If it were much weaker, our planet would be devastated by cosmic radiation.
If it were much less than it is, we would experience a runaway greenhouse effect.Įarth’s magnetic field. If Earth’s albedo were much greater than it is now, we would experience runaway freezing. On the other hand, if there were not enough of these gases, life on this planet would be devastated by cosmic radiation.Įarth’s reflectivity or “albedo” (the total amount of light reflected off the planet versus the total amount of light absorbed). If there were too much of just one of the many gases which make up our atmosphere, our planet would suffer a runaway greenhouse effect. Other important properties of water include its solvency, cohesiveness, adhesiveness and other thermal properties.Įarth’s atmosphere. If ice did not float, our planet would experience runaway freezing. Thankfully, unlike every other substance known to man, water’s solid form (ice) is less dense than its liquid form. Here are some examples of how the Anthropic Principle directly affects the livability of our planet: Did nature just stumble upon such a propitious relationship, or did God ordain it for our sakes? They are not comparable in size, yet they are perfectly balanced. Or how is it that protons carry a positive electrical charge equal to that of the negatively charged electrons? If protons did not balance electrons and vice versa, we would not exist. So how did protons end up being 1,836 times larger than electrons? Why not 100 times larger or 100,000 times? Why not smaller? Of all the possible variables, how did protons end up being just the right size? Was it luck or contrivance? If they were a little bigger or a little smaller, we would not exist (because atoms could not form the molecules we require). Whether by providence or fortuitous luck (depending on your perspective), protons just happen to be 1,836 times larger than electrons. Protons are the positively charged subatomic particles which (along with neutrons) form the nucleus of an atom (around which negatively charged electrons orbit). This is the Anthropic Principle: that the universe appears to have been fine-tuned for our existence.Ĭonsider protons, for example. The extreme improbability that so many variables would align so auspiciously in our favor merely by chance has led some scientists and philosophers to propose instead that it was God who providentially engineered the universe to suit our specific needs. If even a single variable were off, even slightly, we would not exist. It is well known that our existence in this universe depends on numerous cosmological constants and parameters whose numerical values must fall within a very narrow range of values. Anthropic means “relating to human beings or their existence.” Principle means “law.” The Anthropic Principle is the Law of Human Existence.
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