Posted on 06/20/2009 10:04:17 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Why does the universe seem so fine-tuned for the emergence of life – including intelligent life capable of asking that “why” question? Believers simply say that God did it, while scientists are trying to come up with complicated extradimensional multiverse theories to explain our lucky break.
Theoretical physicist Paul Davies takes a completely different tack in a new book titled "Cosmic Jackpot." He argues that the cosmos has made itself the way it is, stretching backward in time to the very beginning to focus in on “bio-friendliness.”
Davies admits that the idea has theological overtones - but that's nothing new for the London-born deep-thinker. He's perhaps best-known for provocative books such as "The Mind of God" and "God and the New Physics," and for holding forth on speculative topics such as whether physical constants are actually inconstant.
After years of teaching at universities in Britain and Australia, Davies moved to Arizona just last year to start up Beyond, a research center devoted to fundamental scientific questions: How did the universe begin? How did life arise? Where do humans fit into the grand scheme? What does it all mean?
"We've been up and running for only about three months, so it’s early days," he told me Wednesday. "But we have high hopes that this will become one of the world’s leading think tanks for confronting these foundational questions."
He's currently on a cross-country tour to promote the book; on Wednesday, he lectured at George Mason University near Washington, D.C., and tonight he's giving a talk in "the other Washington," at Town Hall Seattle (and I'm planning to see him there). During a half-hour telephone interview, Davies touched upon his key theme of the universe's curious bio-friendliness. Here are excerpts from the conversation:
CLICK ABOVE LINK FOR THE REST OF THE INTERVIEW...
(Excerpt) Read more at cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com ...
That's a rather comical comment, given that the original formulation of Occam's Razor stated "Entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily."
Turtles all the way down, Guv'nah.
Please explain the following, without relying on scripture: Where did “God” come from?
I find it remarkable that religious people can’t find any other answer to the origins of the universe than that some super guy in the sky made it all from absolutely nothing, and they completely discount any theory that doesn’t include some all-powerful bearded dude in the clouds.
Personally, I just think humankind isn’t advanced enough to know about the origins of the universe. It’s okay to say “We don’t know.”
Sure, could be. My point was just that the author rejected theories that relied on something outside the universe, while the Big Bang by definition requires a cause outside the universe...
You posted: “Please explain the following, without relying on scripture: Where did “God” come from?”
In other words...Please throw out a perfectly adequate explanation that corresponds with the human condition and human experience...that accords with the created universe and the moral nature of man...and reject even the possibility of acknowledging there is a spiritual (and moral) underpinning to the universe...an origin beyond the capacity of man to measure with physical instruments even though he routinely experiences spiritual phenomena.
Sure, OK.
As Francis Schaeffer titled his book: “God is There, and He is Not Silent.”
Why should we have a problem with His explanation of the universe He created?
I'm glad then that the explorations of "lesser mortals" has prevailed in the West across history,
who understand the universe better than you think.
"If I knew God I'd be Him."
Theoretical physicist Paul Davies takes a completely different tack in a new book titled "Cosmic Jackpot." He argues that the cosmos has made itself the way it is, stretching backward in time to the very beginning to focus in on “bio-friendliness.”
The universe is an immaculate conception?
Big Bang = immaculate conception
To say that something is “fine-tuned” is to acknowledge that there is a “fine tuner.”
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