Design Features of the Universe
A galaxy
Incredibly, the universe needs to be the way it is in order for intelligent life to exist anywhere in it. Taken primarily from astronomer Hugh Ross’s book Why the Universe Is the Way It Is and other readily available sources¸ here are a few of the exquisitely fine-tuned features of the universe, without which intelligent life, or perhaps even any life, would be impossible:
1. The correct mass to volume ratio
2. The correct overall mass
3. The correct expansion rate
4. The correct balance of dark matter to “ordinary” matter
5. The correct amount of dark energy, whatever that is
6. The correct age to produce heavy elements
Other significant features of the universe include (Fine-tuned-universe):
7. The relative strengths and absolute values of the four fundamental forces of nature (electromagnetic, strong nuclear force, weak nuclear force, and gravity)
8. The relative importance of gravity to the expansion force of the universe
9. The ratio of electron to proton mass
10. All electrons in the universe appear to be identical as are all instances of each fundamental particle
A total of 38 features similar to those listed above are required of—and obviously are present in—the universe in order for any conceivable kind of intelligent life to be possible anywhere (Ross, 2002). This remarkable characteristic of our fine-tuned universe has led to the “anthropic principle,” the observation that the universe appears designed for human life. The fact that the universe appears to have “known we were coming,” as he described it, was one evidence that helped convince noted philosopher and atheist Antony Flew that there is a God (Flew, 2007, pp. Chapter 6, pages 113-122).
This blog article is an excerpt from my book, Is Jesus Real?
