The Universe is astonishingly fine tuned for life. The fine tuning is due to either chance, necessity, or design. It is not due to chance or necessity, therefore, it is due to design.
The Universe is astonishingly finetuned for life.
Scientists have been stunned by the discovery that the ‘constants’ of the universe, like the strength of gravity and the forces that hold atoms together, are fine-tuned for life to exist, with a precision that defies comprehension. The world’s most famous physicist, Stephen Hawking, said, “The remarkable fact is that the values of these numbers seem to have been very finely adjusted to make possible the development of life.” 1
Professor Paul Davies said, “There is for me powerful evidence that there is something going on behind it all... It seems as though somebody has fine-tuned nature’s numbers to make the Universe...The impression of design is overwhelming.” 2
British Astronomer Sir Fred Hoyle said, “A common sense interpretation of the facts suggests that a super intellect has monkeyed with physics ...and that there are no blind forces worth speaking about in nature. The number one calculates from the facts seem to me so overwhelming as to put this conclusion almost beyond question” 3
Professor Robert Jastrow of NASA said, “That there are what I or anyone would call Supernatural forces at work is now, I think, a
scientifically proven fact." 4
How finely tuned is the Universe?
If the ‘Cosmological Constant’ was changed by just 1 part in 10123 (that is, ~one part in a trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion), there would be no matter, let alone physical life. The other 50 or so constants and quantities are similarly fine-tuned.
As it is very, very unlikely that all the constants were set so precisely in the life-permitting range by chance, and, as there is no necessity for them to be in the life- permitting range, the best explanation is that they were set by design - The evidence indicates that the universe was made with us in mind. Professor Sir Roger Penrose, said, “The extremely high level of fine-tuning astronomers and physicists discern powerfully
suggests a purpose behind the universe.” 5
Why can’t the fine-tuning be due to necessity or chance?
The constants are not determined by the laws of nature and there is no reason or evidence that they must be fine-tuned for life. It is also astonishingly improbable that all the constants would all be in the life-permitting range by chance alone. Brad Lemly, of Discover magazine, stated, “The universe is unlikely. Very unlikely. Deeply,
shockingly unlikely.” 6
Professor Stephen Hawking said, “It appears that the fundamental numbers, and even the form, of the apparent laws of nature are not
demanded by logic or physical principle” 7.
Are there many Universes and we just got very, very lucky?
The chances of all the constants of the Universe happening to be in the life-permitting range is so astonishingly low it points to a fine-tuner. Some have gone beyond empirical science and speculated that there is a ‘Multi-verse.’ They suggest that there is a ‘Universe generator’ that produces an incredible number of universes with different constants, and that we just got very, very lucky. However, there is no scientific evidence for a ‘Multi-verse.’ It cannot be detected, observed, measured or proved. Furthermore, even if a ‘Universe Generator’
existed, it would require a cause and an enormous amount of fine-tuning itself.
Conclusion
The Universe is astonishingly tuned for life The fine tuning is due to either chance, necessity,
or design. It is not due to chance or necessity, therefore it is due to design.
The astonishing fine-tuning of the universe for life is powerful
evidence of design. Who the
Designer is still needs to be determined.
1. Professor Stephen Hawking, A Brief History of Time,1988, pg.125.
2. Astrophysicist P. Davies, 1988. The Cosmic Blueprint: New Discoveries in Nature's Creative Ability To Order the Universe. New York: Simon and Schuster, p. 203.
3. Hoyle, Fred. “The Universe: Past and Present Reflections,” Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics, 20. (1982), p.16.
4. Prof. R Jastrow [NASA], Interview in Christianity Today, August 6, 1982.
5. Roger Penrose, in the movie - A Brief History of Time (Paramount Pictures Inc., 1992).
6. Brad Lemly, “Why is there Life?” Discover Magazine, Nov. 2002.
7. Professor Stephen Hawking, L. Miodinow, The Grand Design, p143.
8. “The Astronomer and God,” in The Intellectuals Speak Out about God, ed. Roy Abraham Varghese (Chicago: Regnery Gateway, 1984), p. 22.
“The most powerful evidence for the existence of God ever to come out of science.” -Robert Zastrow NASA
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