VIEWS OF CREATION  
  Questions and Views 
  Age of the Universe
  Methods of Creation  
  Two Books of God		   ORIGINS EVIDENCE  
  Design of the Universe  
  Age of the Universe
  Evaluation of Evolution  
  Design in Science		   ORIGINS EDUCATION 
  Public School Education  
  Christian Education (in  
  church, school, home)  
  Informal Education  

  
A Divine Design of Nature?

 ( Fine Tuning and Intelligent Design ) 
 

Sections in this page are:
Strong Evidence with Three Explanations and Origin of the Universe

This page describes high-quality educational resources on the web, with views from a variety of perspectives, that we think you'll find interesting and useful, that will stimulate your thinking and help you explore a wide world of ideas.   {information & disclaimer}
 

STRONG EVIDENCE (agreement)
Scientists agree that many properties of the universe are fine-tuned to be "just right" for a wide variety of life-allowing phenomena, ranging from the physics of sunshine to the chemistry of life.

    Cosmic Design in a Nutshell is a quick summary by the IDEA Center.
    A good introductory overview is Our "Tailor-Made" Universe by Nancy Pearcey.
    Robert Newman describes the many ways our universe has "the right stuff" (the chemistry, environment, and forces) to allow life, and proposes a simple explanation: A Designed Universe.
    A visually and mentally stimulating website — based on the famous movie, 2001: A Space Odyssey — is The "2001" Principle.
    In The Designed "Just So" Universe Walter Bradley looks at design from an engineering perspective, and examines three aspects of nature: mathematical form, physical constants, and initial conditions.
    Hugh Ross examines Design and the Anthropic Principle and lists properties needed for life: 66 properties of NATURE and 154 properties of our EARTH, SOLAR SYSTEM, and GALAXY.  Rich Deem describes The Incredible Design of the Earth and Our Solar System.
    Does the earth have properties that make it especially suitable as a location for life?  an interview with astrophysicist Guillermo Gonzalez by Benjamin Wiker.
    Al Schroeder has assembled a list of Anthropic Coincidences plus detailed descriptions by prominent physicists and cosmologists.

I.O.U. — By mid-July 2008 this page will have more resources, especially on the right side but also above.

 

 

THREE EXPLANATIONS (uncertainty)
As explained in STRONG EVIDENCE (at the left), "scientists agree that...", but they disagree about which theory is the best explanation:  1) we live in a cleverly designed universe, or  2a) we live in a cleverly designed multiverse that contains an immense number of universes (including the one we observe) with variable properties, so extremely improbable things, like properties allowing life, will occur in at least one of these universes, or  2b) we live in a non-designed multiverse.
    A theory of "clever design of our universe" is proposed (at the left) by IDEA Center, Pearcey, Newman, 2001 Principle, Bradley, Ross, and Gonzalez.  Other scholars propose that a non-designed multiverse could explain why the occurrence of any event — no matter how improbable it might seem — would not really be improbable.

    Craig Rusbult looks at three explanations and asks "can we prove design?" in Anthropic Principle: Intelligent Design and/or Multiverse?
    Deborah Haarsma & Loren Haarsma ask, Does the Scientific Evidence of Fine Tuning prove the Existence of God?
    Victor Stenger describes inflationary many-universe cosmology and argues for non-design by asking, Does the Cosmos Show Evidence of Purpose?
    What is inflationary theory?  a summary plus questions-and-answers
    In his in-depth examination of Design and the Many-Worlds Theory, Robin Collins explains why design is more plausible.

By mid-July 2008, additional pages will be here.

 
    INTELLIGENT DESIGN ?
    Three common explanations for "fine tuning in a just-right world" are introduced above.  Is it due to design?  The pages below give you an opportunity to gain a wider, deeper understanding:
    Ted Davis, in a review of God's Universe, explains why Owen Gingerich thinks it "takes faith to draw this conclusion [of intelligent design] in the absence of scientific proof."   Why the Big Bang Theory is not Irreligious by Ted Davis.
    Hugh Ross looks at Astronomical Evidences for the God of the Bible.
    John Leslie, in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, provides a summary of interpretations and arguments.
    Daniel Berger offers a brief critique of Anthropic Principles for non-design.   { note: The term "anthropic principle" is used in two ways; it can refer to  1) the evidence for a fine-tuned universe, or  2) a non-design explanation for the evidence. }
    The possibility of quantum tunneling (to produce the universe) and observer-created reality (to actualize it) are discussed by Hugh Ross in Quantum Mechanics, a Modern Goliath.  { QM is also discussed by Berger, and is explored in more depth in the WorldViews area }
    Theodore Drange examines The Fine-Tuning Argument and argues against design.
    The main objections to a design of the universe are logically analyzed in papers by Robert Koons (Do anthropic coincidences require an explanation?) and William Lane Craig (The Teleological Argument and The Anthropic Principle).

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
 

 
ORIGIN OF THE UNIVERSE
What existed before the beginning of our universe?  And then what happened?  If the universe had a "big bang" beginning, could this occur naturally or did it require an act of supernatural creation?   Does the Big Bang prove that God exists? (by Deborah Haarsma & Loren Haarsma)

Because these questions are an important part of the sections above — about A Just-Right Universe: Strong Evidence and Two Explanations — there isn't much more to say.  Therefore, this will be a short section, to describe theistic claims (by Hugh Ross, William Lane Craig,...) and responses.    By mid-July 2008, there will be resources here.
 

• INFORMATION for readers is in a brief page about our Goal (a quick education for you), Quality (because we've made choices) and Variety (you'll see multiple positions, hence the disclaimer below), Exploring with Freedom (you can use sections and page-links in any order), Size (what does "20 k + 5k" mean?), and Links (that open in a new window).

 

A DISCLAIMER:
In this page you'll find links to resource-pages expressing a wide range of views, which don't necessarily represent the views of the American Scientific Affiliation.  Therefore, linking to a page does not imply an endorsement by the ASA.  We encourage you to use your own critical thinking to evaluate everything you read.
 
THREE TYPES OF LINKS in this website for Whole-Person Education:
 An ITALICIZED LINK keeps you inside a page, moving you to another part of it. 
 Above, a NON-ITALICIZED LINK is page-adding, opening a new page in a new window. 
 Below, a NON-ITALICIZED LINK is page-replacing, opening a new page in this window. 

this page, written by Craig Rusbult (editor of ASA Science Ed Website),
is http://www.asa3.org/ASA/education/origins/universe2.htm
and was revised June 23, 2008

all links were checked-and-fixed on July 3, 2006

other links-pages about Origins Questions are at the top of this page,
or you can Search the Website