[This post is a work in progress as part of the CAA Catechism.]
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Summary in 400 words or less:
Information Argument
Processes and programs require information to operate. Information requires intelligence. The universe consists of processes and programs. Therefore, the universe requires programming intelligence. In other words, since there are processes in the universe, there must be a grand programmer of all things…God.
In dealing with the physical constants of the universe (list included below):
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Strong nuclear force constant
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Weak nuclear force constant
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Gravitational force constant
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Electromagnetic force constant
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Ratio of electromagnetic force constant to gravitational force constant
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Ratio of proton to electron mass
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Ratio of number of protons to number of electrons
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Ratio of proton to electron charge
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Expansion rate of the universe
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Mass density of the universe
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Baryon (proton and neutron) density of the universe
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Space energy or dark energy density of the universe
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Ratio of space energy density to mass density
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Entropy level of the universe
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Velocity of light
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Age of the universe
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Uniformity of radiation
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Homogeneity of the universe
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Average distance between galaxies
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Average distance between galaxy clusters
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Average distance between stars
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Average size and distribution of galaxy clusters
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Numbers, sizes, and locations of cosmic voids
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Electromagnetic fine structure constant
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Gravitational fine-structure constant
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Decay rate of protons
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Ground state energy level for helium-4
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Carbon-12 to oxygen-16 nuclear energy level ratio
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Decay rate for beryllium-8
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Ratio of neutron mass to proton mass
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Initial excess of nucleons over antinucleons
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Polarity of the water molecule
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Epoch for hypernova eruptions
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Number and type of hypernova eruptions
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Epoch for supernova eruptions
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Number and types of supernova eruptions
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Epoch for white dwarf binaries
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Density of white dwarf binaries
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Ratio of exotic matter to ordinary matter
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Number of effective dimensions in the early universe
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Number of effective dimensions in the present universe
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Mass values for the active neutrinos
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Number of different species of active neutrinos
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Number of active neutrinos in the universe
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Mass value for the sterile neutrino
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Number of sterile neutrinos in the universe
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Decay rates of exotic mass particles
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Magnitude of the temperature ripples in cosmic background radiation
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Size of the relativistic dilation factor
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Magnitude of the Heisenberg uncertainty
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Quantity of gas deposited into the deep intergalactic medium by the first supernovae
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Positive nature of cosmic pressures
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Positive nature of cosmic energy densities
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Density of quasars
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Decay rate of cold dark matter particles
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Relative abundances of different exotic mass particles
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Degree to which exotic matter self interacts
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Epoch at which the first stars (metal-free pop III stars) begin to form
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Epoch at which the first stars (metal-free pop III stars cease to form
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Number density of metal-free pop III stars
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Average mass of metal-free pop III stars
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Epoch for the formation of the first galaxies
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Epoch for the formation of the first quasars
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Amount, rate, and epoch of decay of embedded defects
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Ratio of warm exotic matter density to cold exotic matter density
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Ratio of hot exotic matter density to cold exotic matter density
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Level of quantization of the cosmic spacetime fabric
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Flatness of universe’s geometry
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Average rate of increase in galaxy sizes
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Change in average rate of increase in galaxy sizes throughout cosmic history
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Constancy of dark energy factors
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Epoch for star formation peak
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Location of exotic matter relative to ordinary matter
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Strength of primordial cosmic magnetic field
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Level of primordial magnetohydrodynamic turbulence
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Level of charge-parity violation
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Number of galaxies in the observable universe
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Polarization level of the cosmic background radiation
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Date for completion of second reionization event of the universe
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Date of subsidence of gamma-ray burst production
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Relative density of intermediate mass stars in the early history of the universe
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Water’s temperature of maximum density
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Water’s heat of fusion
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Water’s heat of vaporization
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Number density of clumpuscules (dense clouds of cold molecular hydrogen gas) in the universe
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Average mass of clumpuscules in the universe
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Location of clumpuscules in the universe
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Dioxygen’s kinetic oxidation rate of organic molecules
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Level of paramagnetic behavior in dioxygen
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Density of ultra-dwarf galaxies (or supermassive globular clusters) in the middle-aged universe
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Degree of space-time warping and twisting by general relativistic factors
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Percentage of the initial mass function of the universe made up of intermediate mass stars
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Strength of the cosmic primordial magnetic field
These physical constants, as we know them, are independent. If they were a small fraction smaller or greater, life would not exist as we know it. For instance, the Cosmological Constant, or the space energy density (#12, also called Λ), is fine-tuned to one part in 10^120, recognized by Christian and non-Christian scientists and philosophers. In addition, naturalism has a difficult time explaining the fine tuning.
Hugh Ross: “My point is that the universe is at least ten billion orders of magnitude (10 ^ 10,000,000,000) too small or too young for life to have assembled itself by natural processes. Such calculations have been made by researchers, both theists and non-theists, in a variety of disciplines.” (Fingerprint of God, p. 138)
More creatively, it is argued this way: “If you and I played a game of five-card no-additional-draw stud poker, and I showed you a Royal Straight [Flush], if this happened one time (chance of occurrence: 1 in 649,740), you might be likely to think this was a fluke. However, if we played a few hands and every time I showed you a Royal Straight [Flush], you wouldn’t think it was a fluke. You would think that I was cheating.”
I think you can reasonably arrive at Deism (i.e., that there is sufficient grounds for a Creator) — as opposed to Theism (that God is sovereignly and currently involved with our affairs) through the above.
William Lane Craig’s arguments on the Fine Tuning of the Physical Constants of the Universe:
1. The fine-tuning of the universe is due to either physical necessity, chance, or design.
2. The fine-tuning is not due to physical necessity or chance.
3. Therefore, it is due to design.
Another argument goes like this:
1. Life exists in our universe (evidenced by Earth).
2. The probability that life would require fine-tuning is higher if there is a Designer than it would be if everything is ultimately is the product of blind chance.
3. Since we know that life exists in our universe, it follows that the probability that life would require fine-tuning is higher if there is a Designer than it would be if everything is ultimately the product of blind chance.
Conclusion: therefore the discovery of fine-tuning favors the hypothesis that there is a Designer over the hypothesis that everything is ultimately the product of blind chance.
To bridge from Deism to Christianity:
Ross takes the view that the Bible best explains the anthropic principle and fine-tuning of the universe — in the link http://www.reasons.org/articles/anthropic-principle-a-precise-plan-for-humanity for instance, he says “Only the Bible predicts and explains the anthropic principle.” Moreover, Ross makes a point in his paragraph, “Universality of the Physical Laws” in http://www.reasons.org/articles/the-physics-of-sin that the Bible best explains physics.
That there is life, and sustenance thereof might be evidence of a good creator.
Often atheists will object to the fine tuning argument by positing that if you roll the dice enough times, you’ll get an unusual sequence (say, all heads or all tails or all ones). So sometimes they appeal that there is a multiverse and our universe is just one of many (and perhaps either most of them did not result in life or that physical laws are different). However, there is no way for us to examine these multiverses, thus our sample size is still 1.
Scripture for YouVersion:
Short audio/video:
Three questions (1 fill-in-the-blank, 1 multiple choice, and one discussion question):
References for further reading:
“On Guard.” William Lane Craig, chapter 5.
“Creator and the Cosmos.” Hugh Ross. NavPress (Colorado Springs, CO: Third Edition, 2001), pp. 145-157, 245-248
“Fingerprint of God” Hugh Ross
http://www.reasons.org/articles/fine-tuning-for-life-in-the-universe
http://www.reasons.org/articles/anthropic-principle-a-precise-plan-for-humanity
http://www.focus.org.uk/gravity.php
http://biologos.org/questions/fine-tuning
Kreeft, Peter & Tacelli, Ronald K. Twenty Arguments For the Existence of God
http://www.peterkreeft.com/topics-more/20_arguments-gods-existence.htm#5
http://www.cvm.org.uk/blog/demolition-squad/arguing-from-the-evidence-the-fine-tuning-argument/
Some other difficulties (need to interact/summarize):
http://kgov.com/cosmological-principle
Collaboration notes:
Tim McGrew takes issue with this argument. If it’s possible to explain it simply, please include. Otherwise, please at least mention that there are objections among even theists.
CLEE- asked Tim McGrew
CLEE- will re-read Ross’ two books
CLEE- exploring this with Hugh Ross currently:
The cosmological constants are scalar, and most physical equations actually have a vector part.
That we exist in a three-dimensional universe means there are not just an infinite number of possible configurations of the universe, but (Order-3) Infinite number of configurations.
Another weakness of the “Infinite number of dice rolls” non-theist argument is to assume that the results are either all independent or that in each of the universes, the laws of physics acts exactly the same as the others. Unfortunately for them, we do not have access to other universes (so it is a matter of “blind faith” to accept that there is a multiverse or that the laws of physics act the same way or that the results are all independent).
Collaborators: Chris Lee (CLEE), Brian Chilton
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