Anthropics

The Anthropic Principle and Fine-Tuning Arguments


New Project in the Works

The Fallacy of Fine-Tuning

How the Universe is Not Designed for Humanity

(Titles are tentative)

Summary

For several decades now theologians and theistic physicists have promoted a sophisticated form of intelligent design in physics and cosmology.  They claim that the laws and parameters of nature are fine-tuned for life, so that the tiniest change in any one of many of these quantities and life, as we know it on Earth would have been impossible. These are known as the anthropic coincidences. In many people’s minds, including some ardent atheists, this is the most powerful scientific case that has ever been made for the existence of a supernatural creation—at least a possible signal that the universe could not have come about naturally.

In this book I look at the important laws and parameters that have been suggested as being fine-tuned and show that from a physicist’s perspective they have simple, often trivial natural explanations. I will show that some of the fine-tuning arguments are based on lack of understanding of fundamental physics and cosmology or on the incorrect analysis of the data.

One possible natural explanation for the anthropic coincidences is that multiple universes exist with different physical constants and laws and our life form evolved in the one suitable for us. Theists vehemently object that we have no evidence for multiple universes. However, modern cosmological theories suggest that ours is just one of an unlimited number of universes. I will  review the serious attempts being made by many respected physicists and cosmologists to apply the anthropic principle to multiple universes and come up with some testable conclusions.

Finally I will show that the universe, far from being designed for humanity, is in fact very unfriendly to us and to our form of life.

Since the fine-tuning question is basically one of physics, it obviously cannot be fully understood without some knowledge of physics. I will explain the physics in words that should be understandable to the average reader, although some grasp of scientific method will be helpful. However, if I am to make my case precise I need to use a certain amount of mathematics. This is limited to the undergraduate college and sometimes high-school level. Anyone who cannot follow my mathematical discussion should not be authoring books and articles on the fine-tuning of physics.

Draft Chapters

These draft chapters (pdf) are password protected. If you would like to provide me with feedback, please email me at vic.stenger#comcast.net (change # to @). Include your true name, location, academic background, and employment.

Please not copy, quote, or distribute the material. At this time, feedback should be limited to the subject matter and minor errors such as typos, grammar, or spelling ignored. In your comments always refer to the latest version on the site. Do not refer to page numbers, which change, but quote a short segment of text for me to search on. Send changes to me personally at vic.stenger#comcast.net (change # to @) and I will send my responses to others in the group .


0. Preface
1. Science and God
2. The Anthropic Principle
3. What Is Fine-Tuning Anyway?
4.  The Large Number Puzzle
5.  Chemistry
6.  The Hoyle Resonance
7. Cosmology
8. Some Cosmic Parameters
9. Physics
10. The Cosmological Constant Problem

A Summary of Plausible Reasons Why Physical Parameters Are Not Fine-tuned for Life

Summary. The parameters discussed are the most commonly presented as evidence for the fine-tuning of the universe for life. I just give a short reason why I reject them. The chapter and section number where each item is discussed is indicated. This is not encrypted. Draft for comments only. Do not copy, quote, or distribute.

Removed for modification.

See also

The Fallacy of Fine-Tuning.  Reality Check column in  Skeptical Briefs, Vol. 19, No. 2 June 2009.
For comment only. Do not quote, copy, or distribute.

If you would like to participate in the discussions of the topics being developed for the book without committing yourself to providing substantive feedback, please join my avoid-L. email discussion group. Subscription requires approval. See home page for details. Do not contact me personally.

Slide Show

This keynote file contains the Keynote presentation for a talk to be given on June 26, 2009 in Brussels that contains all the the basic points I will try to make in the book. Uses the latest version on the Mac Leopard system.

For sad, underprivileged Windows users, try this  pdf file (6.2 Mb).

Earlier books where I have discussed fine-tuning

The Encyclopedia of Nonbelief

Tom Flynn, ed., Prometheus Books 2007, pp. 65-70.

The Anthropic Principle. Refer to published version when referencing.

Anthologies


Is the Universe Fine Tuned for Us? In  Why Intelligent Design Fails: A Scientific Critique of the New Creationism, essays edited by Matt Young and Taner Edis (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2004). This link is to submitted draft. Please quote or refer to published version. To read Rocky Mountain News column by Linda Offenbach on this book, go here

The Anthropic Principle. Draft of a chapter for  Science, Religion, and Society: An Encyclopedia of History, Culture, and Controversy edited by Arri risen and Gary Alderman, (Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 2006).
Please refer to published version

Physics, Cosmology and the New Creationism  Chapter for Scientists Confront Intelligent Design and Creationism, Andrew J. Petto and Laurie R. Godfrey, ed. (New York: W.W. Norton, 2007). Also in Scientists Confront Creationism: Intelligent Design and Beyond, Andrew J. Petto and Laurie R. Godfrey, ed. (New York: W.W. Norton, 2007).

MonkeyGod

Program to generate toy universes with different values of four physical constants. Note the emphasis on "toy." This is a very simple program that makes no attempt to generate a universe in detail. Its main purpose is to demonstrate that long-lived stars, which are probably required for the evolution of life, does not depend on some "fine tuning" of the constants of nature but occurs for a wide range of parameters. It also shows that the large number coincidence first proposed by Weyl is not uncommon.

Note that the weak interaction strength has not been included as a parameter. Also, the effect of strong interaction strength is not included in the calculation of astronomical quantities, although it does come in for the large number coincidence. While the gravitational strength does not appear as a parameter, it is varied through variations in the proton mass. For more details see the Philo paper below.

To generate your own universe, click on MonkeyGod.

I have used equations from "Dependence of macrophysical phenomena on the values of the fundamental constants: by W.H. Press and A.P. Lightman, Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. A 310, 323-336 (1983).

Older Articles

Some Old Links

Anthropic-Principle.com. Here you will find both popular overviews and scholarly material on everything  related to observation selection effects, the anthropic principle, self-locating  belief, and associated applications and paradoxes in science and philosophy. By Nick Bostrom, Rea search Fellow  Philosophy  Faculty, Oxford University

Why the Universe is Just So by Craig Hogan U. Washington. Published in Rev. Mod. Phys. 72, 1149, 2000.

Max Tegmark's Parallel Universes
 

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