REPLY TO GORAN A.

Submitted by DANIEL REDMOND (United States), Jan 13, 2008 at 16:12

Yes, Goran, I've heard many variations of the 'mathematical probabilities' endorsement of Intelligent Design; the correct name for the Creationist theory presented in your posted message. Forgive me for remaining unimpressed by your reference to our billions of well-organized neurons. As a counterpoint I would like to present to you the following relevant information:

Astronomical observations, agreed upon by virtually all scientists in the realm of astronomy, have determined that there are more than one hundred billion stars [suns] within our own Milky Way galaxy. That's 100,000,000,000. And beyond our own galaxy there are tens of billions of other galaxies out there in space---10s,000,000,000---all of which are likely to be inhabited by an equal number of stars---10s,000,000,000 x 100,000,000,000---and that all of these stars have the potential to be orbited by planets and all of these planets have the potential to possibly support life.

Yet in all this vastness of space the only place within the cosmos where we have been able to detect the existence of life is our own rather small planet tucked away in one little corner of the Milky Way Galaxy. And there are vast tracts of land on our planet Earth that are virtually uninhabitable by most life forms----places like the Sahara Desert and Antarctica, for example. So let me ask the first question that springs to mind.....is this the best that your Intelligent Designer could do? If so, all I can say is that it's a pretty unimpressive track record of creation.

Or could it be that the simple mathematical law of probabilities dictated that out of all those trillions and trillions of possible life sustaining environments there was a reasonable likelihood that life as we know it would spring up somewhere against all odds.

And remember, those odds were something like 100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 to zero that life would exist somewhere.

I suggest you read that last sentence AT LEAST THREE TIMES. In the cosmic lottery of potential life there was literally an astronimcally large number of chances for life to form somewhere, someplace, at some time with or without the direct intervention of a supernatural deity.

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