THE PRIVILEGED PLANET

THE SEARCH FOR PURPOSE IN THE UNIVERSE.

NAME:____________________

Q1. In Feb 14 1990, Voyager I approached edge of solar system. How far away was it when the Earth appeared
as a small pale dot?

Q2. Carl Sagan wrote that because of the reflection of sunlight the earth seems to be sitting in a beam of light,
as if there were some special s __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ to this small world

Q3. How many different star systems can we see?

Q4. Kevin Grazier says “location, location, location.” For a planet to be habitable it must be in the right zone

for __ __ __ __ __ . (Goldilocks Zone – not too hot, not too cold). Too hot, the water boils away; too cold and it
freezes.

Q5. If a recipe for life to exist was available, what ingredients might be required?

•
Q6. All these factors and more have to be met at one place and one time in the galaxy.
The probability of obtaining this combination of factors in our galaxy is estimated at

one chance in one one thousandth of one one trillionth 1/ 1, __ __ __,__ __ __,__ __ __,__ __ __,__ __ __.
But there are ‘only’ one hundred billion stars in our galaxy 1 __ __,__ __ __, __ __ __,__ __ __

This indicates we may be r __ __ __.

Q7. Where is the best place in the universe to view solar eclipses from?

Q8. We inhabit a spiral galaxy, highly flattened, spherical bulge in the centre, spiral arms.
What is dangerous about the centre?

Q9. It would also be a problem to live in the outer edge. The Earth situated in the Galactic Habitable Zone.
Where is this?

Q10. Laws like gravity, nuclear force and electromagnetic force are finely tuned. What would happen if we
changed one of these only slightly?

Q11. We have the ability to discover, calculate, reason. Whatever the source of the universe, it seems intended
that it would contain observers who could d __ __ __ __ __ __ __.

Q12. We've often been taught in the 21st century that the universe does not have us in mind, and that we exist in
a very large universe that is not designed specifically for beings like us. What does the narrator say about this?

Q13. What do you say about this?

THE PRIVILEGED PLANET
THE SEARCH FOR PURPOSE IN THE UNIVERSE.

Chapters – pale blue dot, Copernican Principle, search for life, liquid water, recipe for life, cosmic lottery,
perfect solar eclipse, correlation, atmosphere, Milky Way, intelligible universe, credits.

‘WE SHALL NOT CEASE FROM EXPLORATION AND THE END OF ALL OUR EXPLORING SAHALL BE TO ARRIVE WHERE WE STARTED AND
KNOW THE PLACE FOR THE FIRST TIME’. T.S. ELIOT

Summer 1977 historic mission exploration, Voyager I and II. Destination the outer planets – Jup, Sat, Uranus,
Neptune. Photographed these at close range and transmitted to earth. Most memorable recorded on feb 14 1990,
Voyager I approached edge of solar system. One planet appeared small pale dot – the earth from nearly 4 billion
miles away.

We pause to consider our planets role in the grand scheme of the universe.

The mystery has challenged philosophers for years.

Aristotle and Ptolemy taught the earth sat motionless below the heavens while moon, planets, sun revolved
around it. Taught for 18 centuries.

1543 – Copernicus argued the earth was not stationary and orbited. 1t correct understaning. Seemed absurd but
key to unlocking mystery of universe.

400 yrs after this discovery -Copernican Principle – the earth occupies no preferred place in the universe.
Just a theory that tells about movement of planets across the sky.
Re-interpretation of the principle in the 20th century is called the Principle Of Mediocrity – out location and
status is mediocre, we should not assume that our universe was designed for us or for beings like us in mind.

Carl Sagan wrote in ‘pale blue dot’ :

- Because of the reflection of sunlight the earth seems to be sitting in a beam of light, as if there were some
special significance to this small world
-Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark.

Widespread acceptance of Copern Principle due to Edward Hubble who used most powerful telescope of his
day and unveiled the true magnitude of the universe. Many though our galaxy was edge of universe.
He determined patches of light thought to be dust were actually individual galaxies bigger than the Milky Way.

The implication of this is the universe contains billions of galaxies each with many billions of stars.

Hubble discovered that the milky way with more than 100 billion stars including our sun was only a pinpoint of
light in the universe. When hubble found this, we found our galaxy was nothing special at all. But…Does
contemporary science confirm the Copernicus Principle claim that the earth and life it sustains exists without
purpose or sig in the universe?

“The universe is populated by innumerable Earths and, perhaps, innumerable forms of life.” Robert Jastow.

Based on the Cop Prin is the belief that there are habitable planets in abundance throughout the cosmos.
SETI is the search for aliens at least as clever as we are. Try to eavesdrop on signals by pointing radiotelescopes
to distant regions of the milky way.

Various people estimate about other civilisations. Carl Sagan thought 1000’s. the reason is that the universe is
extraordinarily rich and vast.
We can see 10,000 billion billion stars systems. Unless there’s something very miraculous about our solar
system then it is assumed that it must have happened many other times in the universe.

The SETI search has extended beyond out solar system since 1995.
More than 100 planets have been found orbiting other, nearby stars. Each of them is a gas giant like Jupiter but
it is not believed they could sustain life. Leads to the q – are habitable planets rare or common in the universe?

Guillermo Gonzalez (astrobiologist) examines solar planets to see if the conditions for life are met. An answer
of either yes or no is interesting. Became interested in astronomy after the Apollo 13 landing.

Early on he believed strongly that the universe must be teeming with life. His belief wasn’t based on any real
hardcore scientific arguments, just on the impression he had that the galaxy was so big. He didn’t give the other
side of the story much thought. There are two sides to the story – 1) there are a lot of stars but 2)it takes a lot of
factors to make a planet habitable in a planetary system.

These factors became the focus of research.

Charles Beichman (NASA terrestrial planet finder) – there are dozens of laws of physics and chemistry that
apply anywhere in the solar system/universe for life.

Bijan Nemati (physicist, jet propulsion lab) – there are unchanging physical laws that apply to the entire
universe, not just our solar system.

Consistency in laws have led many researchers to conclude that the factors necessary for complex life on earth
are also necessary for habitable planets elsewhere in the universe. It begins with the same pre-requisite – liquid
water.

Chemical properties of water exquisitely suited for carbon based life. Properties inc ability to dissolce and
transport the chemical nutrients vital for living organisms and its unmatched abilty to absorb heat from the sun,
critical for regulating the earths temp.

Important is a planets distance from its home star.

Kevin Grazier (scientist, NASA mission to Saturn) – location, location, location. Must be in the right zone for
water (Goldilocks Zone – not too hot, not too cold).

Too hot boils away, too cold freezes.

The habitable zone is very narrow in our solar system. Begins outside venus, ends short of mars.

If earth 5% closer to the sun it would be the same as venus – runaway greenhouse temps rising to 900 deg F.
If earth 20% farther away, CO2 clouds would form in upper atmosphere, cycle of ice and cold.

Liquid water necessary for life. There may be liquid water under frozen surface of mars but little chance of
complex life. Contrary to Cop Princ the recipe for life is much more complex than ‘just add water’.

If a recipe for life to exist was available, what ingredients might be required?

- within galactic habitable zone

- orbiting main sequence G2 star
- protected by gas giant planet
- within circumstellar habitable zone
- nearly circular orbit
- oxygen rich atmosphere
- correct mass
- orbited by large moon
 - magnetic field
- plate tectonics
- ratio of liquid water and continents
- terrestrial planet
- moderate rate of rotation.

Terrestrial Planet.
We live on a paper thin crust. If significantly thicker plate tectonic recycling could not take place. Varies in
thickness 4-30 miles. Consists of more than 12 tectonic plates in constant motion, which regulates planets
interior temp., recycles C, mixes chemical elements essential to living organisms, and shapes the continents.

Deep interior, movement of liquid iron generates protective magnetic field essential to complex life. If smaller
our magnetic field would be weakier, solar wind would strip away our atmosphere, transform earth into barren
world.

Oxygen/Nitrogen Atmosphere
Necessary for complex life. Atmosphere glows like a thin blue ribbon of light. Measures less than 1% of
planets diameter.
- 78% N
- 21% O
- 1% CO2

This ensures a temperate climate, protection from sun radiation, correct combination of gases necessary for
liquid water and complex life.

Large Moon
Our moon is big for the size of the earth. If moon didn’t exist, neither would we. 1 fourth size of earth. It’
powerful gravitational pull stabilizes the angle of earths axis at a nearly constant 23.5 deg. Ensures relatively
temperate seasonal changes and the only climate in the solar system mild enough to maintain living organisms.

Type of star
If we find life it will be around a star similar to our own. We orbit a spectral type G2 dwarf main seq star. It is
perfect for our needs. If our sun was less massive (like 90 % of stars in the galaxy) the habitable zone would be
smaller, the earth would have to be positioned closer. But here increased gravity would knock our planets
rotation into synchronisation with its orbit. One side would face the sun, exposed to radiation and sun flares.
The other side would be cold in ice. Unlikely that life could be sustained in such extremes.

The number of factors postulated for complex life has grown. Typical list would have 20.
Need
- right location in galaxy
- correct distance from sun
- protected by giants planets, shield from impacts
- orbiting right kind of star, not too cool, not too hot
- large moon to stabilse axis
- terrestrial planet,
- right size crust to maintain tectonics and heat
- liquid iron core to generate magnetic field
- atmosphere with enough o2 for organisms to surviv
- enough water and enough continents to support us

All these factors and more have to be met at one place and time in the galaxy.

Probability of obtaining this combination of factors (conservatively) simultaneously is estimated at

10-15 . ie. One one thousandth of one one trillionth.
 1 .
1,000,000,000,000,000
100 billion stars in the galaxy seems a lot, but the odds are much much smaller. On the surface this is telling us
that this can't’ happen, or that it’s very, very unlikely to happen in the galaxy.

So many factors to get just right in order to get one habitable planet like the earth. Leads to the conclusion that
we are rare in the galaxy.

Does the possibility that our planet is rare imply anything about its significance? Recently Donald Brownlee
(astronomer) considered this in Rare Earth: why complex life is uncommon in the universe

‘There is a general feeling that nature wants to make earth-like planets and that life will naturally evolve to be
something like us. But the environ conditions that would allow more complex animals or plants is are very rare.
The earth is a rather special place.
The entire universe is very hostile to life. No other places in the known universe are like earth. We live in a very
special place that provides what we need – air, food, stable conditions. The earth is almost like a giant organism
with its systems interacting and allows animals to survive. The real Q is why did this happen. Is it just a matter
of luck? Ornot? If you look at thousands of planets only a very small fraction of them will be truly earth-like.
So we did win the cosmic lottery, we’re a lucky planet to be in a very fortunate place.

When you consider chance as en explanation for a planet like earth, you have to look at it in the context of the
universe as a whole. The odds appear astonishingly small that you get all the right ingredients to support
complex life in just one place in the galaxy, you have to keep in mind that our galaxy is perhaps just one in a
100 billion galaxies in the observable universe. Still logically you have to ask, what if this convergence of
factors didn’t come about as a result of a cosmic lottery or luck. What if result of underlying purpose or design?
If earth does exist for a purpose is there any way we can tell?

Oct 24th 1995, rare natural phenom triggered a search for an answer. Gonzalez observed total eclipse of the sun,
51 secs event.

Requirements- sun, moon, observer platform (earth). All must be in straight line in space. Apparent size of
moon in sky has to be exactly same as apparent size of sun. The sun is 400 times bigger than moon, but 400
times further away. This ‘coincidence’ has been noted for centuries.

Gonzalez recognised the importance of these celestial bodies to the existence of complex life on earth. The
gravitational pull by our moon is strong enough to regulate the earths climate by stabilising its tilt and helping
to circulate the warm and cool waters of our oceans. Distance from sun permits liquid water and oxygen rich
atmosphere.

Jay Richards (philosopher) –perfect solar eclipses point towards design in the universe. Tip of the iceberg of
evidence for judging if universe is a fluke or part of a design.

Richards and Gonzalez joint research. Considered

The ratio of sun/moon size distance allows us to measure the upper layer constituents of the sun’s atmosphere.

During solar eclipse, fits perfectly, shields blinding light, allows the atmosphere to be seen (otherwise
impossible).

Moment of totality, the sun’s pinkish inner most layer becomes visible, a rainbow-like band called the flash
spectrum appears when sun viewed through a prism - chromosphere. Has led to the discovery of helium (2nd
most abundant element in the universe). Spectrum greatest source info about a star. Figured this out due to
precise conditions of solar eclipse. Larger moon – block view of chromosphere. Smaller moon – too much light,
destroy our view.

Allowed us to understand how other distant stars/suns work.

Relationship between eclipses and scientific discovery revealed in 1919. Photos of sun and stars in star cluster
during an eclipse. Suns gravity seen to bend light travelling to earth from distant stars at the angle Einstein
predicted.

Best place in universe to view solar eclipses is from the surface of the earth. One place with observers is one
place that has eclipses.

Connection between factors necessary for complex life Isolated fluke of nature? Or fundamental purpose?

What if things that make a planet habitable make it the best place for making scientific discoveries? 3 yrs tested
their idea and determined in their book The Privileged Planet:
‘The same narrow circumstances that allow us to exist also provide us with the best overall setting for making
scientific discoveries.’

Correlation between life and discovery. We have a very thin atmosphere. Need a certain mix of elements to
maintain a complex biosphere like ours. Not just any atmosphere will do. Appreciation of this has increased
significantly over the last 40 years with exploration of solar system. Confirmed that with in more than 70
planets and moons the earth is one of 7 with a canopy of gas. But only earth’s atmosphere can sustain complex
life and only earth’s atmosphere is transparent.

Made of mostly oxygen and nitrogen, very little co2 or other C compounds. If we had too much C in the atmos
there would be a haze (eg Saturns large moon Titan, Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, Jupiter, Venus). Other
atmospheric moons/planets are hazy and do not have a clear view of the universe. (wouldn’t matter though
because would be dead). If conditions for habitability and discovery appear in the same place you will get
conditions like earth.

Virtues of such an atmosphere, continually tested. As earth moves through space its bombarded by radiation
from the universe. Emitted by sun and other celestial bodies inc supernovas and distant galaxies. Reaches our
planet in wavelengths: gamma, x-ray, ultraviolet, visible, infrared, microwave, radio. These are the
electromagnetic spectrum. Almost all invisible to the eye and lethal or useless to organic life. Very narrow part
that is useful to life (eg for photosynthesis).

It is this same part of the spectrum that is the most informative about the universe.
Allows plants to manufacture food and astronomers to observe the cosmos represent one trillionth of a trillionth
of all the radiation:

1 .
1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000

Fortunately, it is this part of the spectrum that our sun produces in abundance and that most easily penetrates
out atmosphere to reach our earth. Coincidently, this does not preclude us from observing the distant universe.
Why would it be that those places most habitable also offer the best opportunities for scientific discovery?

1997, Gonzalez studied earths specific location in the earths Milky Way galaxy. Led to evidence of correlation
between life and discovery.

We inhabit a spiral galaxy, highly flattened, spherical bulge in the centre, spiral arms. We live half way into the
middle. The galaxy has a lot of dangers. Most dangerous place may be the galactic centre – high density,
supernovas, things that could harass life. Giant black hole at centre. If a star came near it would rip it to shreds,
emit lots of deadly radiation, therefore life nearby virtually impossible. Out edge also dangerous – situation
more subtly. Our planet is made of Fe, Si, Mg, O. Towards outer edge the amount of these is lower.

Region where complex life possible – labelled Galactic Habitable Zone. General agreement that there are
places in the galaxy where can't have life because very dangerous. There are also large regions within the
habitable zone that are fairly dangerous.ie breaks in habitable zone by spiral arms. We are a perfect distance
away from these. We occupy that special place in the galaxy where habitability is optimised, threats are
minimised, and we have enough building blocks to build an earth.

Gonzalex and Richards also conducted research:argue we are located in best setting for scientific discoveries.
Located near midplane, but view not obscured. Allows study of Milky Way. Stars are not uniformly distributed
across the sky, but a concentrated band, flat disc stars, dust gas, 100,000 light years in diameter. If we lived in
the middle, it would be much harder to view the galaxy and to distinguish shape of milky way or what is in our
galaxy or other galaxies.

‘The most incomprehensible thing about the universe is that it is incomprehensible’ Albert Einstein.

The fact that we can discover has been a mystery.

Paul Davies (theoretical physicist) – our understanding is linked to the great cosmic scheme of things. We are
very lucky that we can understand the universe in such detail and at such a deep level.

Progress in understanding is a product of a universe accessable to the eyes and mind. It is a universe governed
by laws and forces that hold our planet and the entire cosmos together and are finely calibrated to allow for both
complex life and scientific discovery.

Robin Collins (philosopher of science)- if we didn’t have something like gravity that pulled matter together,
wouldn’t get planets, stars, complex organisms. If didn’t have strong nuclear force there would be nothing to
hold protons and neutrons together and so no atoms and no chemistry. No electro magnetic force – no bonding
between chemical, no light. List goes on. Need all these fundamental principles in place for life to occur. Wipe
out one of these laws and no life.

Strengths of these laws have been determined over last 40 yrs and are described as being finely tuned. Ie. If
were to take fundamental constants of nature and change slightly, or randomly pick a value for them, you would
never get a universe that was inhabitable in any way – couldn’t have galaxies, plants, animals, complex
biological organisms.

Imagine a machine able to control the strenghth of the physical constants. If change the strength of any one
force, even slightly from its current setting, eg gravity, the impact on complex life would be catastrophic.
Increase a little bit – no large scale life could exist, anything bigger than a pea would be crushed.

Forces and constants are eg.s of life and discovery. Not only are they finely tuned, also are able to be
understood. Remarkable how well the laws work and how simple they are.

‘I have deep faith that the principles of the universe will be both beautiful and simple’. Albert Einstein.

For 400 yrs scientists have discovered an eloquent simplicity in the mathematical equations that express and
unlick the laws of the cosmos. It has been said that many of the most important theories in physics can be
written on a single sheet of paper. It is surprising that simple formulas could have such far reaching applications
to a very large universe.

Finely tuned for life and also a beautiful math structure and a structure such that we can discover it.

Most scientists take it for granted that the universe is ordered and intelligible. Ordered in a way that humans are
capable of understanding is extraordinary. Natural Q is ‘what is the explanation for that?’

It cannot be easily explained away. You cannot expect the universe to be understandable by human reason.

Why is it we have the ability to discover, calculate, reason? These are not skills that would have helped us with
our survival (evolutionarily thinking). They are additional to this. Whatever the source of the universe it seems
it intended that it would contain observers who could discover. If things were to be done intelligibly, y would
put obserevers are also in the best place to discover.
Ie. Best place, in solar system, galaxy, best atmosphere.

The pattern should suggest conspiracy rather than mere coincidence.

There’s something about the universe that can't be simply explained by the impersonal forces of nature and
atoms colliding with atoms. Have to reach for something beyond the universe to try and account for it.

Copernicus desired to understand and looked for the ‘mechanism of the universe’.
‘the mechanism of the universe, wrought for us by a supremely good and orderly Creator…the system the best
and most orderly artist of all frame for our sake’.
He imagined an analogy of a workman/craftsman making something work well. This was his assumption.
Founders of modern science believed the universe was the product of a mind. Intelligible to us because the
universe itself was the product of an intelligent being.

They were uncovering Gods handiwork and figuring out how God put the world together.

Most scientists no longer think in such theologial terms, recent evidence may again pt to an earth far different
from the contemporary image of a pale bkue dot lost in a cosmic sea.

We've often been taught in the 21st century that the universe does not have us in mind, we exist in a very large
universe that is not designed for ebings like us. We are simply life that happened to come about on a tiny little
planet.

Our argument suggests something completely different – the universe was intended, exists for a purpose. Not
just for beings like ourselves to exist but for us to extend ourselves to view and discover the universe and
wonder if it pts to something beyond itself.

We are drawn to timeless Q’s what is the source of the cosmos and what is our purpose with in it.

Answers will always be debated, but valueable insights are at hand. Emerging from a corner of the universe
where complexlife and scientific discovery have converged on an extraordinary planet called earth.