If IDers only knew
I was thinking...
There has been this 'great' debate recently on evolution and so-called intelligent design. While the crux of many well-meaning 'Christian' arguments against atheist evolution (whatever that means) is based on the appeal to the extraordinary circumstances that would have to be present in order for specification to take place (and for life in general to arise), I got to thinking, this is a pretty microscopic horizon to be considering, you lazy IDers. Look at the odd set of coincidences necessary for the cosmos - then talk shit about evolution. For example:
Grant, for the sake of argument, the big bang is an explanation for the beginning of the universe. Alright - BANG - but what if the bang isn't big enough? Instead of the relatively uniform density of stellar matter you have CRUNCH due to gravitation. What if the bang is too big? Whooosh - too rapid acceleration away from each other prevents the forming of galaxies, stars, planets and so forth - hence - no us. What if matter is perfectly evenly distributed at the big bang. Instead of galaxies, stars and so forth you have uniform density and nothing different than anything else. Pretty large coincidence, no? And again:
What if matter at the beginning of the universe was too clumpy (like bad gravy)? Instead of pretty uniform galaxies, stars, planets, you would have gigantic galactic sized black holes sucking in everything mercilessly (and not planets, stars, and thus, no us). Awfully lucky, aren't we? Oh, and again:
What if neutrinos didn't have the properties they have. Pretty much no mass, speed approaching the speed of light. In fact, one neutrino could penetrate and entire light year of solid lead, without being diverted. You may think, and rightly, what does this particle have to do with me? Well, I'll tell you. In the center of a star that has expended most of its nuclear fuel (read: hydrogen) neutrinos react to create supernovas (exploding stars) instead of the collapse due to gravity that would cause a black hole. Without supernovas, heavier elements than hydrogen wouldn't exist outside of stars. Guess what - no planets then and therefore, no us. Oh wait, there's more:
Chemically, all living things are carbon-based. Where does all this carbon come from? In the nuclear reactor that is the center of a star three helium atoms sans electrons have to collide at very high speeds - an extremely rare occurrence - 'cause its easier to crash two than three. Think about it, what if the laws of physics prohibited a crash of more than two. No carbon. That would be pretty rough for us. Nice coincidence? I think. But wait....
One last example. I talk a lot about relativity and quantum mechanics in my posts (mea culpa). Think about this, however: Quantum uncertainty only applies to little tiny itty bitty things. Relativity only applies to HUGE MASSIVE FAST-MOVING things (as gravitation increases the effects of relativity [read general relativity all over again]) Again, by 'applies', I mean is noticeable. What if the initial conditions of the big bang were different. Many cosmologists have studied this, and they found "universes" which didn't have a realm of classical (Newtonian) physics on any scale - all was quantum. In fact that was the vast majority of them. Imagine your beer suddenly blinking out of existence in your hand, because it was subject to quantum uncertainty. That would be bad. But, that is the more statistically likely - if we had to make a table of possible universes - in fact, hugely more probable. Lucky, aren't we? Our universe has classical physics at our scale.
I guess all this is to say - shut up ID. Biology isn't even a science anyway [being the least mathematical of all of the so-called 'hard' sciences]. If you want to fight for intelligent design, pick a ring where you have a chance, 'cause chances are big in the realm of cosmology. The odds of me evolving from primordial ooze are great in comparison to there even being an earth in the first place. Evolution [Darwinian] versus there even being a coherent universe in the way ours is? I will take that bet any day.
