Christians and other theists are always saying that the probability of life evolving spontaneously from inanimate matter is too great to be possible. So, could you please tell me what that probability is? Thanks!
Peace,
Byron
2007-05-08 02:39:34 · 16 answers · asked by Byron A 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Impossible to say, but it did happen once.
It would take too long to give you a good answer, but Richard Dawkins did a good job in his book, "Climbing Mount Improbable".
2007-05-08 02:47:05 · answer #1 · answered by nondescript 7 · 2⤊ 2⤋
you have no idea what the odds really are do you? 1. a sun that gives off the correct rays to support life 2. A planet positioned just close enough to the sun that if it were one tenth of a light year closer we'd burn up or freeze in the opposite direction. 3. Atmosphere with correct amounts of O2, co2, and Nitrogen 4. atmosphere that blocks harmful radiation 5. A planet that has a magnetic orientation That is just a few of the planetary things that would have to be "just right". There are many more. The idea that there are many "earths" out there is so improbable as to be laughable. Even if there were 1 billion planets that fit all of the "just right" for life on the planet there is still all the problems of abiogenesis, and evolution that would make it laughably impossible.
2016-05-18 01:33:32 · answer #2 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You need to look at all the events that occur to make life possible. Then, the number of successes at each stage would define the probability. But there are so many events, really jillions of possible outcomes, that there hasn't even been enough time in the universe for all those events to occur. So the probability of everything happening just right is rather small because the denominator is so big. Mathematically, life is not just an improbability but an impossibility. So much for the god of science.
2007-05-08 02:53:40 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
We don't know, but before we answer this we must qualify...
Are we talking about the probability of life arising on this planet only? Or in the entire universe? Once over the entire existence of the universe? Or within a particular time frame?
It's pretty small... but it only had to happen once! After the first replicating molecule arose, evolution took over and the resulting complexity was more or less inevitable.
2007-05-08 02:50:44 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Since you shouted your question you should get an accurate answer. RIGHT?!
Suggested readings for a scientific answer:
The God Delusion, Richard Dawkins
The Demon-Haunted World, Carl Sagan
Atheist Universe, David Mills
Actually anything of Dawkins should provide information.
2007-05-08 02:47:58 · answer #5 · answered by Kathryn™ 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You think of the first state and you think of the current state, and you cannot fathom the connection, so you slap God on it and stop asking questions. It is a characteristic trait of man that he does this. I used to have this problem in organic chemistry quite often, but I knew I'd get a zero if I just wrote "God did it," instead of lining out the series of sequential chemical reactions that eventually yielded the required product.
2007-05-08 02:51:36 · answer #6 · answered by Black Dog 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Pseudo-scientific Christians who quote probabilities in this fashion typically have no idea what probabilities mean. Just as they are completely science-challenged, their math is not very good. Blathering about it is something they do get points for.
2007-05-08 04:02:58 · answer #7 · answered by Fred 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In effect, the probability is 1. It has happened, thus any speculation about the probabilty of it happening again is moot, atopical. The argument is that the chances of a planet able to sustain life is actually valid, but we've now discovered 3 in our galaxy. There are hundreds of billions of stars in our galaxy, which is one of hundreds of billions of galaxies. The chances with those kinds of numbers are aproaching certainty. We've discovered a planet 20 light years a way (or is it 20 million, gotta google that) that is capable of supporting life. Whether or not it does, it is capable. Our planet makes 2, and Ancient mars shows signs of proto-bacteria. Three in one galaxy of hundreds of billions, is a good start.
2007-05-08 02:51:18 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
Science has shown that there is no actual inanimate matter...I am neither pro creation or pro evolution, just making an observation.
2007-05-08 02:48:39 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's highly improbable. Sorry, can't come up with an exact figure for you.
Now riddle me this, kiddies: Are "highly improbable" and "impossible" the same things?
2007-05-08 02:48:21 · answer #10 · answered by ZER0 C00L ••AM••VT•• 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋