Let's imagine there only existed one planet in the entire Universe, and
it is Earth. Now I would suggest that it would be utterly extraordinary if it just happened to be ideally suited for life. It
would be far far more likely that it would be a planet wholly
devoid of any life.
But, of course, there are at least trillions
of planets in the Universe. The overwhelming majority are likely to be
hostile to life. So why do we happen to live on one suitable for life?
Well, obviously because we couldn't have evolved on any of the planets
hostile to life!
Now, the Earth is ideally suited for life. Hence, even if we knew of the
existence of no other planets, it would be overwhelmingly likely that zillions of other planets must exist.
This is the precise
same argument whereby we infer there must exist zillions of
other Universes, all with random differing values for the constants of nature. In the
overwhelming majority of such Universes' life simply could not arise.
The reason why we live in an incredibly unusual Universe that happens to
permit life is precisely the same reason why we happen to live on a
planet which is ideally suited to life.
The other alternative is
to suppose there is only one Universe. The reason why the physical
constants and properties permit life must be because some outside
influence -- a creator of some description -- constrains the Universe to
be that way.
Obviously scientists prefer the multiverse hypothesis.
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There is another possibility: there is only one universe, but if it allows the appearance of living beings, it is because in one of its stages allows the appearance of living beings, by chance.
ReplyDeleteHi Juan,
ReplyDeleteI wouln't consider that to be a realistic possibility.
"Obviously scientists prefer the multiverse hypothesis."
ReplyDeleteThey prefer it because mathematical models attests to it. No amount of math can attest to a creator.
Hi John,
ReplyDeleteYou specifically looked for my blog?
Anyway, mathematics is used to describe the patterns in the Universe. Mathematics cannot conjure up a googolplexian number of other Universes. And even our physical theories can only refer to this Universe with its particular physical properties and laws.