When science and philosophy collide in a 'fine-tuned' universe

By Free Republic | Created at 2025-01-09 17:57:18 | Updated at 2025-01-10 03:12:41 9 hours ago

When science and philosophy collide in a 'fine-tuned' universe
Jonathan Borwein; David H. Bailey, ^ | April 3, 2014 | The Conversation/phys.org/

Posted on 01/09/2025 9:54:59 AM PST by daniel1212

[...]Our ever-expanding universe is incomprehensibly large – and its rate of growth is apparently accelerating – but if so it's actually in a very delicate balance.

It's then incredible that the universe exists at all. Let us explain.

In a 2004 review in Science of Searle's Mind a Brief Introduction, neuroscientist Christof Koch wrote:

Whether we scientists are inspired, bored, or infuriated by philosophy, all our theorising and experimentation depends on particular philosophical background assumptions. [...]

The main drivers here are some truly perplexing developments in physics and cosmology. In recent years physicists and cosmologists have uncovered numerous eye-popping "cosmic coincidences," remarkable instances of apparent "fine-tuning" of the universe.

Here are just three out of many that could be listed:

Carbon resonance and the strong force. Although the abundance of hydrogen, helium and lithium are well-explained by known physical principles, the formation of heavier elements, beginning with carbon, very sensitively depends on the balance of the strong and weak forces. If the strong force were slightly stronger or slightly weaker (by just 1% in either direction), there would be no carbon or any heavier elements anywhere in the universe, and thus no carbon-based life forms like us to ask why.
The proton-to-electron mass ratio. A neutron's mass is slightly more than the combined mass of a proton, an electron and a neutrino. If the neutron were very slightly less massive, then it could not decay without energy input. If its mass were lower by 1%, then isolated protons would decay instead of neutrons, and very few atoms heavier than lithium could form.
The cosmological constant. Perhaps the most startling instance of fine-tuning is the cosmological constant paradox. This derives from the fact that when one calculates, based on known principles of quantum mechanics, the "vacuum energy density" of the universe, focusing on the electromagnetic force, one obtains the incredible result that empty space "weighs" 1,093g per cubic centimetre (cc). The actual average mass density of the universe, 10-28g per cc, differs by 120 orders of magnitude from theory.[...]
[...] Nobel laureate and physicist Steven Weinberg in 1987, who argued from basic principles that the cosmological constant must be zero to within one part in roughly 10120 (and yet be nonzero), or else the universe either would have dispersed too fast for stars and galaxies to have formed, or else would have recollapsed upon itself long ago.
The Anthropic Principle

TOPICS: Astronomy; Education; Religion; Science
KEYWORDS: creator; finetuning; firstcause; universe

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excerpt of a of larger article, about need for philosophical input. As usual, I do not post these as signifying concurrence with the web site or all the the sources believe, any more than the apostle Paul was in quoting a truth from a pagan poet, but these serve to provide substance for at least a First Cause, against the premise behind the the faith of atheists.

Which is that an exceedingly vast, systematically ordered, intricate universe, exquisitely finely tuned for corporeal earthly life with its extensive diversity and astounding complexity *, came to be by known (or potentially known), purely natural demonstrable powers, as if it was Divine, without any supreme supernatural intelligence behind the creation, organization and programming. of this universe.

I plan to post more of these, though as with the testimony threads I began to post, I do not have the time and energy or knowledge to respond much at all.

1 posted on 01/09/2025 9:54:59 AM PST by daniel1212

To: daniel1212; .45 Long Colt; Apple Pan Dowdy; BDParrish; Big Red Badger; BlueDragon; boatbums; ...

2 posted on 01/09/2025 9:56:15 AM PST by daniel1212 (Turn 2 the Lord Jesus who saves damned+destitute sinners on His acct, believe, b baptized+follow HIM)

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