The Fallacy of Fine-Tuning: Why the Universe Is Not Designed for Us

by Victor J. Stenger

Hardcover, 2011

Status

Available

Call number

530.01

Genres

Science & Nature

Religion & Spirituality

Collections

Religion, Science

Publication

Prometheus (2011), Edition: Illustrated, 352 pages

Description

A number of authors have noted that if some physical parameters were slightly changed, the universe could no longer support life, as we know it. This implies that life depends sensitively on the physics of our universe. Does this "fine-tuning" of the universe suggest that a creator god intentionally calibrated the initial conditions of the universe such that life on earth and the evolution of humanity would eventually emerge? In his in-depth and highly accessible discussion of this fascinating and controversial topic, the author looks at the evidence and comes to the opposite conclusion. He finds that the observations of science and our naked senses not only show no evidence for God, they provide evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that God does not exist.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member Devil_llama

When physicists set out to explicate physics for a lay audience, they often make the mistake of assuming their audience is well versed in mathematical formulae and the esoterica of physics language. Stenger is no exception, and the endless stream of equations and "physics speak" mars what is

otherwise a very good book about the idea that the universe is fine-tuned for human life. He does a decent job of explaining the basic concepts he is covering, and why they are questionable based on the standard model of physics (he does not spend much time on multiverses, but he does briefly touch on that as an idea; he rejects the anthropic principle based solely on the standard model); however, as he gets into his proofs, he generates a dazzling array of equations and explanations that serve to obscure as much as they illuminate. It takes a great deal of work to move through a Stenger book to the end; but if you are willing to put in that work and make the necessary adjustments in your expectations of what a book for non-physicists should look like, the end result is worth the effort.

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LibraryThing member HadriantheBlind

Good readable technical book. Demolishes creationist hypotheses by organizing present theories in a readable way.

Also posits that most scientific claims by theists are misunderstandings. Discusses origin of the universe, human consciousness briefly.

The equations may be very intimidating to the lay

reader, but a semester of college math should be sufficient to understand them. A good book, and a necessary one. But those who did not reason themselves into these positions cannot easily be reasoned out of them.

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