Thursday, December 04, 2014
Just add water? New Scientist article supports Rare Earth hypothesis
An article in the 1st November 2014 edition of New Scientist entitled 'Just add water?' bears the introduction: 'Many worlds harbour oceans - but that alone won't make them as life-friendly as Earth, say planetary scientists Jan Zalasiewicz and Mark Williams.' In the article itself Zalasiewicz and Williams state: 'The more we learn about how Earth acquired and retained its water, the more it seems the situation was incredibly fortuitous. And as we discover how water is stored elsewhere in our solar system, our planet is starting to seem like an outlier. Even in a water-filled cosmos, Earth might still be one of a kind amid water worlds far weirder - and more hostile to life - than our own.' The article also states that 'its already clear that our solar system is not standard' and that 'all the indications are that Earth's long-lived, stable surface oceans are the exception, rather than the rule.' Zalasiewicz and Williams think this makes Earth a 'lucky cosmic jewel', but they don't even consider the competing explanatory hypothesis provided by intelligent design.
Labels: Fine-Tuning Argument, Intelligent Design, New Scientist, Rare Earth
