Evidence 21
Astronomy
A The JUST Right UNIVERSE Reveals YHWH
The latest astronomical discoveries about the universe testifies to the necessity of a divine designer. Take for consideration that If earth were even a few hundred miles closer or further away from the sun, it would not be capable of supporting much of the life it currently does. If the elements in our atmosphere were even a few percentage points different, every living thing on earth would die.
Robert Jastrow, a former NASA director, comments:"A sound explanation may exist for the explosive birth of our Universe; but if it does, science cannot find out what the explanation is. The scientist's pursuit of the past ends in the moment of creation.
Arno Penzias (Nobel prize in physics): "Astronomy leads us to a unique event, a universe which was created out of nothing, one with the very delicate balance needed to provide exactly the conditions required to permit life, and one which has an underlying (one might say 'supernatural') plan." Margenau, H and R.A. Varghese, ed. 1992. Cosmos, Bios, and Theos. La Salle, IL, Open Court, p. 83
To achieve the precise rate and timing of the cosmic slowing down and speeding up,The Below characteristics of the universe must be fixed with exacting precision.
(The constants of the laws of physics have been finely tuned to a degree NOT possible through human engineering.)
1. The Mass Density cannot vary by more than 10-60
(1 IN 10 to the 60th Power)
2. The Space Energy density cannot vary by more than One part in 10120
(1 IN -10 to the 120th power) (that’s 120 zeroes behind the 1).7
3. Ratio of Electrons:Protons Cannot Vary more than 1:1037
(1 IN 10 to the 37th Power)
4. Ratio of Electromagnetic Cannot Vary more than 1:1040
(1 IN 10 to the 40th Power)
5. Force: Gravity Protons Cannot Vary more than 1:1040
(1 IN 10 to the 40th Power)
6. Expansion Rate of Universe Protons Cannot Vary more than 1:1055
(1 IN 10 to the 55th Power)
7. Mass of Universe Protons Cannot Vary more than 1:1059
(1 IN 10 to the 59th Power)
8. Cosmological Constant Protons Cannot Vary more than 1:10120
(1 IN 10 to the 120th Power)
"Advances in deep space astronomy and other technologies during the 1990's have shown that the Bible and science are correlated with each other. In addition, the sequence of events in the Genesis creation account is correlated with astrophysical models and geological and fossil evidence that describe the formation of the earth and its inhabitants from the perspective of Genesis that is the earth's surface." (See The Genesis Question by Dr. Hugh Ross, Navpress, 1998)
Robert Jastrow (self-proclaimed agnostic): "For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries." Jastrow, R. 1978. God and the Astronomers. New York, W.W. Norton, p. 116.
Drs. Zehavi, and Dekel (cosmologists): "This type of universe, however, seems to require a degree of fine tuning of the initial conditions that is in apparent conflict with 'common wisdom'." Zehavi, I, and A. Dekel. 1999. Evidence for a positive cosmological constant from flows of galaxies and distant supernovae Nature 401: 252-254.
Robert Jastrow (self-proclaimed agnostic): "For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries." Jastrow, R. 1978. God and the Astronomers. New York, W.W. Norton, p. 116.
Drs. Zehavi, and Dekel (cosmologists): "This type of universe, however, seems to require a degree of fine tuning of the initial conditions that is in apparent conflict with 'common wisdom'." Zehavi, I, and A. Dekel. 1999. Evidence for a positive cosmological constant from flows of galaxies and distant supernovae Nature 401: 252-254.
Fine Tuning Parameters for the Universe
The Fine-Tuning of the Initial conditions: the so-called "Anthropic Coincidences"
Taken from Big Bang Refined by Fire by Dr. Hugh Ross, 1998. Reasons To Believe, Pasadena, CA.
1. Strong nuclear Force Constant- if larger: no hydrogen would form; atomic nuclei for most life-essential elements would be unstable; thus, no life chemistry if smaller: no elements heavier than hydrogen would form: again, no life chemistry
2. Weak Nuclear Force Constant if larger: too much hydrogen would convert to helium in big bang; hence, stars would convert too much matter into heavy elements making life chemistry impossible if smaller: too little helium would be produced from big bang; hence, stars would convert too little matter into heavy elements making life chemistry impossible
3. Gravitational Force Constant if larger: stars would be too hot and would burn too rapidly and too unevenly for life chemistry if smaller: stars would be too cool to ignite nuclear fusion; thus, many of the elements needed for life chemistry would never form
4. Electromagnetic Force Constant if greater: chemical bonding would be disrupted; elements more massive than boron would be unstable to fission if lesser: chemical bonding would be insufficient for life chemistry
5. Ratio of Electromagnetic Force Constant TO Gravitational Force Constant if larger: all stars would be at least 40% more massive than the sun; hence, stellar burning would be too brief and too uneven for life support if smaller: all stars would be at least 20% less massive than the sun, thus incapable of producing heavy elements
6. Ratio of electron to Proton Mass if larger: chemical bonding would be insufficient for life chemistry if smaller: same as above
7. Ratio of number of protons to number of electrons if larger: electromagnetism would dominate gravity, preventing galaxy, star, and planet formation if smaller: same as above
8. Expansion rate of the Universe if larger: no galaxies would form if smaller: universe would collapse, even before stars formed
9. Entropy level of the Universe if larger: stars would not form within proto-galaxies if smaller: no proto-galaxies would form
10. Mass density of the Universe- if larger: overabundance of deuterium from big bang would cause stars to burn rapidly, too rapidly for life to form, if smaller: insufficient helium from big bang would result in a shortage of heavy elements
11. Velocity of Light if faster: stars would be too luminous for life support if slower: stars would be insufficiently luminous for life support
12. Age of the Universe if older: no solar-type stars in a stable burning phase would exist in the right (for life) part of the galaxy if younger: solar-type stars in a stable burning phase would not yet have formed
13. Initial Uniformity of Radiation if more uniform: stars, star clusters, and galaxies would not have formed if less uniform: universe by now would be mostly black holes and empty space '
14. Average distance between Galaxies if larger: star formation late enough in the history of the universe would be hampered by lack of material if smaller: gravitational tug-of-wars would destabilize the sun's orbit
15. Density of Galaxy Cluster if denser: galaxy collisions and mergers would disrupt the sun's orbit if less dense: star formation late enough in the history of the universe would be hampered by lack of material
16. Average Distance between Stars if larger: heavy element density would be too sparse for rocky planets to form if smaller: planetary orbits would be too unstable for life
17.Fine Structure Constant (describing the fine-structure splitting of spectral lines) if larger: all stars would be at least 30% less massive than the sun if larger than 0.06: matter would be unstable in large magnetic fields if smaller: all stars would be at least 80% more massive than the sun
18. Decay Rate of Protons if greater: life would be exterminated by the release of radiation if smaller: universe would contain insufficient matter for life
19. 12C to 16O Nuclear Energy Level Ratio if larger: universe would contain insufficient oxygen for life if smaller: universe would contain insufficient carbon for life
20. Ground State Energy level for 4He if larger: universe would contain insufficient carbon and oxygen for life if smaller: same as above
21. Decay rate of 8: Be if slower: heavy element fusion would generate catastrophic explosions in all the stars if faster: no element heavier than beryllium would form; thus, no life chemistry
22.Ratio of Neutron Mass to Proton Mass if higher: neutron decay would yield too few neutrons for the formation of many life-essential elements if lower: neutron decay would produce so many neutrons as to collapse all stars into neutron stars or black holes
23. Initial Excess of Nucleons over Anti-nucleons if greater: radiation would prohibit planet formation if lesser: matter would be insufficient for galaxy or star formation
24.Polarity of the Water Molecule if greater: heat of fusion and vaporization would be too high for life if smaller: heat of fusion and vaporization would be too low for life; liquid water would not work as a solvent for life chemistry; ice would not float, and a runaway freeze-up would result
25. Supernovae Eruptions if too close, too frequent, or too late: radiation would exterminate life on the planet if too distant, too infrequent, or too soon: heavy elements would be too sparse for rocky planets to form
26. White Dwarf Binaries if too few: insufficient fluorine would exist for life chemistry if too many: planetary orbits would be too unstable for life if formed too soon: insufficient fluorine production if formed too late: fluorine would arrive too late for life chemistry
27. Ratio of Exotic Matter Mass to Ordinary Matter Mass if larger: universe would collapse before solar-type stars could form if smaller: no galaxies would form
28. Number of Effective Dimensions in the Early Universe if larger: quantum mechanics, gravity, and relativity could not coexist; thus, life would be impossible if smaller: same result
29. Number of Effective Dimensions in the Present Universe if smaller: electron, planet, and star orbits would become unstable if larger: same result
30. Mass of the Neutrino if smaller: galaxy clusters, galaxies, and stars would not form if larger: galaxy clusters and galaxies would be too dense
31. Big Bang Ripples if smaller: galaxies would not form; universe would expand too rapidly if larger: galaxies/galaxy clusters would be too dense for life; black holes would dominate; universe would collapse before life-site could form
32. Size of the Relativistic Dilation Factor if smaller: certain life-essential chemical reactions will not function properly if larger: same result
33. Uncertainty Magnitude in the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle if smaller: oxygen transport to body cells would be too small and certain life-essential elements would be unstable if larger: oxygen transport to body cells would be too great and certain life-essential elements would be unstable
34. Cosmological Constant if larger: universe would expand too quickly to form solar-type stars
Taken from Big Bang Refined by Fire by Dr. Hugh Ross, 1998. Reasons To Believe, Pasadena, CA.
Alan Sandage (winner of the Crawford prize in astronomy): "I find it quite improbable that such order came out of chaos. There has to be some organizing principle. God to me is a mystery but is the explanation for the miracle of existence, why there is something instead of nothing." Willford, J.N. March 12, 1991. Sizing up the Cosmos: An Astronomers Quest. New York Times, p. B9.
John O'Keefe (astronomer at NASA): "We are, by astronomical standards, a pampered, cosseted, cherished group of creatures.. .. If the Universe had not been made with the most exacting precision we could never have come into existence. It is my view that these circumstances indicate the universe was created for man to live in." Heeren, F. 1995. Show Me God. Wheeling, IL, Searchlight Publications, p. 200.
