>>BreakPoint Commentary #000301 - 3/1/2000
>>Rare Earth: New Research Affirms the Earth's Uniqueness
>>by Charles Colson
>>
>>On a clear night this month, after you finish eating
>>dinner, step outside and look to the west. High in
>>the sky, about midway between the zenith and the
>>horizon, you'll see the planet Jupiter.
>>
>>Now, few people -- other than astronomers, perhaps --
>>ordinarily give Jupiter much attention. But that dot
>>of light in the western sky may be absolutely
>>critical to our existence. As University of
>>Washington scientists Donald Brownlee and Peter Ward
>>argue in their new book, Rare Earth, Jupiter acts as our
>>own planet's protective big brother.
>>
>>Indeed, they argue that not only Jupiter, but the
>>Moon, the Solar System's position in the Milky Way,
>>and a host of other special conditions make Earth
>>probably the only environment suitable for human
>>life.
>>
>>Rare Earth has stirred controversy in the scientific
>>community because it challenges the conventional
>>wisdom that the universe is teeming with intelligent
>>life. But it is controversial for another reason,
>>too. If dozens of conditions -- such as the shape of
>>Jupiter's orbit or its mass -- need to be precisely
>>specified for human life to exist, might that not
>>point to divine design?
>>
>>Of course, that's exactly what Christian astronomers
>>have argued for years. Thus, some critics are
>>already complaining that Brownlee and Ward are
>>lending support to theism. Reviewers have been
>>speculating darkly about the authors' motives.
>>
>>But Brownlee and Ward have no theological agenda to
>>advance. They simply don't think the evidence
>>supports the view that the universe is full of
>>planets suitable for life. As Brownlee told the New
>>York Times, "Almost all environments in the universe
>>are terrible for life. It's only Garden of Eden
>>places like the Earth," he said, "where it can
>>exist."
>>
>>The authors point out that Jupiter's orbit is
>>remarkably stable, and nearly circular. Otherwise,
>>our Solar System could "literally be torn apart"
>>by gravitational forces.
>>
>>Many recently discovered gas giants, like Jupiter,
>>surprised astronomers by exhibiting wildly
>>eccentric, or highly ellipitical orbits. Such
>>orbits would be utterly destructive to any small,
>>Earth-like planets in the gas giants' paths.
>>
>>Finally, Brownlee and Ward argue that Jupiter's
>>immense size protects the Earth. With its great
>>mass, 318 times greater than the Earth's, Jupiter
>>scatters comets and other bodies that might
>>otherwise catastrophically collide with our planet.
>>
>>But the remarkable features of Jupiter provide only
>>one strand in this cosmic tapestry. The Solar
>>System's position in the galaxy, the Moon's vital
>>contribution to the Earth's rotation, the role of
>>plate tectonics -- one line of evidence after another
>>lead Rare Earth's authors to conclude that our
>>planetary home is quite possibly unique.
>>
>>Brownlee and Ward don't attribute that uniqueness,
>>however, to design. For them, it's just a matter of
>>cosmic good luck.
>>
>>But the evidence, like that reported in their book,
>>makes the case for intelligent design just as the great
>>scientist Isaac Newton understood it hundreds of years
>>ago. With much less evidence than we have today,
>>Newton argued that reason itself was best
>>served by a hypothesis of design. "This most
>>beautiful system of the sun, planets, and comets," he
>>wrote, "could only proceed from the counsel and
>>dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being."
>>
>>What's exciting is that intelligent design is now
>>returning to science: scientists need only the
>>openness to embrace it.
>>
>>Copyright (c) 2000 Prison Fellowship Ministries
>>
>>"BreakPoint with Chuck Colson" ("BreakPoint") is a
>>daily commentary on news and trends from a Christian
>>perspective. Heard on more than 425 radio stations
>>nationwide, BreakPoint transcripts are also available
>>on the Internet.
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