The constants that underlie physics are absurdly precise. Gravity is strong enough to keep us grounded, but not so strong that we can’t escape. Electrons have a certain mass, the cosmological constant has a certain value. Change any of them by a percent or so, and atoms can’t form. This is not some abstract philosophical issue. It’s measurable physics, and it asks an important question that neither science nor atheism can satisfactorily answer.
What You Will Learn
The constants of physics are extremely fine-tuned to allow life to exist
Changing specific values by as little as 1% or 2% would make chemistry, stars, and virtually everything else impossible
Scientists have proposed various solutions to this issue, such as the multiverse or anthropic principles
The Bible reveals long before these issues were discovered a designed origin to the universe
This touches on the issues of purpose, and of the very existence of God
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Let’s take the strong nuclear force, for example. This is the force that binds protons and neutrons together in the nucleus of an atom. Now, if the strong nuclear force was 2% stronger, protons would bind immediately upon contact. This would mean that there could be no hydrogen, because hydrogen is a proton with nothing else attached to it. If there are no stars, there is no water, and therefore no life as we know it. However, if the strong nuclear force was 2% weaker, the binding energy would be too low to make deuterium, a isotope of hydrogen important in the fusion process. Either way, changing the strong nuclear force prevents life as we know it.
The cosmological constant determines how fast the universe is expanding. The value of the cosmological constant is one part in 10^120, give or take. To put that in perspective, imagine throwing a dart at a dartboard the size of the entire observable universe. The chances of hitting a target the size of an atom are similar to the chances of the cosmological constant being the value that it is. This number, however, is completely fine-tuned to allow for life to exist in the universe, and the process by which it was achieved is completely random.
How Scientists Explain It Away
The multiverse theory is a possible explanation for the fine-tuning of the universe. Essentially, there are infinite universes in which the constants have randomly-assigned values. Some of these values are conducive to life, and therefore, we are living in one of these universes.
However, this explanation is merely an excuse to avoid a theistic conclusion, because we have no possible way of testing these universes. There could be other universes with all sorts of constants, but we have no evidence for it and cannot possibly test it. The multiverse is completely outside the realm of human experience, and therefore is not science.
Anthropic reasoning is similar to the multiverse theory in that it ignores the problem of the fine-tuning of the universe. Essentially, it says that the universe must be conducive to life, because we are here to observe it. This is circular reasoning. It does not actually prove anything about the origin of the universe or about its fine-tuning. The only reason we can observe the universe is because it is conducive to life. This reasoning completely ignores the fact that the universe needed to be fine-tuned to allow for life in the first place
What the Bible Said First
The Bible doesn’t say much about quantum mechanics, but it does say quite a lot about a designed origin to the universe. The heavens declare the glory of God, indeed. Job 9:4 says, “Your hand shall find your enemy, and you shall strike all who oppose you.” Colossians 1:16-17 reads, “By him all things were created... things in heaven and on earth... visible and invisible... all things were created by him, and for him.” Genesis 1:1 reads, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” These verses were written thousands of years before scientists even dreamed of fine-tuning being an issue, and yet, they say something quite similar.
In the beginning, there was God. He created the universe, and that is why it is ordered the way that it is. We can see it being ordered, and we can examine that ordering, but it had to come from somewhere to begin with. That is why the argument for design is so compelling.
The Bible also has a lot to say about the glory of God being seen in the created world. Romans 1:20 reads, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made.” This verse, more than any other, supports the idea that the universe’s fine-tuning is from a divine source.
What You Learned
The constants of physics are incredibly fine-tuned for life
Changing specific values by as little as 1% or 2% would make chemistry, stars, and virtually everything else impossible
Scientists have proposed various solutions to this issue, such as the multiverse or anthropic principles
The Bible reveals long before these issues were discovered a designed origin to the universe
