already subjective and the emergence of consciousness or conscious experience are not an ontological objective to subjective leap). Mind and body is separated on a numerical level but not on an ontological level. Mind and body is of the same sort, type or reality – the inevitable creation and decline of experience. Psyche is therefore the unifying process of all the total hierarchy of events. Panpsychism however has many deficiencies and these deficiencies are also critically analysed. / MPhil, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Although evolution is a very important concept in contemporary biology, it does not help to answer the question to the origin of the human consciousness. If all reductionist theories are ruled out because it tries to reduce consciousness to an objective aspect of the natural world and ignore the storytellers’ (consciousness) subjective side, panpsychism seems to be a favourable candidate for an alternative theory. The so called Copenhagen-interpretation furthermore brought an end to determinism and classical objectivity and pointed out that our reality is partly created by the observer. The work of Alfred North Whitehead establish the basis on which Christian de Quincey build his theory and attempt to build a bridge between the objective physical and the subjective psyche. Panpsychism provide a post-modern solution to the problem of identifying the origin of consciousness by presenting a relationship between psyche and physis as two temporal ordained poles of the same experiencing individual entity. The interaction between psyche and matter become a relationship between events or “moments of experience” where, through the natural process of the flow of time, subjects (psyches) become objects (physical matter). Time, as the lost link in the recurring body/mind problem is the radical solution for the explanation gap between physical systems and conscious systems. The reductionist solution demand an ontological leap (the emergence of an entity with an interior, subjective viewpoint from completely objective entities); and this is not the case with panpsychism (where primordial experience are already subjective and the emergence of consciousness or conscious experience are not an ontological objective to subjective leap). Mind and body is separated on a numerical level but not on an ontological level. Mind and body is of the same sort, type or reality – the inevitable creation and decline of experience. Psyche is therefore the unifying process of all the total hierarchy of events. Panpsychism however has many deficiencies and these deficiencies are also critically analysed. / MPhil, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Charles Darwin has achieved both notoriety and fame for his evolutionary ideas encapsulated principally in The Origin of Species and The Descent of Man. Although credited for much originality in his writings, Darwin's legacy borrowed extensively from many who had propounded similar speculations centuries before him. His naturalistic argument for origin and species reveals both logical and theological problems with his thesis, and further unavoidable ramifications. The contention is that even Darwin himself could not, and did not, live by the ideas he boldly espoused. His ideas, if true, would destroy the very basis upon which his thesis depended. His evolutionary paradigm had to take for granted a world he could give no account for. Yet his antipathy of Biblical Christianity, and its God, inspired him to pursue his personal naturalistic agenda with little regard to the logical consequences. Modern evolutionary science may look back today with pride on its founder, Charles Darwin, yet the problems which were intrinsic to his thesis remain unanswered yet. / Thesis (M.Th. (Dogmatics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Charles Darwin has achieved both notoriety and fame for his evolutionary ideas encapsulated principally in The Origin of Species and The Descent of Man. Although credited for much originality in his writings, Darwin's legacy borrowed extensively from many who had propounded similar speculations centuries before him. His naturalistic argument for origin and species reveals both logical and theological problems with his thesis, and further unavoidable ramifications. The contention is that even Darwin himself could not, and did not, live by the ideas he boldly espoused. His ideas, if true, would destroy the very basis upon which his thesis depended. His evolutionary paradigm had to take for granted a world he could give no account for. Yet his antipathy of Biblical Christianity, and its God, inspired him to pursue his personal naturalistic agenda with little regard to the logical consequences. Modern evolutionary science may look back today with pride on its founder, Charles Darwin, yet the problems which were intrinsic to his thesis remain unanswered yet. / Thesis (M.Th. (Dogmatics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

This study focusses on modelling important aspects of the evolution of pulsar wind nebulae using two different approaches. The first uses a hydrodynamic model to simulate the morphological evolution of a spherically-symmetric composite supernova remnant that is expanding into a homogeneous interstellar medium. In order to extend this model, a magnetic field is included in a kinematic fashion, implying that the reaction of the fluid on the magnetic field is taken into account, while neglecting any counter-reaction of the field on the fluid. This approach is valid provided that the ratio of electromagnetic to particle energy in the nebula is small, or equivalently, for a large plasma β environment. This model therefore allows one to not only calculate the evolution of the convection velocity but also, for example, the evolution of the average magnetic field. The second part of this study focusses on calculating the evolution of the energy spectra of the particles in the nebula using a number of particle evolution models. The first of these is a spatially independent temporal evolution model, similar to the models that can be found in the literature. While spatially independent models are useful, a large part of this study is devoted to developing spatially dependent models based on the Fokker-Planck transport equation. Two such models are developed, the first being a spherically-symmetric model that includes the processes of convection, diffusion, adiabatic losses, as well as the non-thermal energy loss processes of synchrotron radiation and inverse Compton scattering. As the magnetic field geometry can lead to the additional transport process of drift, the previous model is extended to an axisymmetric geometry, thereby allowing one to also include this process. / PhD (Space Physics), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

This study focusses on modelling important aspects of the evolution of pulsar wind nebulae using two different approaches. The first uses a hydrodynamic model to simulate the morphological evolution of a spherically-symmetric composite supernova remnant that is expanding into a homogeneous interstellar medium. In order to extend this model, a magnetic field is included in a kinematic fashion, implying that the reaction of the fluid on the magnetic field is taken into account, while neglecting any counter-reaction of the field on the fluid. This approach is valid provided that the ratio of electromagnetic to particle energy in the nebula is small, or equivalently, for a large plasma β environment. This model therefore allows one to not only calculate the evolution of the convection velocity but also, for example, the evolution of the average magnetic field. The second part of this study focusses on calculating the evolution of the energy spectra of the particles in the nebula using a number of particle evolution models. The first of these is a spatially independent temporal evolution model, similar to the models that can be found in the literature. While spatially independent models are useful, a large part of this study is devoted to developing spatially dependent models based on the Fokker-Planck transport equation. Two such models are developed, the first being a spherically-symmetric model that includes the processes of convection, diffusion, adiabatic losses, as well as the non-thermal energy loss processes of synchrotron radiation and inverse Compton scattering. As the magnetic field geometry can lead to the additional transport process of drift, the previous model is extended to an axisymmetric geometry, thereby allowing one to also include this process. / PhD (Space Physics), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014