This title offers a fascinating and insightful exploration of the controversial 'fine-tuning' debate. In recent years a number of authors have noted that if some physical parameters were slightly changed, the universe could no longer support life as we know it. This implies that life depends sensitively on the physics of our universe. Does this 'fine-tuning' also suggest that a creator god intentionally calibrated the initial conditions of the universe so life would eventually evolve? Some influential scientist think so, others have even gone so far as to claim science has 'found God.' In this in-depth and lucid discussion of this fascinating and controversial topic, noted physicist and author Victor J. Stenger looks at the same evidence - but comes to the opposite conclusion. He argues that many of the claims made by theists are based on their misunderstanding of science. He then goes on to examine the specific parameters and shows that plausible explanations can be found for the values they have in the standard models of physics and cosmology.
The models are introduced in detail so that the reader has the knowledge needed to understand the role of the parameters claimed to be 'fine-tuned' and judge the veracity of the arguments for themselves.