Steven

Whenever someone mentions the "Goldilocks enigma" my mind always fast-tracks to Douglas Adams:

"Imagine a puddle waking up one morning and thinking, 'This is an interesting world I find myself in, an interesting hole I find myself in, fits me rather neatly, doesn't it? In fact it fits me staggeringly well, must have been made to have me in it!' This is such a powerful idea that as the sun rises in the sky and the air heats up and as, gradually, the puddle gets smaller and smaller, it's still frantically hanging on to the notion that everything's going to be alright, because this world was meant to have him in it, was built to have him in it; so the moment he disappears catches him rather by surprise."

We only know about the solar system in which we find ourselves, and that none too well at present. The universe is large and diverse enough to contain many and varied circumstances which may support life - but, not necessarily "life as we know it, Jim".

As to postulate on an "intelligent designer" while it may be an interesting intellectual exercise, the final question remains: Where did the intelligent designer come from? For myself, the idea of multiple universes and the rebirth and extinction of universe as a part of an infinite process at least has some basis of evidence - the universe around us. Whereas the "intelligent designer" idea has more basis in anthropogenic obsession.

I haven't read up on the Goldilocks enigma, but describing it as a question of "How...the laws of physics and the constants of nature are fine tuned so as to allow for the emergence and evolution of chemically based life forms", takes an entirely deist perspective. The universe hasn't been set up to allow earth's type of life: earth's type of life is a kind that can exist in the universe we inhabit. For all we know, there may be millions of planets out there occupied by life forms that thrive on ammonia, or in extremely low or high temperatures. Just because we only know of the life on our cosmic speck (which includes extremophiles) doesn't say anything about the possibilities elsewhere.

Of course, the chance of life emerging at all is minutely small, but that has no significance whatever. For one thing, in a near-infinite universe, over the scale of time it has existed, almost every possibility must be realised. For another, on our small blue planet alone, many events occur every day against almost impossible odds. Here's a video about it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98OTsYfTt-c

Regarding the OP, there is a third choice: god exists, but religions are false. The Abrahamic religious notion of god as nothing but an omnipotent authoritarian father-figure is so petty in scale and concept that it deserves to be left in the Bronze Age desert where it began.

Exterminator,

I haven't seen the copy for some time. It was probably the late 1970s. It had a blue cover. I purchased it at the Technical Book Shop in Sydney. I don't think the copy was one of the periodic editions, but a special edition. My copy may have been lost or boxed-up when I went overseass to teach.

I will check on my university's database to se if I can find it and report back.

Sancho,

"Regarding the OP, there is a third choice: god exists, but religions are false. The Abrahamic religious notion of god as nothing but an omnipotent authoritarian father-figure is so petty in scale and concept that it deserves to be left in the Bronze Age desert where it began." - S

Yes if God did exist it unlikely it is god identifed in human culture, as couldbe explained by historians and anthrologists.

OUG,

The intelligent design issues

The blog has been descended upon by evil angels, OUG!
I almost want to take your side ... but not quite.
Can you present any evidence that "we are spirits having an incarnate life experience" ? Sounds delightful, but can you substantiate this, or do I have to take your word for it?
You go on to say, "if your faith is in science..present the science". 'Tis not a matter of faith or science, but method--admittedly flawed. All science is provisional.

What about Lacan and the "real" btw

Dear Steven,

I feel guilty about jumping in at this late
stage however I'll try my best to add something
to the discussion.

You ask, "Does an intelligent designer exist?"
Yes and No.
Only if you believe in the traditional belief -
in a created universe with humanity at its center.

Astronomical observations tend to demonstrate that
our planet is a minor planet in a minor galaxy.
That possibly we're no more significant than a single
grain of sand on a vast beach.

However, for many years it was widely felt that as
science progressively provided rational explanations
for the mysteries of the universe, religion would have
less and less of a role to play and would eventually
disappear, unmasked as nothing more than superstition.

But there are still huge gaps in our understanding that
science can never fill. On the ultimately important
questions - of the meaning and purpose of life and the
nature of morality - few people of modern societies would
totally deny the possibility of some higher power in the
universe, some realm that lies beyond the boundaries of
ordinary experience, and in this fundamental sense religion
is probably here to stay.

As I've said before - it's all a matter of what you choose
to believe.

oh-liver's reply..Bacteria,Archae,and Eukaryotic microbes..produce..about one mutation per 300 chromosome replications...however..it is important to note..that there are certain.."hot spots" or.."cold spots"..for spontaneous mutations...depending on exposure to MAN_MADE-mutagens..such as smoking/poisens or vacinations..etc

RNA viruses..have much higher mutation rates..about one mutation per genome..per chromosome replication..and even small increases in their mutation rates are lethal....

whats amasing..is we...with billions of mutations..[fatal errors]..yet seem..mostly..to function just fine..[god's..great design..works]..

Some mutations..arise as natural errors..in DNA replication..(or more often..as a result of unknown chemical reactions);..these are known as spontaneous mutations...E.-coli..has a spontaneous mutation rate of 1/108..(one error in every 108 nucleotides replicated).

Humans have a higher..spontaneous mutation rate:..between 1/106 and 1/105..(probably...lol..as a result of the higher/complexity..of human replication..or exposure to mutagenic substances).

it was widely known..that..when a population of bacteria..is exposed to a toxic environment,..some cells may express the ability..to grow much better/..than other cells..in the population...ie cancer's

[induced mutations);..or spontaneous mutants..might have ocurred[..in the bacterial population]..prior to exposure to the toxic conditions,..or be caused..by them..yielding resistant progeny cells..(or induced...spontaneous mutations)..god or bad.

Rates of spontaneous mutation..seem to be determined by gods premptive balancers..between the deleterious consequences..of many mutations..and the additional energy and time required,,to further reduce affects of a higher mutation rate...via induced poisens/mutagenes.

Induced mutations..increase the mutation rate..over the spontaneous rate...Looking at a single mutation..in an individual,..one cannot tell if the mutation was spontaneous or induced...

...If the observed mutation rate/..is higher,..then..induced mutations can be assumed...Agents in the environment..that cause an increase in the mutation rate are called mutagens.

...In other words,..bacteria/disease..do not mutate..to become antibiotic resistant..as a response to exposure to antibiotics....but may have been induced..into benifitial/or detrimental mution earlier

Mutations..can be reversible...If a mutation occurs once..in a cellular gene-pair..only,..there is a very small probability..that the mutated base..could mutate back..to its original form...[more of gods forsight]

amasingly,..there are occasions..when a mutation in a second,..separate gene-sequence..will return the its origonal-phenotype..of the organism..to a wild-type..within genus...in function/appearance..(a rare case..of two wrongs making a right...a god gift?)...This kind of mutation..is known as/..a supressor-mutation...god is amasing...our bodies reflect this..israel much less so...lol