Science's Alternative To an Intelligent Creator

Hugh Pickens writes "Discover magazine has an interesting article on the multiverse theory — a synthesis of string theory and the anthropic principle that explains why our universe seems perfectly tailored for life without invoking an intelligent creator. Our universe may be but one of perhaps infinitely many universes in an inconceivably vast multiverse. While most of those universes are barren, some, like ours, have conditions suitable for life. The idea that the universe was made just for us — known as the anthropic principle — debuted in 1973 when Brandon Carter proposed that a purely random assortment of laws would have left the universe dead and dark, and that life limits the values that physical constants can have. The anthropic principle languished on the fringes of science for years, but in 2000, new theoretical work threatened to unravel string theory when researchers calculated that the basic equations of string theory have an astronomical number of different possible solutions, perhaps as many as 101,000, with each solution representing a unique way to describe the universe. The latest iteration of string theory provides a natural explanation for the anthropic principle. If there are vast numbers of other universes, all with different properties, at least one of them ought to have the right combination of conditions to bring forth stars, planets, and living things." So far xkcd is simulating just one single universe.

Comments

imagine

[Anonymous Coward]

a universe without first posts

Re:imagine

[hobbit]

So it would seem: sometimes insightful, sometimes trollish, completely unaccountable and impossible to get answers from.

Re:imagine

[wastedlife]

Even God cannot withstand a Slashdotting.

Re:the universe is 6000 years old

[qmaqdk]

No, the bible just counts mod 6001. Next year the universe will be 0 years old. Again.

Re:There is no God?

[Qetu]

Yep, all those scientists are just trying to disprove god. The research is just a nice byproduct.

Re:The anthropic principle isn't a principle.

[ArcherB]

"the idea of this universe being particularly suited to life" ... And if there are multiple parallel universes, then in all universes that are not suited to life, there will be no life to ask, "why isn't this universe suited to life". So only in the universes that are suited to life, could there be lifeforms asking, why is this universe suited to life.

Asking therefore "that the universe was made just for us", is clearly totally wrong. Its not about us at all. Its just that life can survive and exist in this universe.

Imagine how tough it would be if we were to live in one of those Universes that were not suitable for life! I guess we should thank God that he put us in this one.

Phew!

Re:This is news?

[consequentemente]

It is solipsistic in here, but it I'm pretty sure it's just me.

Re:God

[Lazyrust]

In the first universe, God created people, intelligent and curious people. But he didnt create science. So instead of people praying to God to fix their marriage, save their dog, help them win the lottery, , they prayed to him asking him "why?" and after hearing "why?" about 12*10^1000000 time, God said.. "Christ on a crutch, I cant take this whiny 'why?' shit anymore!" So he destroyed that universe. And created this universe, and God said "ok, screw that praying to me and asking me "why?" shit over and over. I'll give them science. Then they can ask themselves that question. And leave me alone. So I can get Season 4 of Seinfeld done finally and send it back to Netflix."

Then, a few trillion years later, God finished every season of Gunsmoke, (all 633 episodes) thanks to TV Land reruns. And people were whining about science, so he said "What the hells wrong with these people? They keep whining to me about how science is wrong. I better do something about this, or I'll never get through all the episodes of Lassie." So he created Rob "CmdrTaco" Malda, and Slashdot was born. The whining moved to Slashdot comments and God said, "This is good."