The Universe: Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
by Dr. Jay L. Wile, Ph.D.
Qualifications
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Ph.D. in Nuclear Chemistry
University Professor 1990-1995
NSF-sponsored scientist with >$200,000 in research grants
Published over 30 articles in nationally recognized peer reviewed journals
Currently writes junior high and high school science curriculum for homeschoolers
Got interested in homeschooling because of homeschool graduates in my university courses
The Universe Seems To Have Been “Fine Tuned” for Life
“There is for me powerful evidence that there is something going on behind it all.... It seems as
though somebody has fine-tuned nature’s numbers to make the Universe” – Dr. Paul Davies
[Paul Davies (1988), The Cosmic Blueprint, p. 203]
“When I began my career as a cosmologist some twenty years ago, I was a convinced atheist. I
never in my wildest dreams imagined that one day I would be writing a book purporting to show
that the central claims of Judeo-Christian theology are in fact true, that these claims are
straightforward deductions of the laws of physics as we now understand them. I have been forced
into these conclusions by the inexorable logic of my own special branch of physics” –Dr. Frank
Tipler [Tipler, Frank (1994), The Physics of Immortality, preface]
The Strong Nuclear Force
This is the force that holds the protons and neutrons together in the nucleus. It is the strongest
force in nature, but its strength is very precisely configured.
If the strong nuclear force varied by as little as 5% from its current strength, the way that small
atoms fuse to make larger ones would not work, making it impossible for the sun to generate
energy. [Barrow, John and Tipler (1986), Frank. The Anthropic Cosmological Principle, p. 322]
The Gravitational Force
The gravitational force attracts masses to one another. If it were stronger or weaker by as little
as one part in 1040, the sun could not exist, making life impossible. [Paul Davies (1984),
Superforce: The Search for a Grand Unified Theory of Nature, p. 242]
The precision required is mind-boggling. 1 in 1040 is roughly the same as a poker player getting
SEVEN Royal Flushes in a row!
Dr. Jay L. Wile
“The Universe: Fearfully and Wonderfully Made”
p. 1
The Initial Entropy State of the Universe
The universe is very ordered and has specific means by which it uses energy. The initial state of
the universe had to be even more ordered, since the order of the universe can never increase.
Dr. Roger Penrose has calculated the likelihood of the universe having usable energy (low
entropy) at the creation is one part out of ten to the power of ten to the power of 123.
“Even if we were to write a zero on each separate proton and on each separate neutron in the
entire universe -- and we could throw in all the other particles as well for good measure -- we
should fall far short of writing down the figure needed. The precision needed to set the universe
on its course is to be in no way inferior to all that extraordinary precision that we have already
become accustomed to in the superb dynamical equations (Newton's, Maxwell's, Einstein's)
which govern the behavior of things from moment to moment.” -Dr. Penrose
[Roger Penrose (1991), The Emperor’s New Mind, p. 344]
The Universe Is Perfect For Us!
“The symmetries and delicate balances we observe in the universe require an extraordinary
coherence of conditions and cooperation of laws and effects, suggesting that in some sense they
have been purposely designed. That is, they give evidence of intention, realized both in the
setting of the laws of physics and in the choice of boundary conditions for the universe.”
[Murphy, Nancey and George F.R. Ellis (1996), On the Moral Nature of the Universe, p. 57]
The Earth Is Perfect For Us, Too!
Earth is roughly 93 million miles away from the sun, and it orbits the sun in an ellipse. The
curve of the ellipse is so gentle that the earth’s motion departs from a straight line by only oneninth of an inch every 18 miles.
If it departed by one-eighth of an inch every 18 miles, we would all burn up. If it departed by
one-tenth of an inch every 18 miles, we would all freeze!
The earth rotates, which is what turns night into day. It takes 24 hours to make one rotation,
which means the speed at which you travel on the equator is 1,040 miles/hour.
If the rotation were significantly slower, the daytime temperatures would be unbearably hot, and
the nighttime temperatures unbearably cold. If it rotated significantly faster, wind speeds would
become dangerous.
Earth is called the “blue planet” because it is mostly covered with water. Roughly 72% of its
surface is covered with water. Water holds its temperature much better than land.
The difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures on earth would become much more
severe if there were less water coverage on the earth.
The size of the moon and our distance away from it causes the tides, which recycle nutrients in
the ocean and clean the shorelines.
Dr. Jay L. Wile
“The Universe: Fearfully and Wonderfully Made”
p. 2
If we were farther from the moon, or if the moon were not as massive as it is, the oceans would
not be as productive, reducing not only our food supply, but also our oxygen supply!
Even Earth’s Atmosphere is perfect for us!
The atmosphere has the PERFECT mix of gases to support us.
Oxygen: 21% Nitrogen: 78% Argon: 0.9% Carbon Dioxide: 0.03%
Small amounts of these poisons: Sulfur Oxides Nitrogen Oxides Carbon Monoxide Ozone
The Ozone Filter
Ozone’s molecular structure allows it to block ultraviolet radiation from the sun. In the process,
both the ozone molecule and the ultraviolet light are destroyed.
Ozone can be both poisonous and necessary for life because it is mostly concentrated in the
ozone layer, which is higher than the tallest mountain on earth.
The Greenhouse Effect
The earth’s atmosphere has certain gases that trap infrared light that would otherwise radiate into
space.
Without greenhouse gases, the earth would be too cold to support life. With greenhouse gases in
just the right amount, it is perfect for life.
It has a strong (but not too strong) magnetic field to protect us.
Earth’s Ecosystems Are Perfectly Balanced
We can exist because there are plenty of resources (food, oxygen, etc.) for us. We need plants
for oxygen, but too many plants would take resources away from animals, and the animals that
we need to survive would suffer. If the animals got out of control, the plants would suffer, which
would also be detrimental to us. The food web keeps all this from happening. Animals eat
plants; animals eat other animals, and everything stays in wonderful balance.
What happens when they are thrown off balance?
In 1859, an Australian sheep rancher named Thomas Austin decided that he wanted to hunt
rabbits on his ranch. There was only one problem: rabbits didn’t live in Australia back then. So
he decided to import a few (24 to be exact) from England, where he had grown up. In only six
years, his land was home to more than 10,000 rabbits! By 1883, the Australian government
decided this was a major problem. The rabbits had spread out more than 1,000 miles from
Austin’s ranch and were destroying some of the major grazing lands in the country. After
several failed attempts at eradication, and control, scientists finally developed a virus that is
lethal to rabbits but not to any other Australian wildlife. They released it, and now, rabbits are
under control, but they will never be gone from Australia.
Dr. Jay L. Wile
“The Universe: Fearfully and Wonderfully Made”
p. 3