What are the odds that Earth is the right distance from the Sun?

Question

I mean it could of been to close to the sun in which we would burn up, But if it was too cold, we would freeze to death. We just happen to be in the right spot, Therefore there must be a higher power controlling the universe. I mean what are the odds?

Answer 1

We are just now being able to detect extra solar planets, and we discover more all the time. The universe has trillions of stars, most of which probably have planetary systems. It's entirely possible that terrestrial planets in the habitable zone (what you're referring to) are completely common, so the odds don't need to be high at all. Even if it's rare, out of millions, billions, or trillions of possible planets, one of them would have to be where we are.

The odds on any one person winning the lottery are pretty slim. But if millions of people play, SOMEBODY is going to win, that doesn't make the fact that somebody did divine. It becomes virtually guaranteed if enough people play.

Here's more information on the habitable zone
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habitable_zone

And besides, the Earth is such a nice place for us to live because we evolved here. The planet wasn't made for us, life evolved to fit comfortably on the planet. The earth could be someplace else entirely, and if life evolved on it, it would look very different, but over billions of years it would be quite comfortable, because it adapted to be comfortable in the place it wound up in.

I'm speaking from a strictly scientific stand point, obviously if you're devote you'll feel differently on the matter. But from a strictly logical stand point, this is the explanation.

Answer 2

If the Earth was any other distance from the sun, we would have never existed here in the first place. There are sextillions of planets in the observable universe alone, even the longest odds of some being suitable for life being ridiculously good.

And we could only turn up on one that was perfect for us, therefore the odds of us turning up on one that was perfect for us are 100%. The one we call Earth just happens to be one such world- we could easily have emerged on another planet and called that Earth instead.

We are also adapted for these conditions, and early life caused major alterations to the environment too.

This is the Weak Anthropic Principle- that we DO exist on a perfect planet because we could NOT have existed on an imperfect planet at all.

All in all, that we live on such a preferable planet is no more an astonishing coincidence than the idea that mixing random shades of blue and yellow will produce a shade of green. It is an obvious causal link.

Answer 3

Odds are simply odds. One should never be able to get a royal routine while playing poker but I have seen it happen.

We cannot simply apply odds and say "its too unlikely" afterall someone wins the lotto every single day.

Remember that there are an almost infinite amount of stars, logically we could only have formed on a planet that WAS the right distance away.

If the higher power was controling things surely ALL planets would have life or at least there would be no harsh requirements for life as someone could simply say "oh i shall make it ok over there"

Answer 4

Your argument is meaningless. It is based on the old fallacy of geocentrism. The Earth is not the centre of the Universe and occupies no special place.

How many stars are there in the visible Universe? It has been estimated that the number is of the magnitude of 10 with 22 zeros after it. How many are middle sized and middle aged? Probably the majority because extremes of size in almost anything are rare and in any case really big stars burn out quickly. We might say 10 with 19 zeros after it.

How many of these middling stars have planets? For all we know all the middling stars in the entire Universe may have Earth-like planets, it might be a physical consequence of their formation. Still 10 with 19 zeros.

If if only one in a million does there will still be thousands of billions of middling sized stars with Earth - like planets. 10 with 13 zeros after.

So something like a hundred trillion to a hundred million trillion Earth - like planets could be somewhere in the Universe.

If the chances of intelligent life appearing on these planets is one in a billion, you would still have somewhere between a hundred thousand and a hundred billion planets with intelligent life on them.

The numbers could be larger by factors of hundreds or smaller by factors of hundreds.

Some say that the visible Universe may be only a tiny fraction of what is really there, so the numbers of inhabited Earth-like planets might be trillions of trillions.

On each of these inhabited planets you might have beings saying that there must be a higher power controlling the Universe because they are unique and they can't imagine any other possibility of life.

Well there are bacteria that live in boiling water and others that live below freezing right here on Earth. They are not burning or dying of cold, I expect they find it comfortable enough.

Answer 5

The Earth is in the exact right location for US. Another location might be perfect for a completely different life form (and not us). If "Earth" were in a different location, "we" wouldn't be talking about this. We didn't put the Earth in this location. The location made it possible for beings like us to evolve. If it were too hot or cold, "we" would not be freezing or burning because "we" would not have developed in the first place. Earth is one incomprehensibly tiny part of the universe and there are statistically millions of other places with the exact same conditions. We just don't know if they have life or not.

Answer 6

What an absolutely nonsensical argument for the existence of a higher power. Your logic is horribly flawed. That is like saying "How fortunate that I was born on my birthday!"

You are putting the cart before the horse, my friend. Life as we know it developed on THIS planet, so of course it is perfect for US. We are the product of this planet. It was here first -- not us!

But all over this planet you will find life thriving in environments that are absolutely caustic and hostile for humans. There are animals that live near underwater volcanic vents. Take them away from the higly acidic environment and they die. There are animals that live in the incredible pressures ot the Marianas trench which will die if you bring them to the surface. Guess it's not "just right" up here for them!!

Life will not always be "as we know it". There is a wonderful sciece fiction work by Robert L. Forward called "Dragon's Egg". It's about how life developed on a neutron star. There are many pointed allegories in the book about our silly notions of life on this planet, and our little bitty perspective on the universe.

We may discover life "our there" some day, and you can bet it will not resemble what we have here, because those life forms will be the product of THEIR enviroment, and it will be "just right" for them.

In such a vast universe, can you possibly grasp the concept of billions of planets out there capable of sustaining life? The odds are very good.

Answer 7

It doesn't matter how small you think the odds are. When you multiply them by hte number of stars in the universe, the result is still unity.
That 'argument' for the existence of a 'higher power' goes back to the 15'th century. And it's as bogus now as it was then.

Doug

Answer 8

The odds are exactly 100%. The earth is what it is and we are what we are because we have evolved here and not somewhere else. Had we evolved somewhere else, we would be different but still a perfect fit for that other place.

Now, if you spend a few minutes thinking about it, you will see what this means. But only of you are willing to think about it, rather than to stumble without sense through the darkness.

Are you willing to think?

Answer 9

The odds are 100%.There IS a planet,very similar to Earth,called Venus.There is one further away,called Mars.The "everything is perfect"argument for a god is the poorest argument of all.If you think about it,it is an argument AGAINST the neccessity of god.Venus is too hot.Therefore,we did not evolve on Venus to ask this question.Now,if you wanted to argue FOR a creator,an argument would be "Isn't it amazing that humans developed on Venus,although by all rights,we should burn up in its 900 degree temperature?See,THAT would be evidence for a god.The fact that the only place life evolved is where it NATURALLY could argues against the supernatural,and FOR a natural explanation.Think about it hard."Since conditions are good on Earth for life to have evolved naturally,there must be a god"is an argument AGAINST divine intervention.Now,if our atmosphere was chlorine,and our bodies meant for oxygen,yet we lived.THEN you would have an argument for a creator.As it is,you've removed the neccessity for a god in the equation.I'm not trying to insult you.But you really should THINK about the arguments you get off the creationist websites.Not a single one stands up to scrutiny.They rely on the blind faithful to spread their silliness.Counting on the fact the "faithful" won't think the arguments through.and simply blindly spread them.Think it out.Of what need is there for a god to explain how life came about where it NATURALLY could?You have been decieved by the creationist propaganda.Get mad,learn the truth

Answer 10

the odds aren't good, but that doesn't mean there is a higher power controlling it. There are possibly trillions of planets and only a few probably have life. We just got lucky.