The idea that the laws of the physical universe are exactly what they need to be for us insignificant humans to exist.
So- the universe is a literally astronomical longshot lottery that we simply happen to have won?
Isn't believing such an thing an act of faith?
Anonymous
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I think it's possible that other life exists in the universe whose functions are not entirely based on our eco system. Perhaps a protein variant or some other unknown chemical combination not on our periodic table.
Why limit our perceptions given the probability?
Anonymous
If our star planetary system was the only one in the Universe, that would have been a remarkable occurrence. But of course it is not. Astronomers estimate that there are some 100 billion galaxies in the Universe. As a conservative estimate, we might say that there are then a billion billion planets. Given the extremely improbable odds of 1 in a billion against an Earth-like planet appearing, with a billion billion planets we might expect to find 1 billion Earth-like planets in the Universe.
That’s right, 1 billion Earths. Given what we now know about the immensity of the Universe, it is no longer a compelling argument to claim that Earth-like conditions appearing are so improbable that the only conclusion must be that a designer crafted this little speck specifically for life to flourish. Rather, it may be that we just happen to live on one of those billion planets that - fortunately - chance favored.
Diogenes
If you think about it, the anthropic principle is a verification that evolution actually works! Given any set of existing conditions, life (if it can exist) always evolves to fit them. If the conditions are not suitable for life, none develops. The fact humanity exists, proves only that the initial conditions were suitable. They could just as easily have been not suitable and we wouldn't be having this discussion. Hence, the universe was not created to support life, but rather life develops to suit the existing circumstances, whenever possible.
Anonymous
I think you need to go back to school, you have it backwards.
The anthropic principle says basically that the physical universe couldn't possibly be any different than it is, otherwise we wouldn't be here to be talking about it. It implies that there's nothing magical or special about the laws of the universe being "just right," because it couldn't be any other way and still have us be here.
The point behind the anthropic principle is that the universe wasn't made for us, we're simply a product of the way it is. It's put forward to demonstrate the lack of design, not to support it.
Peace.
?
It's backwards.
Humans are exactly as we need to be because the laws of the physical universe are exactly as they are.
We adapted to the universe - the universe didn't adapt itself to us.
Edit... Of course it's not an act of faith. The principle you've stated, as I've already said is backwards. It would be an act of faith to believe that we just got lucky if we were living in a universe where it was NOT exactly as we needed it to be. The universe is how we need it to be, thus clearly demonstrating we are a product of the universe we live in. Nothing more, and nothing less.