Posted on 04/18/2005 9:47:59 PM PDT by SpiderMBA
www.2001principle.net
A profound website that will amuse and enlighten.
"For example," Hawking writes, "if the electric charge of the electron had been only slightly different, stars would have been unable to burn hydrogen and helium, or else they would not have exploded... It seems clear that there are relatively few ranges of values for the numbers (for the constants) that would allow for development of any form of intelligent life. Most sets of values would give rise to universes that, although they might be very beautiful, would contain no one able to wonder at that beauty." Hawking then goes on to say that he can appreciate taking this as possible evidence of "a divine purpose in Creation and the choice of the laws of science (by God)" (A Brief History of Time. p. 125).
Upon viewing our site, Dr. Gerald Schroeder, former professor of physics at M.I.T., wrote to us and had this to say. "As is, the site is excellent. Any additions I suggest here, are, as it were, merely fine-tuning. But let me give two or three more major examples":
1. Nobel laureate, high energy physicist (a field of science that deals with the very early universe), Professor Steven Weinberg, in the journal Scientific American, reflects on "how surprising it is that the laws of nature and the initial conditions of the universe should allow for the existence of beings who could observe it. Life as we know it would be impossible if any one of several physical quantities had slightly different values." Although Weinberg is a self described agnostic, he cannot but be astounded by the extent of the fine-tuning. He goes on to describe how a beryllium isotope having the minuscule half life of 0.0000000000000001 seconds must find and absorb a helium nucleus in that split of time before decaying. This occurs only because of a totally unexpected, exquisitely precise, energy match between the two nuclei. If this did not occur there would be none of the heavier elements. No carbon, no nitrogen, no life. Our universe would be composed of hydrogen and helium. But this is not the end of Professor Weinberg's wonder at our well tuned universe. He continues: "One constant does seem to require an incredible fine-tuning... The existence of life of any kind seems to require a cancellation between different contributions to the vacuum energy, accurate to about 120 decimal places."
Dr. Paul Davies, noted author and professor of theoretical physics at Adelaide University: "The really amazing thing is not that life on Earth is balanced on a knife-edge, but that the entire universe is balanced on a knife-edge, and would be total chaos if any of the natural 'constants' were off even slightly. You see," Davies adds, "even if you dismiss man as a chance happening, the fact remains that the universe seems unreasonably suited to the existence of life -- almost contrived -- you might say a 'put-up job.'"
Roger Penrose, the Rouse Ball Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford, discovers that the likelihood of the universe having usable energy (low entropy) at the creation is even more astounding, "namely, an accuracy of one part out of ten to the power of ten to the power of 123.
"Despite all evasions, the ultimate agency of intelligence stares one in the face."
"Suppose a case of books filled with the most refined reason and exquisite beauty were found to be produced by nature; in this event it would be absurd to doubt that their original cause was anything short of intelligence. But every common biological organism is more intricately articulated, more astoundingly put together, than the most sublime literary composition... Despite all evasions, the ultimate agency of intelligence stares one in the face" (Frederick Ferre, Basic Modern Philosophy of Religion, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1967, p. 161).
The Anthropic Cosmological Principle
Here's a webpage with a bunch of related links:
Evolution of life enables adaptation to the ever-changing physical environment.
I'll mention just two down-to-earth examples:
* If earth were just 1% closer to or farther from the sun, the water cycle would break down--runaway freezing if farther from the Sun, runaway boiling if closer--and life could not exist on earth. (Actually, this is two parameters: not only must earth's orbit be the right distance, but it also must be nearly circular.)
* If earth's mass (i.e., its gravity) were 2% larger or smaller, life could not exist on earth. You've noticed that water vapor (H2O, atomic weight 18) rises as clouds. If the earth were slightly smaller, those clouds would simply keep on going, higher and higher, until they escaped into space and earth became waterless. However, if the earth were slightly larger, then methane gas (CH5, atomic weight 17) would not escape into space as it does, and we would all suffocate. Methane gas is the technical term for flatulence--not a pretty picture, is it?
Don't take my word for it--see the list of 200+, with references, for yourself:
http://www.reasons.org/resources/apologetics/index.shtml#design_in_the_universe
What you're left with, after all possible postulations, are these facts:
1. (Advanced) Life exists here on earth.
2. It does so in the face of completely overwhelming odds (as Penrose puts it, 10 to the 10th to the XXXth).
3. That is compelling evidence for intelligent design.
4. That is compelling evidence for an intelligent Designer.
5. [Extra credit] The Bible's creation accounts agree with science, giving compelling evidence that the Designer is the God of the Bible.
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