Err…there aren’t that many, and how do you know what range they’d need to fall in?
Some examples of how the Anthropic Principle directly affects the livability of our planet include:
The unique properties of water. Every known life form depends on water. Thankfully, unlike every other substance known to man, water’s solid form (ice) is less dense than its liquid form. This causes ice to float. If ice did not float, our planet would experience runaway freezing. Other important properties of water include its solvency, cohesiveness, adhesiveness and other thermal properties.
Earth’s atmosphere. If there was too much of just one of the many gases which make up our atmosphere, our planet would suffer a runaway greenhouse effect. On the other hand, if there were not enough of these gases, life on this planet would be devastated by cosmic radiation.
Earth’s reflectivity or “albedo” (the total amount of light reflected off the planet versus the total amount of light absorbed). If Earth’s albedo were much greater than it is now we would experience runaway freezing. If it were much less than it is we would experience a runaway greenhouse effect.
Earth’s magnetic field. If it were much weaker, our planet would be devastated by cosmic radiation. If it were much stronger, we would be devastated by severe electromagnetic storms.
Earth’s place in the solar system. If we were much further from the Sun, our planet’s water would freeze. If we were much closer, it would boil. This is just one of numerous examples of how our privileged place in the solar system allows for life on Earth.
Our solar system’s place in the galaxy. Once again, there are numerous examples of this. For instance, if our solar system was too close to the center of our galaxy, or to any of the spiral arms at its edge, or any cluster of stars for that matter, our planet would be devastated by cosmic radiation.
The color of our Sun. If the Sun were much redder on the one hand or bluer on the other, photosynthesis would be impeded. Photosynthesis is a natural biochemical process crucial to life on Earth.
great gazoo….isn’t so great….
it was a pointless answer to begin with…
And yet, none of these properties have any great permenance. Why would a God design a spot perfect for the development of intelligent life, if, a cosmic moment or two later, it’s going to drift into the wrong part of the galaxy, or the magnetic field of the planet changes (which ours has with astonishing regularity)? Is everything the way it is because it’s crucial to life as we know it? Or is life as we know it the way life is, because it has adapted itself to the conditions here? In a galaxy among many, many, with each galaxy have many, many stars, are you certain that this set of conditions, if rare, doesn’t still come up regularly? You deal enough hands of poker, and even the rarest of combinations are going to come up every so often. Are you certain our unique status is truly unique, or did God set things up for say, two or three planets out of every galaxy to have what we have?
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