Evolution or Creation?
Anthropic Principle
"The mechanism of the universe wrought for us by a supremely good and orderly creator ... the system the best and most orderly artist of all formed for our sake." - Nicholas Copernicus[63]
In the early 1970s, Brandon Carter developed what he called "the anthropic principle": The physical structure of the universe is exactly what it must be in order to support life.[17]
The anthropic principle acknowledges that we can identify and recognize the products of design, and that many of the features of the physical universe bear the marks of design. In many ways, the scientific method is merely the codification of common sense, and the detection of design is no exception.[44]
According to the anthropic principle, evidence for design is found throughout the physical universe. And if the universe exhibits design, it is logical to conclude that there is a designer - powerful evidence for the Biblical world view that a loving God created the world. The anthropic principle draws together a staggering number of "cosmic coincidences" that make life possible.[44]
If the big bang had exploded with too little velocity, the universe would have collapsed back in on itself shortly afterwards because of gravitational forces.[44]
If it had occurred with too much velocity, matter would have streaked away so fast that it would have been impossible for galaxies and solar systems to form.[44]
The force of gravity must be fine-tuned to allow the universe to expand at precisely the right rate (accurate to within 1 part in 1060). The fact that the force of gravity just happens to be the right number with "such stunning accuracy is surely one of the great mysteries of cosmology." - physicist Paul Davies[44]
Everything
in the universe is made of atoms, from the stars in the farthest heavens to the
cells in the human body. The atom itself is a bundle of "lucky coincidences."
Within the atom, the neutron is just slightly more massive than the proton, which
means that free neutrons can decay and turn into protons. If the proton that was
larger and had a tendency to decay, the very structure of the universe would be
impossible.[44]
A free proton is simply a hydrogen atom, and if free protons had a tendency to
decay, everything made of hydrogen would decay. The sun, which is made of hydrogen,
would melt away. Water, a liquid oxide of hydrogen (H2O) would be impossible.
In fact, the universe itself would decay, since about 74 percent of the observed
universe consists of hydrogen.[44]
There is no physical cause to explain why the neutron is larger. It is simply a fact. So apparently the only "reason" for the difference in size is that it allows the universe to exist and to support life.[44]
Atomic particles also have an electrical charge. Electrons have a negative charge, and protons have a positive charge. Yet because the charge of the proton exactly balances that of the electron, most of the objects we encounter in daily life have no electrical charge.[44]
If the electron carried more charge than the proton, all atoms would be negatively charged. In that case - since identical charges repel - all the atoms composing all the objects in the universe would fly apart in a catastrophic explosion. On the other hand, if the proton carried more charge than the electron, all atoms would be positively charged - with the same disastrous consequences.[44]
Although the two particles differ from one another in all other respects (size, weight, magnetic properties, etc.), there is no known physical reason, no natural explanation, for the precise balance in the electrical charges of the proton and the electron . And since there is no natural explanation, no natural law to account for this extraordinarily precise adjustment, is it not reasonable to conclude that this intricate arrangement is the product of a choice, a plan, a design?[44]
The slightest tinkering with the values of the fundamental forces of physics - gravity electromagnetism, the strong and weak nuclear forces - would have resulted in a universe where life was utterly impossible. The anthropic principle states that in our own universe, all these seemingly arbitrary and unrelated values in physics have one strange thing in common: they are precisely the values needed to get a universe capable of supporting life.[44]
Thanks to the space age, it has become clearly evident that Earth is unique, boasting a wealth of characteristics that make it capable of supporting life - a nearly endless list of preconditions that have been intricately met only, as far as we know, on our planet.[44]
If the sun were any further from the center of the galaxy, planets could have not formed. If it were any closer to the center, stellar density would interfere with our orbit and we would fall out of orbit.[37]
Our planet is just the right size - 8,000 miles in diameter. If it were a little smaller, gravity would be too weak, the lighter gases would escape, and, the atmosphere would be poisonous. If it were a little larger - because of dense gravity, nothing could live here. The Earth is just the right distance from the sun, 93 million miles.[5]
If it was 1 degree closer to the sun we would fry, all of earth's water would boll away, and life would be impossible. If Earth was 1 degree farther away from the sun, all its water would freeze, and the terrestrial landscape would be nothing but barren deserts.[37,44]
If the surface gravity were any stronger the Earth would retain too much ammonia and methane gas and we would suffocate. If it were any weaker the earth's atmosphere would allow the water to escape.[37]
If the magnetic field was any stronger, electromagnetic storms would destroy us; if it was any weaker, the ozone shield could not protect us from solar and stellar radiation.[37]
If the earth's crust were any thicker it would absorb too much of our oxygen; if it were any thinner, volcanic and tectonic activity would make life impossible.[37]
If carbon dioxide levels were any greater there would be a runaway greenhouse effect that would kill us, and if they were any less, plants would be unable to maintain photosynthesis.[37]
The chemical reactions necessary for life to function occur within a narrow temperature range, and Earth is exactly the right distance from the sun to fall within that range. What's more, for all this to happen, Earth must remain about the same distance from the sun in its orbit; that is, its orbit must be just be nearly circular - in contrast to the elliptical orbits of most other planets in our solar system.[44]
If the moon were any closer or larger the tides would destroy the coastlines.[37]
If our distance to Jupiter were any further, asteroid and comets would bombard the earth. If Earth were any closer, our orbit would become unstable.[37]
Earth lies in the "Circumsteller Habitable Zone" of our solar system — well outside the orbit of Venus and just short of the orbit of Mars.[63]
Just as our location in the solar system is optimized for habitability, so is our location in the galaxy. We live about half-way between the center of galaxy and the edge. In the center of our galaxy the stars are more dense. In the center is a black hole and near the center are more super novas, both conditions that could harass life from the deadly radiation they generate.[63]
"The outer edge of our galaxy lacks the abundance of the elements necessary to support life." — David Brownlee, astronomer, University of Washington[63]
Although we live in a galactic habitable zone, there are still large areas in this zone which are even less hospitable to complex life.[63]
In 1995 Scientists discovered that the earth is perfectly balanced. Where there is a mountain mass on one side of the earth these is something of equal weight on the other side of the earth. Considering that the density and the weights of various rocks vary, it is amazing that each part of the earth is balanced and counterbalanced, keeping it from wobbling and falling out of its orbit. Global distribution of land masses and water is all in balance.[37]
Water has a host of unique properties absolutely indispensable for life. On the microscopic level, water molecules exhibit something called the hydrophobic effect, which gives them the unique ability to shape proteins and nucleic acids in DNA. From a molecular standpoint, "the various properties of water are nothing short of miraculous," writes Michael Corey in God and the New Cosmology; "no other compound even comes close to duplicating its many life-supporting properties"[44]
The seas of the world exert just the right amount of pressure on the shores of the world to keep the mountains from collapsing.[37]
Note that if some of the finely-balanced quantities were not finely-tuned then our Universe would have grossly different properties. The properties would in fact be so different that it is highly likely that life (as we know it) would not develop and be around to ask the question of why the Universe is special.[1]
According to science, the probability of all of these special conditions occurring in a universe somewhere is less than 1 in one thousand trillion(x6). 100 billion other things had to happen for these to occur and to tune our world for life as we know it.[37]
The concept of fine tuning of the universe is shaking up atheists all around the world.[37]
In summary, scientists have discovered a long list of properties in physics that seem to be prerequisites for life. There is an elegant simplicity in the mathematical equations that express and unlock the laws of the cosmos. Not only are they fine tuned for life to exist, but they have a beautiful mathematical structure and a structure such we can discover that structure.[63]
"I have deep faith that the principles of the universe will be both beautiful and simple." - Albert Einstein[63]
Nobel laureate Arno Penzias makes this observation about the enigmatic character of the universe, "Astronomy leads us to an unique event, a universe which was created out of nothing and delicately balanced to provide exactly the conditions required to support life. In the absence of an absurdly-improbable accident, the observations of modern science seem to suggest an underlying, one might say, supernatural plan."[21]
Freeman J. Dyson, an English-born American physicist and mathematician, famous for his work in quantum mechanics and many other fields, says, "As we look out into the universe and identify the many accidents of physics and astronomy that have worked to our benefit, it almost seems as if the universe must in some sense have known that we were coming."[21]
Virtually no scientist today can deny the anthropic principle. The world was made for a purpose: that purpose was mankind and though we may not be geographically in the center of the universe, we are in the center of God's heart and he made it all for us.[29]