What do you think?
Rate this book
Improbable Planet: How Earth Became Humanity's Home
Most of us remember the basics from science classes about how Earth came to be the only known planet that sustains complex life. But what most people don't know is that the more thoroughly researchers investigate the history of our planet, the more astonishing the story of our existence becomes. The number and complexity of the astronomical, geological, chemical, and biological features recognized as essential to human existence have expanded explosively within the past decade. An understanding of what is required to make possible a large human population and advanced civilizations has raised profound questions about life, our purpose, and our destiny. Are we really just the result of innumerable coincidences? Or is there a more reasonable explanation?
This fascinating book helps nonscientists understand the countless miracles that undergird the exquisitely fine-tuned planet we call home--as if Someone had us in mind all along.
This fascinating book helps nonscientists understand the countless miracles that undergird the exquisitely fine-tuned planet we call home--as if Someone had us in mind all along.
288 pages, Hardcover
Published September 6, 2016
144 people are currently reading
795 people want to read
About the author
Hugh Ross
141 books310 followersAstrophysicist Hugh Ross is founder, senior scholar, and former president of Reasons to Believe (RTB).
He earned a degree in physics from the University of British Columbia and a PhD in astronomy from the University of Toronto. He continued his research on quasars and galaxies as a postdoctoral fellow at Caltech. In 1986, Ross launched RTB to research, develop, and communicate the harmonious relationship between science and Christianity.
Ross has authored or coauthored numerous books, including Rescuing Inerrancy, Designed to the Core, and The Creator and the Cosmos. He has also presented his testable creation model in countless interviews, peer-reviewed articles, videos, and podcasts, as well as at hundreds of speaking engagements at venues around the world.
He earned a degree in physics from the University of British Columbia and a PhD in astronomy from the University of Toronto. He continued his research on quasars and galaxies as a postdoctoral fellow at Caltech. In 1986, Ross launched RTB to research, develop, and communicate the harmonious relationship between science and Christianity.
Ross has authored or coauthored numerous books, including Rescuing Inerrancy, Designed to the Core, and The Creator and the Cosmos. He has also presented his testable creation model in countless interviews, peer-reviewed articles, videos, and podcasts, as well as at hundreds of speaking engagements at venues around the world.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
March 8, 2022
This was a pretty amazing book with the equivalent of four full courses of information: astronomy, geology, archaeology and biology. It deserved five stars but i knocked one off for the last chapter citing 20,000 years of ideal conditions for humankind as being a pinnacle of achievement. What about the 80 million years the dinosaurs had in the Cretacaous or other lifeforms in the 50 million year periods of the Jurassic or Triassic?
iItems of Note: [comments in square brackets mine]
P16 Earth transitioned from a planet with only water on its surface to having landmasses
P17 Life was present as far as 3.83 billion years ago (bya)
P18 fossil record indicates increasing diversity: 8.7 million eukaryotes, 6.5M land species & 2.2M marine
P19 Eldridge & Gould noted quantum jumps where species disappear followed by sudden appearances of very different species
P24 why need a massive universe of 50 billion trillion stars? > needed for essential construction materials > if the universe a slightly lower mass density of protons & neutrons then nuclear fusion would have yielded no elements as heavy as carbon (or higher); if a slightly greater mass density then only items as heavy or heavier than iron
P26 both short lived and long lived radioisotopes prepared Earth for habitation: the short termed blasted away light gases and water that would have left an atmosphere too thick and an ocean too deep; long-lived ones helped establish strong and enduring magnetic field as well as ongoing plate tectonic activity; both essential for advanced life
R27 these radioisotpes came from nine billion years of giant star formation, burning and explosion
P29 a long history of life requires a galaxy with stable, symmetrical spiral arms [I read elsewhere that the Milky Way (MWG) is the only one]. A spiral galaxy must gravitationally consume gas-rich dwarf galaxies at a freqant and regular rate because ongoing star formation is needed
P30 galaxy group must be sufficiently dispersed not to cause disruption to symmetry, size or shape
P32 the galaxy needs low density regions to survive disruption potential of rotating arms. Must be the right size so the co-rotational radius is the precise distance from the galactic center, where the stars and arms are rotating at the same speed
P.35 the quantity of gas in the spiral arms must be relatively low, yet high enough to sustain the structure
P36 Goldilocks planets must possess both Carbon and liquid water, yet Earth holds nearly 1200 times less Carbon and 500 times less water than planets discovered of similar size and surface temperature [just ten days ago i read an article stating Earth is the only planet with water but Ross is saying it is quite common] At the co-roatational distance of 26,000 light years from the MWG galactic center &mean motion resonances" disrupts star formation
P37 thus our solar system had to form elsewhere (near the galactic core) to have the great abundance of heavy metals (had to be close to supernovae)
P39 Far UltraViolet radiation (FUV) had to be just right as FUV burns off lighter gases. If FUV had been any stronger Uranus, Neptune and Kuiper Belt would never have fnrmed; if any weaker Saturn, Uranus and Neptune would have been more massive.
To stay intact the solar system had to be ejected outward in the opposite direction of the galatic center along a trajectory that carried it safely past giant stars, X-ray and Gamma ray sources and halt just before the co-rotational radius [doen't say how this happened]
P40 Z axis motion (up & down) must be small or there will be dangerous levels of radiation. The MWG is about 1,000 light years thick; the solar system bounces no more than 228 light years abnve or below
P41 the period of bounce between high and low is ~33 million years (my). Mass extincions occur about every 27my. The aithor suggests there might be a correlation. These periodic bumps on the Z axis might expose Earth to dense clumps of dark matter that might heat the Earth's core.
The solar system's location in the MWG also allows spectacular views of the universe (allowing us to map details in structures).
P44 rocky planets (like Earth, Mars, Venus) requires presence of gas giants
P45 it is crucial (for advanced life) that the gas giants nearest the sun provides the most gravitational shielding. The gas giants, with their masses, distances from the sun and orbital configurations influenced the Earth's mass, distance from the sun and orbital features
P46 Planetary formation models indicate the solar system had an inner asteroid belt a thousand times more massive than today
P48 Possible that there used to be five inner rocky planets
P49 How did the Earth get the Moon? Compared to mass of the planet it is 50 times larger than any other moon and it orbits more closely than any other satellite yet discvered. It needed a just right impactor event with just the right timing.
P51 the impact agle had to be at 45° at no more than 12 km per sec. Happened 50-100 my after Earth coalesced
P52 Zinc levels and relative Oxygen-17 composition supports this dating.
Primodial Earth must have possessed ocans hundreds of time deeper as only such a tuge quantity of water axplains why Earth today has fifty times less Argon-36 in its atmosphere as does Venus
P53 Earth and Moon posses similar Oxygen, Titanium, Chromium, Tungsten and Silicon isotope compositions which implies Theia (the bumping planet) and protoEarth formed at the same distance from the sun at the same time. They share the same orbit but were at Lagrange Points (so didn't cllide). [but then wat made them collide? and why haven't there been found other planet bodies in the same orbit?]
P56 Implications of Moon forming event: optimal heat trapping atmosphere; able to retain water vapour; amount of iron in oore increased to provide strong enduring magnetic field to shield from cosmic rays; just right long-lasting plate tectonics; jiust right iron in crust for plankton; salted with long lasting radioisotopes; sufficient mass to stabilize Earth's rotational axis tilt; slowed Earth's rotation rate to a life sustaining level
P58 the Moon is twice the size it needs to be to stabilize the rotation axis but the mass creates the tidal friction that puts the brakes on Earth's rotation rate to 24hr per day. A Moon less massive would have taken to long to reach our propitious 24hr day, exposing Earth to a brighter, less stable sun. A more rapid rotation would have meant higher surface temperatures and less evenly distributed rainfall [it hardly seems evenly distributed].
iItems of Note: [comments in square brackets mine]
P16 Earth transitioned from a planet with only water on its surface to having landmasses
P17 Life was present as far as 3.83 billion years ago (bya)
P18 fossil record indicates increasing diversity: 8.7 million eukaryotes, 6.5M land species & 2.2M marine
P19 Eldridge & Gould noted quantum jumps where species disappear followed by sudden appearances of very different species
P24 why need a massive universe of 50 billion trillion stars? > needed for essential construction materials > if the universe a slightly lower mass density of protons & neutrons then nuclear fusion would have yielded no elements as heavy as carbon (or higher); if a slightly greater mass density then only items as heavy or heavier than iron
P26 both short lived and long lived radioisotopes prepared Earth for habitation: the short termed blasted away light gases and water that would have left an atmosphere too thick and an ocean too deep; long-lived ones helped establish strong and enduring magnetic field as well as ongoing plate tectonic activity; both essential for advanced life
R27 these radioisotpes came from nine billion years of giant star formation, burning and explosion
P29 a long history of life requires a galaxy with stable, symmetrical spiral arms [I read elsewhere that the Milky Way (MWG) is the only one]. A spiral galaxy must gravitationally consume gas-rich dwarf galaxies at a freqant and regular rate because ongoing star formation is needed
P30 galaxy group must be sufficiently dispersed not to cause disruption to symmetry, size or shape
P32 the galaxy needs low density regions to survive disruption potential of rotating arms. Must be the right size so the co-rotational radius is the precise distance from the galactic center, where the stars and arms are rotating at the same speed
P.35 the quantity of gas in the spiral arms must be relatively low, yet high enough to sustain the structure
P36 Goldilocks planets must possess both Carbon and liquid water, yet Earth holds nearly 1200 times less Carbon and 500 times less water than planets discovered of similar size and surface temperature [just ten days ago i read an article stating Earth is the only planet with water but Ross is saying it is quite common] At the co-roatational distance of 26,000 light years from the MWG galactic center &mean motion resonances" disrupts star formation
P37 thus our solar system had to form elsewhere (near the galactic core) to have the great abundance of heavy metals (had to be close to supernovae)
P39 Far UltraViolet radiation (FUV) had to be just right as FUV burns off lighter gases. If FUV had been any stronger Uranus, Neptune and Kuiper Belt would never have fnrmed; if any weaker Saturn, Uranus and Neptune would have been more massive.
To stay intact the solar system had to be ejected outward in the opposite direction of the galatic center along a trajectory that carried it safely past giant stars, X-ray and Gamma ray sources and halt just before the co-rotational radius [doen't say how this happened]
P40 Z axis motion (up & down) must be small or there will be dangerous levels of radiation. The MWG is about 1,000 light years thick; the solar system bounces no more than 228 light years abnve or below
P41 the period of bounce between high and low is ~33 million years (my). Mass extincions occur about every 27my. The aithor suggests there might be a correlation. These periodic bumps on the Z axis might expose Earth to dense clumps of dark matter that might heat the Earth's core.
The solar system's location in the MWG also allows spectacular views of the universe (allowing us to map details in structures).
P44 rocky planets (like Earth, Mars, Venus) requires presence of gas giants
P45 it is crucial (for advanced life) that the gas giants nearest the sun provides the most gravitational shielding. The gas giants, with their masses, distances from the sun and orbital configurations influenced the Earth's mass, distance from the sun and orbital features
P46 Planetary formation models indicate the solar system had an inner asteroid belt a thousand times more massive than today
P48 Possible that there used to be five inner rocky planets
P49 How did the Earth get the Moon? Compared to mass of the planet it is 50 times larger than any other moon and it orbits more closely than any other satellite yet discvered. It needed a just right impactor event with just the right timing.
P51 the impact agle had to be at 45° at no more than 12 km per sec. Happened 50-100 my after Earth coalesced
P52 Zinc levels and relative Oxygen-17 composition supports this dating.
Primodial Earth must have possessed ocans hundreds of time deeper as only such a tuge quantity of water axplains why Earth today has fifty times less Argon-36 in its atmosphere as does Venus
P53 Earth and Moon posses similar Oxygen, Titanium, Chromium, Tungsten and Silicon isotope compositions which implies Theia (the bumping planet) and protoEarth formed at the same distance from the sun at the same time. They share the same orbit but were at Lagrange Points (so didn't cllide). [but then wat made them collide? and why haven't there been found other planet bodies in the same orbit?]
P56 Implications of Moon forming event: optimal heat trapping atmosphere; able to retain water vapour; amount of iron in oore increased to provide strong enduring magnetic field to shield from cosmic rays; just right long-lasting plate tectonics; jiust right iron in crust for plankton; salted with long lasting radioisotopes; sufficient mass to stabilize Earth's rotational axis tilt; slowed Earth's rotation rate to a life sustaining level
P58 the Moon is twice the size it needs to be to stabilize the rotation axis but the mass creates the tidal friction that puts the brakes on Earth's rotation rate to 24hr per day. A Moon less massive would have taken to long to reach our propitious 24hr day, exposing Earth to a brighter, less stable sun. A more rapid rotation would have meant higher surface temperatures and less evenly distributed rainfall [it hardly seems evenly distributed].
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 26, 2017
Note: I'm not here to have a debate about "young earth" vs. "old earth", so please, let's not waste time. This is just a young earth proponent's perspective on this book.
So I'm going to tell you right from the start that I ended up skimming a lot of this book.
I saw Impropable Planet up for review and read the brief description, and I thought it sounded like a book that would give scientific facts about how our planet right now is perfectly positioned and equipped to support the wide array of life that we see.
Then I received the book in the mail and saw the author's name, Hugh Ross, and read the subtitle (which I somehow missed before) "How Earth Became Humanity's Home", and my heart started to sink. Then I started reading it, and my suspicions were confirmed - this book is really not about the facts of what makes our planet uniquely able to support life, it is about the big bang/evolutionary theory of earth and life's origins, which Ross ascribes to.
This is why I started skimming portions of the book, because it was not what I thought it was about at all when I picked it up, which was a point of frustration and disappointment for me.
I don't buy evolution or the "old earth", millions of years theory, and I find that most people who do believe in this theory tend to claim their theory as fact...instead of the theory it is, and Ross is no exception. It really bugged me how he would list a known fact about the earth as it is, and then insert part of his theory into the same sentence as if it was also a fact that we know to be true. There is no scientific way to KNOW how the world and life formed because science is about observation, and no one was there to observe this happening - and the creation of the earth and life is a unrepeatable event, so there will never be a way we can observe it. We can only form theories as to how everything we see came to be and choose which one we would like to believe. From a scientific standpoint, there is just as much evidence (more in the opinion of some) for a young earth as there is for an old earth, and for a literal six-day creation as there is for evolution, and many scientists acknowledge this - which is why it is arrogant to explain your theory as if it were fact when it is not based on anything that we can actually repeat or observe.
Most of the chapters in this book cover how Ross and some other scientists think the earth and life formed - which might be interesting to me if I believed in this theory, but I don't. The main point of the book is how unlikely it is for the earth to have formed using a big bang/evolutionary model (but still the book insists that this is what happened). Indeed through reading this book it is obvious that scientists working under this theory seem to have to often resort to cataclysmic events in order to explain the universe and earth we see today. Coming at it from a biblical creationist worldview, this all just reinforced to me how unlikely it seems that the earth could have formed this way, how little actual evidence they seem to have, and how much faith it takes to believe in an old earth, as opposed to just taking the creation account in Scripture at face value.
There were a few facts about the actual earth as it is today and it's unique position to support life, such as how the Milky Way Galaxy is the ideal galaxy to support life, a spiral galaxy, not too big or small, and "exceptionally quiet". Our solar system too is perfect for life, with a Sun that remains relatively close to the galactic plane keeping our planet's temperature constant, and large gaseous planets nearby to shield us from meteors. These are the kind of facts that I was looking forward to reading about, but they were few and far between long theoretical explanations of what happened in earth's "distant history". This book just wasn't what I was hoping for.
The last chapter was Ross's best, as he recognizes the improbability of the very existence of earth and life without a divine hand, and answers the question of why we are here - to make known the good God who placed us here, redeemed us by Jesus's blood, and is coming back again to take us to "our Father's house". So he got that part right anyway.
If you want some science resources coming from a young earth/creationist perspective, In Six Days is a book I started and enjoyed before I had to return it to the library, and Ken Ham is always a great resource for further reading.
Note: I received a copy of Improbable Planet for free in exchange for a review, and this is my honest opinion.
So I'm going to tell you right from the start that I ended up skimming a lot of this book.
I saw Impropable Planet up for review and read the brief description, and I thought it sounded like a book that would give scientific facts about how our planet right now is perfectly positioned and equipped to support the wide array of life that we see.
Then I received the book in the mail and saw the author's name, Hugh Ross, and read the subtitle (which I somehow missed before) "How Earth Became Humanity's Home", and my heart started to sink. Then I started reading it, and my suspicions were confirmed - this book is really not about the facts of what makes our planet uniquely able to support life, it is about the big bang/evolutionary theory of earth and life's origins, which Ross ascribes to.
This is why I started skimming portions of the book, because it was not what I thought it was about at all when I picked it up, which was a point of frustration and disappointment for me.
I don't buy evolution or the "old earth", millions of years theory, and I find that most people who do believe in this theory tend to claim their theory as fact...instead of the theory it is, and Ross is no exception. It really bugged me how he would list a known fact about the earth as it is, and then insert part of his theory into the same sentence as if it was also a fact that we know to be true. There is no scientific way to KNOW how the world and life formed because science is about observation, and no one was there to observe this happening - and the creation of the earth and life is a unrepeatable event, so there will never be a way we can observe it. We can only form theories as to how everything we see came to be and choose which one we would like to believe. From a scientific standpoint, there is just as much evidence (more in the opinion of some) for a young earth as there is for an old earth, and for a literal six-day creation as there is for evolution, and many scientists acknowledge this - which is why it is arrogant to explain your theory as if it were fact when it is not based on anything that we can actually repeat or observe.
Most of the chapters in this book cover how Ross and some other scientists think the earth and life formed - which might be interesting to me if I believed in this theory, but I don't. The main point of the book is how unlikely it is for the earth to have formed using a big bang/evolutionary model (but still the book insists that this is what happened). Indeed through reading this book it is obvious that scientists working under this theory seem to have to often resort to cataclysmic events in order to explain the universe and earth we see today. Coming at it from a biblical creationist worldview, this all just reinforced to me how unlikely it seems that the earth could have formed this way, how little actual evidence they seem to have, and how much faith it takes to believe in an old earth, as opposed to just taking the creation account in Scripture at face value.
There were a few facts about the actual earth as it is today and it's unique position to support life, such as how the Milky Way Galaxy is the ideal galaxy to support life, a spiral galaxy, not too big or small, and "exceptionally quiet". Our solar system too is perfect for life, with a Sun that remains relatively close to the galactic plane keeping our planet's temperature constant, and large gaseous planets nearby to shield us from meteors. These are the kind of facts that I was looking forward to reading about, but they were few and far between long theoretical explanations of what happened in earth's "distant history". This book just wasn't what I was hoping for.
The last chapter was Ross's best, as he recognizes the improbability of the very existence of earth and life without a divine hand, and answers the question of why we are here - to make known the good God who placed us here, redeemed us by Jesus's blood, and is coming back again to take us to "our Father's house". So he got that part right anyway.
If you want some science resources coming from a young earth/creationist perspective, In Six Days is a book I started and enjoyed before I had to return it to the library, and Ken Ham is always a great resource for further reading.
Note: I received a copy of Improbable Planet for free in exchange for a review, and this is my honest opinion.
September 7, 2018
This is an improbably long list of cherry picked proof texts that could have been significantly shortened and reworked to be accessible to the casual reader, but rather it is more like a constant droning of mental noise. The book's title is almost sufficient to show the author's point.
THE GIST: There are scientists and company that think by shear probability and random chance, due to the vastness of the universe, that other life and even intelligent life would be more probable than not. However, Hugh Ross argues that if you look closer at all the interweaving improbabilities that occurred to allow the earth to host intelligent life, then the improbability for intelligent life elsewhere in the universe becomes astronomical. Based on the apparent lack of scientific understanding of the probabilities present in a universe based on chance these same improbabilities lead the author to make a leap to faith. He seeks to show how these improbabilities speak of an intelligent designer in the personal God who is revealed in scripture, and this faith in God can bridge the gap in our knowledge. This is not a proof of God's existence, but a reasonable argument to explain how the limits of our scientific knowledge can be overcome when you allow for a personal God who is actively designing the universe from the beginning. That the universe and our planet has gone through all of what we can see in our collective scientific work for God's purpose of sharing his life with intelligent beings (human/angels). A conclusion that I share, and found this book certainly highlights well.
However, as a believer in the personal triune God revealed by Christ, I was hoping for more from this book, but not what you might first expect from a believer. My biggest complaint comes from his presentation, which ended up being primarily proof-texting scientific work. It feels like a long list as I mentioned before, and I also feel like he only used data that helped his argument, while not addressing any data that might oppose it, and when it is mentioned it is shrugged off. It makes this book highly polemical and one sided, which does not help his argument for me at least, and I'm part of the choir.
There is a famous ontological proof for God's existence from St. Anselm, and a similar critique against that proof can also be made here. Due to the presuppositions the author has in regards to faith, that is, since his entire argument is colored by his belief in God's active part in creation, his argument has no sway for those who don't believe, and would only confirm the belief in those who share his conclusions. He spends no time with any critiques against his thought, and plows over any ideas that don't bolster his argument, which leaves me thinking, yes I agree for the most part with Hugh, but I'm uncertain of anything he says, because I don't know how much of it was altered to fit his polemical purposes. He has begged the question, and I am left wanting for sure.
THE GIST: There are scientists and company that think by shear probability and random chance, due to the vastness of the universe, that other life and even intelligent life would be more probable than not. However, Hugh Ross argues that if you look closer at all the interweaving improbabilities that occurred to allow the earth to host intelligent life, then the improbability for intelligent life elsewhere in the universe becomes astronomical. Based on the apparent lack of scientific understanding of the probabilities present in a universe based on chance these same improbabilities lead the author to make a leap to faith. He seeks to show how these improbabilities speak of an intelligent designer in the personal God who is revealed in scripture, and this faith in God can bridge the gap in our knowledge. This is not a proof of God's existence, but a reasonable argument to explain how the limits of our scientific knowledge can be overcome when you allow for a personal God who is actively designing the universe from the beginning. That the universe and our planet has gone through all of what we can see in our collective scientific work for God's purpose of sharing his life with intelligent beings (human/angels). A conclusion that I share, and found this book certainly highlights well.
However, as a believer in the personal triune God revealed by Christ, I was hoping for more from this book, but not what you might first expect from a believer. My biggest complaint comes from his presentation, which ended up being primarily proof-texting scientific work. It feels like a long list as I mentioned before, and I also feel like he only used data that helped his argument, while not addressing any data that might oppose it, and when it is mentioned it is shrugged off. It makes this book highly polemical and one sided, which does not help his argument for me at least, and I'm part of the choir.
There is a famous ontological proof for God's existence from St. Anselm, and a similar critique against that proof can also be made here. Due to the presuppositions the author has in regards to faith, that is, since his entire argument is colored by his belief in God's active part in creation, his argument has no sway for those who don't believe, and would only confirm the belief in those who share his conclusions. He spends no time with any critiques against his thought, and plows over any ideas that don't bolster his argument, which leaves me thinking, yes I agree for the most part with Hugh, but I'm uncertain of anything he says, because I don't know how much of it was altered to fit his polemical purposes. He has begged the question, and I am left wanting for sure.
November 1, 2018
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was interesting and well-written. It kept my attention while wading through some pretty deep scientific explanations of how the Earth was specially prepared to host the human race. The book assumes the earth/universe is billions of years old, so if you don't hold to this position and are not willing to be open-minded about the possibility, you will be bored.
I find all the intricacies and natural processes described to be absolutely stunning. That God used such precision and power to so elegantly prepare the Earth as his stage for redemptive history is breathtaking. When I read a book like "Improbable Planet," it makes me wish I had been a science major in college!
The only reason I gave the book 4 starts instead of 5 was that I thought Dr. Ross could have gone into more implications of how improbable our planet is. Chapter 16 is titled "Why We're Here." I was excited to read this chapter and Dr. Ross did touch on the implications here. However, chapter 16 is only 13 pages long. I would have liked to see closer to 100 pages of discussion regarding the implications!
Another book that is very similar to "Improbable Planet" is "The Privileged Planet" written by Guillermo Gonzalez and Jay Richards. "The Privileged Planet" also spends about 200 pages on showing how unique our planet is (mostly from an astronomical perspective), but then goes on with another 100 pages covering the implications of our uniqueness. I would definitely recommend that anyone who read and enjoyed "Improbable Planet" also read "The Privileged Planet."
I am excited to read more of Dr. Ross' books! He is a gifted writer and has much to say!
I find all the intricacies and natural processes described to be absolutely stunning. That God used such precision and power to so elegantly prepare the Earth as his stage for redemptive history is breathtaking. When I read a book like "Improbable Planet," it makes me wish I had been a science major in college!
The only reason I gave the book 4 starts instead of 5 was that I thought Dr. Ross could have gone into more implications of how improbable our planet is. Chapter 16 is titled "Why We're Here." I was excited to read this chapter and Dr. Ross did touch on the implications here. However, chapter 16 is only 13 pages long. I would have liked to see closer to 100 pages of discussion regarding the implications!
Another book that is very similar to "Improbable Planet" is "The Privileged Planet" written by Guillermo Gonzalez and Jay Richards. "The Privileged Planet" also spends about 200 pages on showing how unique our planet is (mostly from an astronomical perspective), but then goes on with another 100 pages covering the implications of our uniqueness. I would definitely recommend that anyone who read and enjoyed "Improbable Planet" also read "The Privileged Planet."
I am excited to read more of Dr. Ross' books! He is a gifted writer and has much to say!
June 9, 2017
If you are scientifically minded you will love this book. Before picking up this book, it would really help if you were at least familiar with cosmology, the life sciences and geology in order to appreciate the full spectrum and flow of thought. The book was touted as the most up-to-date treatise on the Goldilocks principal, and it really fits the bill. It's utterly amazing at the incredible amount of extremely unlikely-unique events which must occur in particular order in order for humanity to thrive when it has, for as long as it has and as robust as it has. All of it smacks of order of the highest kind that is beyond circumstance and the chance of all chances which point to a higher purpose.
April 3, 2017
Improbable Planet: How Earth Became Humanity's Home is an amazing read. I work with several project managers at my job, and they have shown me representations of the schedules of their various projects. These include the necessary order of numerous steps, deadlines for the steps, the goals of each step, and the final purpose. Many of the steps must be done together and within certain time periods; otherwise, the project will fail. If you have ever mapped out a project or have seen one mapped out, you may be familiar with Gantt charts and how complex they can be. As I was only a couple chapters into this book, I could not help but imagine the incredible complexity behind the project that God planned and executed perfectly to accomplish His purposes. The projects that I have seen at work do not compare to the project that was our planet. If it is reasonable to think that the smaller and less complex projects at work were the product of designers, then it is even more reasonable to understand the project that was our planet is the product of a Designer.
Dr. Ross skillfully brings numerous discoveries of numerous disciplines of science together to give the big picture of the project of our planet. He then shows from the Bible what the end purpose was, and how it all comes together into a cohesive worldview that ends with Christian evangelism. He shows how God did not merely start the process at the big bang and wait for natural processes to "accidentally" complete each step. Rather God initiated each step at the earliest moment possible after the previous step was completed, and while certain steps were being completed He was working on other necessary steps. He shows how it was necessary that each step be completed within precise boundaries and deadlines that, if crossed or missed, we would not exist.
Dr. Ross masterfully demonstrates God's patient yet highly active execution of His cosmic project. The argument from design in this book is awe-inspiring scientifically and theologically. The way the argument is presented makes it nearly impossible to be intellectually dismissed, especially by those even remotely involved in engineering or project management. I highly recommend that all Christians pick up a copy of this book. It will give you a new appreciation for the creation and the power, care, patience, and love of our Creator and Savior. It will also give you a tremendous tool to discuss and defend the truth of the Christian worldview from the latest discoveries in the hard sciences.
I especially recommend this volume to Christian apologists interested in arguments from design. This book takes the teleological argument to the next level. It goes beyond just identifying the finely-tuned constants of the universe to show how, even within a finely-tuned universe, in order for the arrival of advanced life such as humans, the processes that formed the final site of advanced life had to be meticulously planned and guided. The argument in the book appeals directly to what is known about the necessity of a designer behind projects, and implied throughout the book is the exponentially decreasing probabilistic resources available to the naturalist to explain our existence. Scientists, every day, are discovering new features of the history of our planet that cry out for a purposeful explanation. Improbable Planet needs to be in your personal library and part of your collection of tools to defend the truth that God created this universe and us for a purpose: to redeem us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
For my full, chapter-by-chapter review, go here: http://lukenixblog.blogspot.com/2017/...
Dr. Ross skillfully brings numerous discoveries of numerous disciplines of science together to give the big picture of the project of our planet. He then shows from the Bible what the end purpose was, and how it all comes together into a cohesive worldview that ends with Christian evangelism. He shows how God did not merely start the process at the big bang and wait for natural processes to "accidentally" complete each step. Rather God initiated each step at the earliest moment possible after the previous step was completed, and while certain steps were being completed He was working on other necessary steps. He shows how it was necessary that each step be completed within precise boundaries and deadlines that, if crossed or missed, we would not exist.
Dr. Ross masterfully demonstrates God's patient yet highly active execution of His cosmic project. The argument from design in this book is awe-inspiring scientifically and theologically. The way the argument is presented makes it nearly impossible to be intellectually dismissed, especially by those even remotely involved in engineering or project management. I highly recommend that all Christians pick up a copy of this book. It will give you a new appreciation for the creation and the power, care, patience, and love of our Creator and Savior. It will also give you a tremendous tool to discuss and defend the truth of the Christian worldview from the latest discoveries in the hard sciences.
I especially recommend this volume to Christian apologists interested in arguments from design. This book takes the teleological argument to the next level. It goes beyond just identifying the finely-tuned constants of the universe to show how, even within a finely-tuned universe, in order for the arrival of advanced life such as humans, the processes that formed the final site of advanced life had to be meticulously planned and guided. The argument in the book appeals directly to what is known about the necessity of a designer behind projects, and implied throughout the book is the exponentially decreasing probabilistic resources available to the naturalist to explain our existence. Scientists, every day, are discovering new features of the history of our planet that cry out for a purposeful explanation. Improbable Planet needs to be in your personal library and part of your collection of tools to defend the truth that God created this universe and us for a purpose: to redeem us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
For my full, chapter-by-chapter review, go here: http://lukenixblog.blogspot.com/2017/...
June 27, 2024
Disclaimer: my review is done as an as-of-yet young-earth-inclined evangelical Christian persuaded that the age of the earth is of considerably less importance than the rhetoric associated with my position would generally allow.
I had to (try to) suspend judgment on the basis of my own predisposition as I read this book. I'm thankful for some other recent reads, especially John C. Lennox, and for a recent reconsideration of the text of Genesis.
My (limited) familiarity with Ross goes back to my teen years, in the 90s, when he was (to my own exposure) the primary exemplar of old-earth creationism. All early exposure was disdainful and critical of him and those that evidenced a lack of discernment by platforming him (Focus on the Family?). Several years ago, I read his book on Job and genuinely enjoyed it. This was my first foray into his more major works.
In short, I really liked it. Fantastic. Powerfully demonstrates the inability of a naturalistic philosophy to account for the rise of life on earth. If Ross' account is right (I'm no scientist), then the ancient age of the earth is testimony not to the time needed to bring about the formation of earth and evolution of man by merely natural processes, but is rather testimony to the incredible precision by which God mapped out the creation of this earth to support the physical life of his image-bearers. Cosmic history according to old-earth creationism, as Ross presents it, is a flabbergasting testimony to the extraordinary care and precision by which God created the world. Sincerely, and to my surprise, judged by that one criteria alone, I believe that Ross' account makes the divine act(s) of creation more splendid and awe-inspiring than the account provided by young-earth creationism.
Being a more splendid account to my finite mind is hardly determinative of the truth. And I have no idea how this will work on my mind in time.
But I welcome and enjoyed Ross book, his skill, his tone. I strongly recommend it to anyone willing to take it on its own terms. If anyone insists on reading it from a combative commitment to another position, I think you will find it entirely unappealing, and I wouldn't encourage you to even bother with it at this point. Read Lennox instead, since he's actually talking to you. If he moves the needle, then maybe give this a chance.
I had to (try to) suspend judgment on the basis of my own predisposition as I read this book. I'm thankful for some other recent reads, especially John C. Lennox, and for a recent reconsideration of the text of Genesis.
My (limited) familiarity with Ross goes back to my teen years, in the 90s, when he was (to my own exposure) the primary exemplar of old-earth creationism. All early exposure was disdainful and critical of him and those that evidenced a lack of discernment by platforming him (Focus on the Family?). Several years ago, I read his book on Job and genuinely enjoyed it. This was my first foray into his more major works.
In short, I really liked it. Fantastic. Powerfully demonstrates the inability of a naturalistic philosophy to account for the rise of life on earth. If Ross' account is right (I'm no scientist), then the ancient age of the earth is testimony not to the time needed to bring about the formation of earth and evolution of man by merely natural processes, but is rather testimony to the incredible precision by which God mapped out the creation of this earth to support the physical life of his image-bearers. Cosmic history according to old-earth creationism, as Ross presents it, is a flabbergasting testimony to the extraordinary care and precision by which God created the world. Sincerely, and to my surprise, judged by that one criteria alone, I believe that Ross' account makes the divine act(s) of creation more splendid and awe-inspiring than the account provided by young-earth creationism.
Being a more splendid account to my finite mind is hardly determinative of the truth. And I have no idea how this will work on my mind in time.
But I welcome and enjoyed Ross book, his skill, his tone. I strongly recommend it to anyone willing to take it on its own terms. If anyone insists on reading it from a combative commitment to another position, I think you will find it entirely unappealing, and I wouldn't encourage you to even bother with it at this point. Read Lennox instead, since he's actually talking to you. If he moves the needle, then maybe give this a chance.
March 5, 2017
Loaded with information and data you rarely hear about. At times an overwhelming amount of data. Could really benefit from more charts, pictures, diagrams, lists. Honestly, this would be incredibly engrossing as a video.
Listening to Ross discuss this information in an interview is more captivating than reading it all in great, laborious detail.
The final chapter entailed a breezing through of what I thought the entire book would contain more of. It felt tacked on/hurried. The book could've used a more comprehensive approach to the theology from the outset so that the final chapter would be more of a culmination.
I'm still glad I read it and it makes for an excellent reference.
Listening to Ross discuss this information in an interview is more captivating than reading it all in great, laborious detail.
The final chapter entailed a breezing through of what I thought the entire book would contain more of. It felt tacked on/hurried. The book could've used a more comprehensive approach to the theology from the outset so that the final chapter would be more of a culmination.
I'm still glad I read it and it makes for an excellent reference.
August 9, 2017
This book gets five stars for what it is -- a dry, data-filled look at how the fossil record paints a beautiful picture of creation. I personally loved it, but I can see how the scientific lingo and heavy emphasis on scientific finding could cause it to drag for some.
"All of God's works of creation are in the context of his greater works of redemption." This is the thesis of this work, and it has caused me to think deeper about the purpose of life on this earth. I recommend it for anyone who is unwilling to simply discount scientific discovery about the cosmos/earth/life, yet firmly believes in Creator God who made it all and said, "It is good."
"All of God's works of creation are in the context of his greater works of redemption." This is the thesis of this work, and it has caused me to think deeper about the purpose of life on this earth. I recommend it for anyone who is unwilling to simply discount scientific discovery about the cosmos/earth/life, yet firmly believes in Creator God who made it all and said, "It is good."
September 11, 2018
Unfortunately, I just didn't find Ross to be a particularly compelling author. He tends to laundry list scientific facts, and has an unfortunate tendency to abbreviate things that don't need to be abbreviated (MWG for Milky Way Galaxy was one which came across in an especially obnoxious way in audiobook format). More concerning to me is the way which he presents facts which don't agree with his worldview - he quickly brushes aside anything which doesn't support his thesis. I notice this especially when he spoke about early evolution. He quickly glossed over the facts which support the concept of a long "primordial soup" era and moves on to all the reasons why he thinks there can be no possibly way animal life evolved from scratch, as it were. It left me deeply questioning what else he might be glossing over to strengthen his own world view. His final chapter is the most energetic, and lays out his appreciation of a loving creator in the facts of creation - a view I happen to agree with. But I really didn't care for how he got there.
September 17, 2018
I am cradle Catholic who believes on evolution and abiogenesis; thus, I am more familiar with the geology, physics and chemistry that Ross brought up than the average young earth creationist; however, this book wasn’t a smooth read. I think my two favorite things about this book are: its set up and my follow up research list. Oh, the joys of scientific reading!
November 6, 2022
I really don't appreciate that Hugh Ross claims the Bible is inaccurate in not only dating the flood, but also in saying that the flood was local, rather than world wide like the Bible clearly states. If the flood was local, why would God have had Noah build an ark? He could have just moved to another part of the country or world. If the flood was local, why did God send two of each kind of animal to the ark? They could have migrated to another part of the world. I could go on. Hugh Ross ignores the plain teaching of the Bible because he puts his trust in science, not in his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
September 30, 2022
Top Resource on Fine-Tuning of Planet Earth
Improbable Planet: How Earth Became Humanity's Home (2016) by Hugh Ross tells the backstory of Earth’s extraordinary environment that today supports billions of human beings and the advanced technology on which their survival depends. The author is a Ph.D. astronomer who, in his years since leaving academia, appears to have mastered a broader range of subjects than would be normal for a specialist researcher. The science of the book is mainstream, backed by forty pages of references at the end. The perspective, however, is radically challenging to the worldview spectrum that currently dominates the scientific community and establishment media.
Hugh Ross is an Evangelical Christian. Nevertheless, after his brief opening chapter 1, he postpones any mention of God, a creator, or a designer until his last chapter (16). In the main body of the book, he simply gives a narrative that is entirely grounded in current science of Earth’s history from the beginning of space-time to the prolonged warm spell that we have enjoyed since the most recent glaciation. A minor difference from most popular science is that, although he quotes scientists who assert evolution, he himself refrains from affirming or denying that evolution took place. What sets this book apart is his intensive focus on how numerous developments along the way were essential to or at least contributed significantly to the culmination of Earth’s history in an environment capable of supporting modern global humanity. The reader who is at all new to this subject will be astonished by the number of such developments, the unexpected ways in which they are essential, and, in many cases, the improbability (“fine-tuning”) required. With such preparation, perhaps the reader will be open to Hugh Ross’ presentation in the last chapter of how the Christian gospel provides a final layer of purpose and hope to an understanding of why the universe is the way it is.
Who might want to read this book? To enjoy it, I do think it is a prerequisite to be comfortable with popular science at a relatively sophisticated general audience level, e.g., of a publication like Science News or a college-level science course for non-majors. Those with less science background may feel overwhelmed. Assuming the prerequisite, I recommend the book to anyone who, objectively, wants to be familiar with proposed examples of fine-tuning in the history of planet Earth. (Purely from a scientific perspective, this book is the most advanced and wide-ranging resource I am aware of for this kind of fine-tuning.) I also recommend this book to anyone who, subjectively, would appreciate hearing how some of the fangs might be pulled from the mouth of the beast that claims the weight of Science compels a belief that humanity is nothing but one random outcome among countless others in a purposeless and uncaring universe. Christians who accept an “old earth” view will find new reasons to praise and glorify God for his Providential care. Multiple Christian friends who lean toward a “young earth” view have also told me that they enjoyed the book and were glad to have learned about its contents.
For anyone who would like a preview of the author’s writing on these things, he has quite a few interesting blog posts on the subject.
Why only four stars? Because the book could be significantly improved with some additional editing. If any Reasons to Believe staff read this review, I would urge the value of preparing a new and improved edition. Most importantly, as another reviewer noted, while the author usually does a good job of explaining things for non-specialists, he occasionally forgets. This is especially true in what I like to call the “No Soup for You” chapter (8) where he makes the case that life first appeared immediately following the so-called Late Heavy Bombardment (LHB), a conclusion inconsistent with the old hypothesis that life emerged after eons of reactions in an optimal, pre-biotic “primordial soup.” The details of this argumentation might better be put in an appendix. I also noted a couple of dozen examples outside of this chapter where terms were not explained for the general reader. Another complaint is that, in the chapter (11) on the “boring billion” period from 2000 – 800 million years ago, the discussion of Biological Soil Crusts unsettles the reader’s confidence by an apparently anachronistic list of BSC constituents and a failure to cite references (which I was able to find on my own) that BSC’s existed within the time period. More generally, although the book has a reassuringly large number of references, not every major assertion has references to support it, a defect that I have verified could be fixed in at least some cases.
As a final comment, I would note that the chapter titles and introductions follow an analogy of a building under construction, which is reasonable but makes it hard to discover or remember what a chapter is actually about. Accordingly, here is my attempt at a concise summary description for each chapter:
1 – The specialness of Earth far greater than generally known.
2 – Some facts that need explaining, three levels of life, and the “rare Earth” hypothesis.
3 – Cosmological preconditions of mass density and age of the universe for a planet Earth.
4 – Galaxy-level preconditions for a planet Earth.
5 – Formation of Earth’s extraordinary solar system, part 1.
6 – Formation of Earth’s extraordinary solar system, part 2.
7 – Habitable planet requirements: much more than “liquid water and solid rocks.”
8 – The origin of life notably early and under less-than-ideal conditions.
9 – Early and sustained photosynthesis and plate tectonics both essential and remarkable.
10 – The vital transition to an oxygenated atmosphere.
11 – The “Boring Billion” period and some additional ways that life has shaped the environment.
12 – The “Faint Young Sun Problem” makes the long-term persistence of an Earth climate suitable for life astonishing and indeed hard to explain at all.
13 – A. Earth’s atypical element abundances and diversity of mineral resources. B. Advanced life speciations and extinctions 1: the Avalon and Cambrian Explosions.
14 – Advanced life speciations and extinctions 2: the Ordovician to the present.
15 – Ice ages and the remarkable optimality of our most recent 9,000 years.
16 – A concluding argument for Biblical purpose.
Improbable Planet: How Earth Became Humanity's Home (2016) by Hugh Ross tells the backstory of Earth’s extraordinary environment that today supports billions of human beings and the advanced technology on which their survival depends. The author is a Ph.D. astronomer who, in his years since leaving academia, appears to have mastered a broader range of subjects than would be normal for a specialist researcher. The science of the book is mainstream, backed by forty pages of references at the end. The perspective, however, is radically challenging to the worldview spectrum that currently dominates the scientific community and establishment media.
Hugh Ross is an Evangelical Christian. Nevertheless, after his brief opening chapter 1, he postpones any mention of God, a creator, or a designer until his last chapter (16). In the main body of the book, he simply gives a narrative that is entirely grounded in current science of Earth’s history from the beginning of space-time to the prolonged warm spell that we have enjoyed since the most recent glaciation. A minor difference from most popular science is that, although he quotes scientists who assert evolution, he himself refrains from affirming or denying that evolution took place. What sets this book apart is his intensive focus on how numerous developments along the way were essential to or at least contributed significantly to the culmination of Earth’s history in an environment capable of supporting modern global humanity. The reader who is at all new to this subject will be astonished by the number of such developments, the unexpected ways in which they are essential, and, in many cases, the improbability (“fine-tuning”) required. With such preparation, perhaps the reader will be open to Hugh Ross’ presentation in the last chapter of how the Christian gospel provides a final layer of purpose and hope to an understanding of why the universe is the way it is.
Who might want to read this book? To enjoy it, I do think it is a prerequisite to be comfortable with popular science at a relatively sophisticated general audience level, e.g., of a publication like Science News or a college-level science course for non-majors. Those with less science background may feel overwhelmed. Assuming the prerequisite, I recommend the book to anyone who, objectively, wants to be familiar with proposed examples of fine-tuning in the history of planet Earth. (Purely from a scientific perspective, this book is the most advanced and wide-ranging resource I am aware of for this kind of fine-tuning.) I also recommend this book to anyone who, subjectively, would appreciate hearing how some of the fangs might be pulled from the mouth of the beast that claims the weight of Science compels a belief that humanity is nothing but one random outcome among countless others in a purposeless and uncaring universe. Christians who accept an “old earth” view will find new reasons to praise and glorify God for his Providential care. Multiple Christian friends who lean toward a “young earth” view have also told me that they enjoyed the book and were glad to have learned about its contents.
For anyone who would like a preview of the author’s writing on these things, he has quite a few interesting blog posts on the subject.
Why only four stars? Because the book could be significantly improved with some additional editing. If any Reasons to Believe staff read this review, I would urge the value of preparing a new and improved edition. Most importantly, as another reviewer noted, while the author usually does a good job of explaining things for non-specialists, he occasionally forgets. This is especially true in what I like to call the “No Soup for You” chapter (8) where he makes the case that life first appeared immediately following the so-called Late Heavy Bombardment (LHB), a conclusion inconsistent with the old hypothesis that life emerged after eons of reactions in an optimal, pre-biotic “primordial soup.” The details of this argumentation might better be put in an appendix. I also noted a couple of dozen examples outside of this chapter where terms were not explained for the general reader. Another complaint is that, in the chapter (11) on the “boring billion” period from 2000 – 800 million years ago, the discussion of Biological Soil Crusts unsettles the reader’s confidence by an apparently anachronistic list of BSC constituents and a failure to cite references (which I was able to find on my own) that BSC’s existed within the time period. More generally, although the book has a reassuringly large number of references, not every major assertion has references to support it, a defect that I have verified could be fixed in at least some cases.
As a final comment, I would note that the chapter titles and introductions follow an analogy of a building under construction, which is reasonable but makes it hard to discover or remember what a chapter is actually about. Accordingly, here is my attempt at a concise summary description for each chapter:
1 – The specialness of Earth far greater than generally known.
2 – Some facts that need explaining, three levels of life, and the “rare Earth” hypothesis.
3 – Cosmological preconditions of mass density and age of the universe for a planet Earth.
4 – Galaxy-level preconditions for a planet Earth.
5 – Formation of Earth’s extraordinary solar system, part 1.
6 – Formation of Earth’s extraordinary solar system, part 2.
7 – Habitable planet requirements: much more than “liquid water and solid rocks.”
8 – The origin of life notably early and under less-than-ideal conditions.
9 – Early and sustained photosynthesis and plate tectonics both essential and remarkable.
10 – The vital transition to an oxygenated atmosphere.
11 – The “Boring Billion” period and some additional ways that life has shaped the environment.
12 – The “Faint Young Sun Problem” makes the long-term persistence of an Earth climate suitable for life astonishing and indeed hard to explain at all.
13 – A. Earth’s atypical element abundances and diversity of mineral resources. B. Advanced life speciations and extinctions 1: the Avalon and Cambrian Explosions.
14 – Advanced life speciations and extinctions 2: the Ordovician to the present.
15 – Ice ages and the remarkable optimality of our most recent 9,000 years.
16 – A concluding argument for Biblical purpose.
May 28, 2024
A SEQUEL TO HIS “WHY THE UNIVERSE IS THE WAY IT IS”
Hugh Norman Ross (born 1945) is a Canadian-born astrophysicist and creationist Christian apologist, who strongly defends the "old earth" perspective.
He wrote in the first chapter of this 2016 book, “A few years ago I wrote a book called 'Why the Universe Is the Way It Is' to show what the characteristics of the universe… tell us about humanity’s ultimate purpose and destiny. I wrote it also as an appeal to those who reject the Creator on the basis that they, as mere humans, can conceive of a better universe than ours to reconsider their claim in light of new discoveries… evidence supports the biblical assertion that this universe serves as a launchpad for the new creation to come… In many respects the book in your hands is … a necessary sequel, given popular notions about Earth as a not-so-special, often hostile, and, in a worst-case scenario, possibly replaceable home for humanity… We don’t seem to be amazed and astonished by Earth’s beauty and treasures, its capacity to support more than 7 billion people and even more billions of other creatures.” (Pg. 13-14)
He states, “Human beings not only possess a mind, they also are endowed with a spirit. This spiritual component enables humans to engage in philosophy and theology and to address questions of ultimate meaning and purpose not only about themselves but also of the rest of Earth’s life and the entirety of the universe.” (Pg. 21)
He observes, “The fossil record clearly exhibits a trend toward increasing diversity. Only recently have ecologists determined … In addition to generating habitats for life, another reason for the world the way it appears to be is so that all the different kinds of life can coexist at high population levels. Existence of the three distinct kinds of life can coexist at high population levels. Existence of the three distinct kinds of life—purely physical; physical and mindful; and physical, mindful, and spiritual---poses a challenge for all models attempting to explain how our world came to be the way it is. Earth needed to prepare for not just one, but three, origins of life.” (Pg. 22)
He points out, “If the universe contained a slightly lower mass density of protons and neutrons, then nuclear fusion in stellar furnaces would have yielded no elements as heavy as carbon or heavier; if a slightly greater mass density, then star burning would have yielded only elements as heavy as iron or heavier… For life to be possible, the universe must be no more or less massive than it is.” (Pg. 24) He adds, “research reveals two good reasons for the timing of Earth’s formation. The first reason has to do with formation of a sufficient abundance and diversity of heavy elements… these elements… require an extensive chain of stellar burning events… A second reason for the long wait is the formation of critically important radioisotopes… It takes 9 billion years of cosmic history for enough supernovae to explode and produce the required quantities of radioisotopes.” (Pg. 26)
He notes, “A remarkable sequence of events over the course of a billion years somehow worked together to place the solar system’s eight planets … in their current orbital positions. The observation that these positions provide optimally for the existence and survival of advanced life on Earth adds considerable weight to what scientists and philosophers refer to as the anthropic principle, or the law of human existence… In brief, the anthropic principle states that all the features of the universe appear fine-tuned for the benefit of human life. The apparent ‘specialness’ of our solar system carries weighty implications well worth additional testing.” (Pg. 75)
He argues, “The quest for deeper understanding of nature and its processes propels scientific advances. So efforts to discover how life originated rightfully focus on how mature might have generated the leap from nonlife to life. However, as in the case of the origin of the universe, when research runs head-on into nature’s limits only SCIENTISM, not science, would rule out consideration of any cause other than nature. At such places, to invoke the possibility of a power and intelligence beyond nature may be the most rational response… supernatural causality warrants respectful consideration by scientists, rather than immediate and unquestioning dismissal.” (Pg. 106)
He states, “The Bible tells us that the more we investigate the record of nature, the more evidence we will find for God’s existence, for his handiwork in preparing the natural realm for our benefit, and for his purposeful involvement in our lives… I have personally found this claim to be true.” (Pg. 221)
He summarizes, “Most of the content in this book documents what scientists have discovered thus far about the preparation of our solar system and of Earth’s physical and biological resources for humans---preparations not just for our existence but also for our globally dispersed, technologically advanced civilization. In the context of the mission God has given his followers to present his offer of redemption to every single people group that resides on Earth, the need for such a civilization becomes evident.” (Pg. 228)
In an Appendix, he suggests, “Given that the Milky Way Galaxy likely contains several billion planets, we can anticipate that before long one or more will be found that closely resembles Earth’s mass, orbital distance, and orbital shape. Nevertheless, research findings … cast a shadow over the optimistic expectation of finding animal life there. Unless the planetary system contains a single star that matches virtually all the Sun’s properties… unless that system contains seven other planets that replicate the properties of all Earth’s planetary companions, and unless that system contains asteroid and comet belts that mimic those in the solar system, the possibility that it carries advanced life remains utterly remote. In this respect, we humans are most likely the only sentient, self-aware physical beings.” (Pg. 235)
This book, and Ross’s other books, will be of great interest to Christians with an “Old Earth” perspective.
Hugh Norman Ross (born 1945) is a Canadian-born astrophysicist and creationist Christian apologist, who strongly defends the "old earth" perspective.
He wrote in the first chapter of this 2016 book, “A few years ago I wrote a book called 'Why the Universe Is the Way It Is' to show what the characteristics of the universe… tell us about humanity’s ultimate purpose and destiny. I wrote it also as an appeal to those who reject the Creator on the basis that they, as mere humans, can conceive of a better universe than ours to reconsider their claim in light of new discoveries… evidence supports the biblical assertion that this universe serves as a launchpad for the new creation to come… In many respects the book in your hands is … a necessary sequel, given popular notions about Earth as a not-so-special, often hostile, and, in a worst-case scenario, possibly replaceable home for humanity… We don’t seem to be amazed and astonished by Earth’s beauty and treasures, its capacity to support more than 7 billion people and even more billions of other creatures.” (Pg. 13-14)
He states, “Human beings not only possess a mind, they also are endowed with a spirit. This spiritual component enables humans to engage in philosophy and theology and to address questions of ultimate meaning and purpose not only about themselves but also of the rest of Earth’s life and the entirety of the universe.” (Pg. 21)
He observes, “The fossil record clearly exhibits a trend toward increasing diversity. Only recently have ecologists determined … In addition to generating habitats for life, another reason for the world the way it appears to be is so that all the different kinds of life can coexist at high population levels. Existence of the three distinct kinds of life can coexist at high population levels. Existence of the three distinct kinds of life—purely physical; physical and mindful; and physical, mindful, and spiritual---poses a challenge for all models attempting to explain how our world came to be the way it is. Earth needed to prepare for not just one, but three, origins of life.” (Pg. 22)
He points out, “If the universe contained a slightly lower mass density of protons and neutrons, then nuclear fusion in stellar furnaces would have yielded no elements as heavy as carbon or heavier; if a slightly greater mass density, then star burning would have yielded only elements as heavy as iron or heavier… For life to be possible, the universe must be no more or less massive than it is.” (Pg. 24) He adds, “research reveals two good reasons for the timing of Earth’s formation. The first reason has to do with formation of a sufficient abundance and diversity of heavy elements… these elements… require an extensive chain of stellar burning events… A second reason for the long wait is the formation of critically important radioisotopes… It takes 9 billion years of cosmic history for enough supernovae to explode and produce the required quantities of radioisotopes.” (Pg. 26)
He notes, “A remarkable sequence of events over the course of a billion years somehow worked together to place the solar system’s eight planets … in their current orbital positions. The observation that these positions provide optimally for the existence and survival of advanced life on Earth adds considerable weight to what scientists and philosophers refer to as the anthropic principle, or the law of human existence… In brief, the anthropic principle states that all the features of the universe appear fine-tuned for the benefit of human life. The apparent ‘specialness’ of our solar system carries weighty implications well worth additional testing.” (Pg. 75)
He argues, “The quest for deeper understanding of nature and its processes propels scientific advances. So efforts to discover how life originated rightfully focus on how mature might have generated the leap from nonlife to life. However, as in the case of the origin of the universe, when research runs head-on into nature’s limits only SCIENTISM, not science, would rule out consideration of any cause other than nature. At such places, to invoke the possibility of a power and intelligence beyond nature may be the most rational response… supernatural causality warrants respectful consideration by scientists, rather than immediate and unquestioning dismissal.” (Pg. 106)
He states, “The Bible tells us that the more we investigate the record of nature, the more evidence we will find for God’s existence, for his handiwork in preparing the natural realm for our benefit, and for his purposeful involvement in our lives… I have personally found this claim to be true.” (Pg. 221)
He summarizes, “Most of the content in this book documents what scientists have discovered thus far about the preparation of our solar system and of Earth’s physical and biological resources for humans---preparations not just for our existence but also for our globally dispersed, technologically advanced civilization. In the context of the mission God has given his followers to present his offer of redemption to every single people group that resides on Earth, the need for such a civilization becomes evident.” (Pg. 228)
In an Appendix, he suggests, “Given that the Milky Way Galaxy likely contains several billion planets, we can anticipate that before long one or more will be found that closely resembles Earth’s mass, orbital distance, and orbital shape. Nevertheless, research findings … cast a shadow over the optimistic expectation of finding animal life there. Unless the planetary system contains a single star that matches virtually all the Sun’s properties… unless that system contains seven other planets that replicate the properties of all Earth’s planetary companions, and unless that system contains asteroid and comet belts that mimic those in the solar system, the possibility that it carries advanced life remains utterly remote. In this respect, we humans are most likely the only sentient, self-aware physical beings.” (Pg. 235)
This book, and Ross’s other books, will be of great interest to Christians with an “Old Earth” perspective.
February 13, 2019
If you want to geek out on data, research, and facts, this is the book for you! It does a great job at laying out all the necessary factors that need to exist for sustainable life to be in a planet. The most logical conclusion after looking at all of this is that this planet was intelligently and carefully designed.
September 9, 2016
Dr. Ross makes a compelling and brilliant case for the improbability of the many factors that make life on any planet viable coming together without the direction of a Creator. It's a relatively easy read, well worth your time.
February 6, 2019
Do you like astronomy, or physics, or perhaps astrophysics? This book is complex and reads like a science text book. It is quite dry and full of facts. I think it is intended for people who want to learn all science terms and facts for the formation of everything. It is specifically a Christian book but there are maybe only four places that mention anything regarding theology (which is interesting).
I think there are many things that could be omitted from this book, or maybe in the form of a reference or an appendix. I mean, I appreciate hearing all about the various different scientists and labs, and when they did their research. But it took a while to get through some of that detail. It would have been nice if each chapter had a bulleted summary at the end (or maybe top five points or so).
Here are some ‘notes’ or tidbits/facts I took note of while reading (listening to) this book (there is a ton of information in this book and hard to sort of sum it all up) (maybe it would have been better to have the print book, I don’t know.):
I’ll put it in a spoiler tag to shorten this down some.
(wow, that was too many notes…)
Audiobook narrator Bob Souer rating: 2.5 stars
I don’t think there are many “Reasons to Believe” books on Audible. This may be the only one. I wish there were more since Audible is a pretty easy service to use.
He was ok at reading this book. I mean, it reads like a science text book so, there isn’t much point of an effort of changing your voice any.
I think there are many things that could be omitted from this book, or maybe in the form of a reference or an appendix. I mean, I appreciate hearing all about the various different scientists and labs, and when they did their research. But it took a while to get through some of that detail. It would have been nice if each chapter had a bulleted summary at the end (or maybe top five points or so).
Here are some ‘notes’ or tidbits/facts I took note of while reading (listening to) this book (there is a ton of information in this book and hard to sort of sum it all up) (maybe it would have been better to have the print book, I don’t know.):
I’ll put it in a spoiler tag to shorten this down some.
(wow, that was too many notes…)
Audiobook narrator Bob Souer rating: 2.5 stars
I don’t think there are many “Reasons to Believe” books on Audible. This may be the only one. I wish there were more since Audible is a pretty easy service to use.
He was ok at reading this book. I mean, it reads like a science text book so, there isn’t much point of an effort of changing your voice any.
August 30, 2024
Hugh Ross is a scientist who believes in Jesus Christ and the Bible. He does not wish to be pushy in his evangelism. He has created Reasons to Believe as a way to spread the gospel and give witness to the truth of the Bible as a scientist. I read this book because I was interested in what he would say about creation from a scientific point of view.
The author introduces the book by talking about another book he wrote that explains the characteristics of the universe and what they tell us about our purpose in the world. He approaches data about earth as a scientist who believes in God. He reviews the approaches we have all learned in school about the earth.
In the second chapter, he talks about the way the world is. He presents scientific evidence that the earth has been through many “rebirths.” The earth has been through cataclysmic experiences that have set it up for perfect conditions for life to exist on it. He explains how the earth has gone from simple to complex organisms and how it had to be this way.
He continues in the third chapter to explain the essential building materials the earth needed. Many have called these some of the anthropic principles that must happen for life to be possible. The earth is unique among the cosmos. The earth needed the right environment to exist and for life to exist on it. The earth is in just the right spot in the universe to bring life and maintain it. Even our galaxy had to be just the right size with just the right things happening within it.
Ross further explains in Chapter 5 how everything had to be prepared in just the right way for earth to produce life. He shows how the planets and the moon were formed. The next chapter explains the earth was not quite ready for life in its beginning stages. Solar radiation was too high. Distances between the planets made conditions chaotic.
Chapter 7 describes the foundation of the earth. He explains how the water of the earth was ready to make life and have it prosper. There are no identical planets to found by scientists as of the writing of this book. The measurements have to be just right for liquid water to service life. Discusses ultraviolet light from the sun also being a specific factor, and other factors dealing with the sun.
He discusses other factors such as the cells that are required for life to expand beyond single-settled organism. Ross continues with talking about plate tectonics, atmosphere and oxygen, but scientist called the “boring billion,” the rotation of the earth and Pangaea, the sun and wind, and many more factors.
The following chapters explain in scientific detail the anthropic principles that must happen for human life, and even life itself, to happen. Ross shows how important all these factors are to have life on the earth. Many times, these factors must be so precise that they must be within a few numbers one way or the other for life to happen.
Chapters 14 and 15 give a brief history of the earth and everything that happened with basic timelines according to Ross and most scientists. I feel that some of the millions and billions of years could only be estimates at best. It is the most detailed history of the earth I have ever seen or read.
In Chapter 16, the author addresses the question of why humans are here. This, I think, is the shining chapter of the book. He has finally come to belief in God and why we can believe in Him. He shares examples of believing and nonbelieving scientists. He shares why he believes in God and that everything that has happened in the universe points to God’s plan for human life.
The first Appendix postulates why there is not life on the moon. The second Appendix answers the question of if we are alone in the universe. I thought this was an interesting Appendix based on a scientific answer of the question.
This book is not for you if you go to a young earth creation theory or do not believe in things like the Big Bang and evolution. Hugh Ross is a theistic evolutionist. He also demonstrates the scientific evidence for an improbable planet on which we live. There is a lot of scientific evidence, specifically laid out by Ross that helps us to understand the miracle of life.
He presents the detailed scientific evidence with its case studies littered throughout the book in the way of describing how you start from the world to your nation to your neighborhood to your house. These illustrations are helpful but I found the book with such great scientific detail informative but hard to follow. I’m not a scientist, so many of the details were over my head.
However, I recommend this book to any unbeliever who is interested in the scientific details of how God made life happened on earth. If you have a scientific mind, you will do better with this book than I did. It will certainly bolster the faith of any scientist who is a Christian.
The author introduces the book by talking about another book he wrote that explains the characteristics of the universe and what they tell us about our purpose in the world. He approaches data about earth as a scientist who believes in God. He reviews the approaches we have all learned in school about the earth.
In the second chapter, he talks about the way the world is. He presents scientific evidence that the earth has been through many “rebirths.” The earth has been through cataclysmic experiences that have set it up for perfect conditions for life to exist on it. He explains how the earth has gone from simple to complex organisms and how it had to be this way.
He continues in the third chapter to explain the essential building materials the earth needed. Many have called these some of the anthropic principles that must happen for life to be possible. The earth is unique among the cosmos. The earth needed the right environment to exist and for life to exist on it. The earth is in just the right spot in the universe to bring life and maintain it. Even our galaxy had to be just the right size with just the right things happening within it.
Ross further explains in Chapter 5 how everything had to be prepared in just the right way for earth to produce life. He shows how the planets and the moon were formed. The next chapter explains the earth was not quite ready for life in its beginning stages. Solar radiation was too high. Distances between the planets made conditions chaotic.
Chapter 7 describes the foundation of the earth. He explains how the water of the earth was ready to make life and have it prosper. There are no identical planets to found by scientists as of the writing of this book. The measurements have to be just right for liquid water to service life. Discusses ultraviolet light from the sun also being a specific factor, and other factors dealing with the sun.
He discusses other factors such as the cells that are required for life to expand beyond single-settled organism. Ross continues with talking about plate tectonics, atmosphere and oxygen, but scientist called the “boring billion,” the rotation of the earth and Pangaea, the sun and wind, and many more factors.
The following chapters explain in scientific detail the anthropic principles that must happen for human life, and even life itself, to happen. Ross shows how important all these factors are to have life on the earth. Many times, these factors must be so precise that they must be within a few numbers one way or the other for life to happen.
Chapters 14 and 15 give a brief history of the earth and everything that happened with basic timelines according to Ross and most scientists. I feel that some of the millions and billions of years could only be estimates at best. It is the most detailed history of the earth I have ever seen or read.
In Chapter 16, the author addresses the question of why humans are here. This, I think, is the shining chapter of the book. He has finally come to belief in God and why we can believe in Him. He shares examples of believing and nonbelieving scientists. He shares why he believes in God and that everything that has happened in the universe points to God’s plan for human life.
The first Appendix postulates why there is not life on the moon. The second Appendix answers the question of if we are alone in the universe. I thought this was an interesting Appendix based on a scientific answer of the question.
This book is not for you if you go to a young earth creation theory or do not believe in things like the Big Bang and evolution. Hugh Ross is a theistic evolutionist. He also demonstrates the scientific evidence for an improbable planet on which we live. There is a lot of scientific evidence, specifically laid out by Ross that helps us to understand the miracle of life.
He presents the detailed scientific evidence with its case studies littered throughout the book in the way of describing how you start from the world to your nation to your neighborhood to your house. These illustrations are helpful but I found the book with such great scientific detail informative but hard to follow. I’m not a scientist, so many of the details were over my head.
However, I recommend this book to any unbeliever who is interested in the scientific details of how God made life happened on earth. If you have a scientific mind, you will do better with this book than I did. It will certainly bolster the faith of any scientist who is a Christian.
November 13, 2023
Stephen J Gould identified a number of ‘contingent’ conditions for the intelligent life, as we know it on Earth, to have come about. These include the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs (enabling the rise of mammals), the emergence (somehow) of human language/intelligence and the development of eukaryotes. Gould had five in all, none which can be attributed to natural selection. This book takes this idea a whole lot further, perhaps too far in some cases, but extends the case for Earth and its intelligent life as being something special, if not unique. Ross has a theistic perspective and is therefore influenced by this, as am I probably, but his arguments are exclusively drawn from mainstream academic (peer reviewed) literature.
Ross uses the metaphor of constructing a large modern building to illustrate the components that need to be in place to support advanced intelligent life on the earth – foundation, air conditioning system, internal fittings etc. (this works better than I’ve described it, but it felt a bit contrived at times). Ross starts out with the basic composition of the earth and its position in the solar system (elaborations of the goldilocks analogy). As ‘When the earth had two moons’ discusses, the orbital gymnastics of the planets in the early solar system were very complex and did not start out as they have turned out. But the balance of water, gas and rock, along with earth ending up in the right temperature zone, as well as having a sun that has cycled through its luminosity as it has, all have to come together to make our planet habitable for the long term.
Following Earths formation, the solar system was still a volatile place, with the formation of the moon believed the result of a collision of major planet sized objects, and many more minor collisions for nearly a billion years. While the moons formation has been a factor in improving conditions on earth for life, it is the remarkably short time between the finish of the ‘late’ period of impact and the earliest emergence of life that is perplexing for science to explain. But it was also essential that life start early in order to setup future conditions, such as free oxygen in the atmosphere. And so from there life needed to progress and survive through to today.
There is always a lot of anthropic principle stuff in this – as the benefactors of our particular history we have an observational bias in recognising this history as unique and perhaps miraculous. The discovery of exoplanets over the last few decades have reinforced that fact that planets are relatively common, but that there aren’t many that look like earth. It is one thing to have big numbers of planets to increase likelihoods of good spots for life, but when the constraints that have to come right begin piling up, even big numbers can be insufficient.
I am both inspired and skeptical after my first read through. Skeptical because without reading the references more thoroughly (and probably needing an academic subscription to access most of them), there is much that could have been ‘anthropic’ – special events for us but not a necessary pre-requisite for any such intelligent life. Did we really need a ‘boring billion’ or would a smaller fraction of this have been ok also? But, I am inspired because I agree with the main thesis of the book that Earth and its history are remarkable and that we will be hard pressed to find another planet like it – for many of the reasons listed in the book. And while I don’t disagree with the theistic perspective Ross outlines, it is the theme of stewardship that I find the more compelling outcome of such thinking. We do not have an option B, and people of the Christian faith have more reason than most to take such a responsibility seriously.
Ross uses the metaphor of constructing a large modern building to illustrate the components that need to be in place to support advanced intelligent life on the earth – foundation, air conditioning system, internal fittings etc. (this works better than I’ve described it, but it felt a bit contrived at times). Ross starts out with the basic composition of the earth and its position in the solar system (elaborations of the goldilocks analogy). As ‘When the earth had two moons’ discusses, the orbital gymnastics of the planets in the early solar system were very complex and did not start out as they have turned out. But the balance of water, gas and rock, along with earth ending up in the right temperature zone, as well as having a sun that has cycled through its luminosity as it has, all have to come together to make our planet habitable for the long term.
Following Earths formation, the solar system was still a volatile place, with the formation of the moon believed the result of a collision of major planet sized objects, and many more minor collisions for nearly a billion years. While the moons formation has been a factor in improving conditions on earth for life, it is the remarkably short time between the finish of the ‘late’ period of impact and the earliest emergence of life that is perplexing for science to explain. But it was also essential that life start early in order to setup future conditions, such as free oxygen in the atmosphere. And so from there life needed to progress and survive through to today.
There is always a lot of anthropic principle stuff in this – as the benefactors of our particular history we have an observational bias in recognising this history as unique and perhaps miraculous. The discovery of exoplanets over the last few decades have reinforced that fact that planets are relatively common, but that there aren’t many that look like earth. It is one thing to have big numbers of planets to increase likelihoods of good spots for life, but when the constraints that have to come right begin piling up, even big numbers can be insufficient.
I am both inspired and skeptical after my first read through. Skeptical because without reading the references more thoroughly (and probably needing an academic subscription to access most of them), there is much that could have been ‘anthropic’ – special events for us but not a necessary pre-requisite for any such intelligent life. Did we really need a ‘boring billion’ or would a smaller fraction of this have been ok also? But, I am inspired because I agree with the main thesis of the book that Earth and its history are remarkable and that we will be hard pressed to find another planet like it – for many of the reasons listed in the book. And while I don’t disagree with the theistic perspective Ross outlines, it is the theme of stewardship that I find the more compelling outcome of such thinking. We do not have an option B, and people of the Christian faith have more reason than most to take such a responsibility seriously.
November 9, 2019
الحياة موجودة على كوكبنا منذ ٤.٨ مليار سنة حسب بعض التقديرات والسجل الأحفوري يرينا أنها ما فتئت تزداد تعقيدا منذ ذلك الحين، ولهذا يقسم الحياة إلى ثلاثة أقسام المادي مثل وحيدات الخلايا والنبات، ومادي عقلي مثل الحيوانات التي تمتلك عقلا ومادي عقلي روحي الإنسان فقط وظهورها بتدرج سببه أن كل منها يلزمه ضبط للوسط الذي يسمح بتكاثره لا أنها نتجت من بعض.
ثم يظهر لنا كيف أن الكون كله من بدايته كان معدا لاستقبالنا فكتلة الباريونات (بروتونات ونترونات) معدة بشكل دقيق لتكون كل عناصر الجدول الدوري ووجودنا اعتمد على ذلك ولذلك كان التأخر، ومعدل توسع الكون مصاحبا الجاذبية كذلك دقيق لدرجة تجعل الكواكب والمجرات تتكون. وهذه المجرات يجب توفر شروط أخرى بها لتكون حاملة للحياة. وهذه الشروط تتوفر بشكل عجيب في درب التبانة، فهي مجرة حلزونية ضمن تجمع مجرات صغير ليس به مجرات كثيرة كبيرة وبه مجرات قزمة بالعدد المناسب لبقاء المجرة الحلزونية على شكلها وبالعمر المناسب لاحتضان الحياة. وبهذه المجرة الحلزونية يجب ان يتوفر بها نظام شمسي نشأ قريبا من مركزها ليكون قريبا من المستعرات ولكن لم يبق كثيرا في ذلك المكان لأنه سيحطمه عاجلا. ثم انتقل لمكان أكثر أمنا لتزدهر الخياة بأحد كواكبه، أحداث غير مرجحة الحدوث في كثير من النظم المشابهة لنظامنا الشمسي ويختصرها الكاتب بقوله
"The future needs of advanced life required that the solar system originate in one of the most dangerous (to life) locations in the MWG and then quickly move into the MWG’s safest (for life) location. The solar system’s origin and development was anything but ordinary."
وبهذا النظام الدقيق يجب تواجد بعض الدروع من الكواكب الغازية الكبيرة، أيذكرك هذا بشيء؟! ثم فرضية تكون القمر من اصطدامه بالأرض يلزمها سرعة دقيقة بزاوية دقيقة وكتلة معتبرة للجسم المصطدم كل هذا ليضمن ثبات محور دوران الأرض لتكون الفصول أربعة والأيام ٢٤ ساعة بدل الست ساعات قبل ذلك.
البحث عن أشباه الأرض جعلنا نقدر أكثر المكانة المثالية التي يحظى بها بيتنا الأم، فبعده عن الشمس واحتواؤه على الماء والغلاف الجوي والمجال المغناطيسي بالنسب المناسبة لنشأة الحياة فالكاتب يقول عن خاصيتين فقط:
"The fact that the liquid water and UV habitable zones must overlap for the sake of life eliminates most planetary systems as possible candidates for hosting life."
بعد اختيار المكان وانخفاض حرارة سطح الأرض ظهرت الحياة بعد توافر الظروف المناسبة. وظهورها بهذه السرعة (منذ حوااي ٣.٨ مليار سنة أي بعد 0.1 مليار سنة فقط من التصادمات المتكررة للنيازك LHB) ينفي تقريبا كل فرضيات abiogenesis لأن الزمن لا يكفي لهكذا احتمالات تعتمد على العشوائية. وبعد نشوء الحياة يرينا كيف تتعاضد الألواح التكتونية مع التركيب الضوئي لبقاء الحياة على الأرض. بعدها يحصل حدث زيادة الأكسجين في الوقت المناسب مع زيادة لمعان الشمس. ثم تمر الأرض يما سماه بعض العلماء بالمليار سنة المملة قبل الانفجار الكبري، ليست مملة على ما يبدو فقد انتشرت بها البكتيريا المقللة للكبريت SRB، وزيادة الكبريت تجعل الأكل مسموما، ليس فقط الكبربت ولكن الجدول ١١.١ بالكتاب يرينا السموم الحيوية التي زيادتها مضرة ونقصانها أيضا مضر. وقشرة الأرض كانت مكونة من غرانيت وبعض الصخور الأخرى الغير داعمة لظهور النباتات عليها وبفضل النظام التعايشي لبعض البكتيريا BSC صارت القشرة غنية بالنتروجين والفسفور والبوتاسيوم مما سهل ازدهار النباتات ومنها ازدهار الحيوانات ليذكر بعدها سلسلة الانفجارات الحيوانية والانقراضات التي خاضتها الأرض في مسيرتها الطويلة.
ثم في الفصول الأخيرة يرينا كم هو مميز الوقت الذي نحن فيه حاليا فالشمس مستقرة في ضيائها واشعاعاتها ولا وجود لانفجار لمستعر قريب منا وأول مرة في تاريخ الأرض يحدث استقرار لدرجة حرارتها بعد عصر جليدي...
الكتاب يلغي بطريقة علمية أي فلسفات مادية عن وجودنا المحير على هذه النقطة الزرقاء الباهتة.
ثم يظهر لنا كيف أن الكون كله من بدايته كان معدا لاستقبالنا فكتلة الباريونات (بروتونات ونترونات) معدة بشكل دقيق لتكون كل عناصر الجدول الدوري ووجودنا اعتمد على ذلك ولذلك كان التأخر، ومعدل توسع الكون مصاحبا الجاذبية كذلك دقيق لدرجة تجعل الكواكب والمجرات تتكون. وهذه المجرات يجب توفر شروط أخرى بها لتكون حاملة للحياة. وهذه الشروط تتوفر بشكل عجيب في درب التبانة، فهي مجرة حلزونية ضمن تجمع مجرات صغير ليس به مجرات كثيرة كبيرة وبه مجرات قزمة بالعدد المناسب لبقاء المجرة الحلزونية على شكلها وبالعمر المناسب لاحتضان الحياة. وبهذه المجرة الحلزونية يجب ان يتوفر بها نظام شمسي نشأ قريبا من مركزها ليكون قريبا من المستعرات ولكن لم يبق كثيرا في ذلك المكان لأنه سيحطمه عاجلا. ثم انتقل لمكان أكثر أمنا لتزدهر الخياة بأحد كواكبه، أحداث غير مرجحة الحدوث في كثير من النظم المشابهة لنظامنا الشمسي ويختصرها الكاتب بقوله
"The future needs of advanced life required that the solar system originate in one of the most dangerous (to life) locations in the MWG and then quickly move into the MWG’s safest (for life) location. The solar system’s origin and development was anything but ordinary."
وبهذا النظام الدقيق يجب تواجد بعض الدروع من الكواكب الغازية الكبيرة، أيذكرك هذا بشيء؟! ثم فرضية تكون القمر من اصطدامه بالأرض يلزمها سرعة دقيقة بزاوية دقيقة وكتلة معتبرة للجسم المصطدم كل هذا ليضمن ثبات محور دوران الأرض لتكون الفصول أربعة والأيام ٢٤ ساعة بدل الست ساعات قبل ذلك.
البحث عن أشباه الأرض جعلنا نقدر أكثر المكانة المثالية التي يحظى بها بيتنا الأم، فبعده عن الشمس واحتواؤه على الماء والغلاف الجوي والمجال المغناطيسي بالنسب المناسبة لنشأة الحياة فالكاتب يقول عن خاصيتين فقط:
"The fact that the liquid water and UV habitable zones must overlap for the sake of life eliminates most planetary systems as possible candidates for hosting life."
بعد اختيار المكان وانخفاض حرارة سطح الأرض ظهرت الحياة بعد توافر الظروف المناسبة. وظهورها بهذه السرعة (منذ حوااي ٣.٨ مليار سنة أي بعد 0.1 مليار سنة فقط من التصادمات المتكررة للنيازك LHB) ينفي تقريبا كل فرضيات abiogenesis لأن الزمن لا يكفي لهكذا احتمالات تعتمد على العشوائية. وبعد نشوء الحياة يرينا كيف تتعاضد الألواح التكتونية مع التركيب الضوئي لبقاء الحياة على الأرض. بعدها يحصل حدث زيادة الأكسجين في الوقت المناسب مع زيادة لمعان الشمس. ثم تمر الأرض يما سماه بعض العلماء بالمليار سنة المملة قبل الانفجار الكبري، ليست مملة على ما يبدو فقد انتشرت بها البكتيريا المقللة للكبريت SRB، وزيادة الكبريت تجعل الأكل مسموما، ليس فقط الكبربت ولكن الجدول ١١.١ بالكتاب يرينا السموم الحيوية التي زيادتها مضرة ونقصانها أيضا مضر. وقشرة الأرض كانت مكونة من غرانيت وبعض الصخور الأخرى الغير داعمة لظهور النباتات عليها وبفضل النظام التعايشي لبعض البكتيريا BSC صارت القشرة غنية بالنتروجين والفسفور والبوتاسيوم مما سهل ازدهار النباتات ومنها ازدهار الحيوانات ليذكر بعدها سلسلة الانفجارات الحيوانية والانقراضات التي خاضتها الأرض في مسيرتها الطويلة.
ثم في الفصول الأخيرة يرينا كم هو مميز الوقت الذي نحن فيه حاليا فالشمس مستقرة في ضيائها واشعاعاتها ولا وجود لانفجار لمستعر قريب منا وأول مرة في تاريخ الأرض يحدث استقرار لدرجة حرارتها بعد عصر جليدي...
الكتاب يلغي بطريقة علمية أي فلسفات مادية عن وجودنا المحير على هذه النقطة الزرقاء الباهتة.
March 15, 2022
Two predominant thoughts came to mind while reading this amazing book. The first of these was the calculus 3 class I took in college, taught by an instructor from MIT. Here I was, trying to take in the subject matter of all of my classes, literally "drinking through a fire hose" attempting to keep up with the flow of information, and here was this instructor, totally comfortable in his explanations of concepts that I barely had the time to grasp, let alone understand. I could relate to author Hugh Ross's insistence on the importance of tectonic plates because I've visited Iceland and have witnessed the impact of "bumping" plates directly. I could nod and assent as Ross explained the purpose of methane because I have visited swamps and have seen the evolution. For most of the book, however, I was envisioning that instructor of calculus, or more possibly, a speeding, careening bobsled ride for which I was barely able to hang on, much less fully appreciate. I was able to ride out the depth and complexity of Ross's arguments; perhaps if I took a few years, I could begin to fully understand and appreciate them.
The second thought was the ancient history class that I taught to sixth graders for 16 years. When posed the question by another instructor, "Do you believe in science or the Bible?" I would answer, "Both." With that ancient history class, I would routinely spend one day of the academic year kicking the door open to the concept that the Book of Genesis mirrors the scientific explanation of the formation of the earth. I believe that genuine teaching is not encapsulated by producing truisms and getting students to memorize and regurgitate them - it's also causing students to think, to take concepts beyond the mere factual. That, I believe, is the purpose for Ross's final chapter, entitled "Why We're Here."
This is an amazing book, well worth the time and effort.
The second thought was the ancient history class that I taught to sixth graders for 16 years. When posed the question by another instructor, "Do you believe in science or the Bible?" I would answer, "Both." With that ancient history class, I would routinely spend one day of the academic year kicking the door open to the concept that the Book of Genesis mirrors the scientific explanation of the formation of the earth. I believe that genuine teaching is not encapsulated by producing truisms and getting students to memorize and regurgitate them - it's also causing students to think, to take concepts beyond the mere factual. That, I believe, is the purpose for Ross's final chapter, entitled "Why We're Here."
This is an amazing book, well worth the time and effort.
November 12, 2018
An amazing read. Our planet is truly unique, in many ways. The book has a lot of technical scientific content – cosmology, astronomy, solar physics, chemistry, geology, oceanography, atmospheric science, biology, evolution potential, etc. Ross covers size & times scales involved for the initial formation & modification of a planet so that it can ultimately provide a suitable & stable environment for life to form. The book starts with the large scale (galaxies) and after a few chapters, progresses to smaller sizes .. down to microbes .. atomic sub-particles. He also covers the time scales for developing each of the unique features of earth.
At each stage, the likelihood of achieving the required environment is evaluated (radiation, gravity, temperature, atmosphere, water, access to critical chemicals, ..) -- usually as a probability estimate.
There are extensive technical references to scientific journals & conferences, so if the reader can check details if you feel so inclined. Most references are within the last ~20 years, during which time mankind has vastly extended our capabilities to observe, to probe & to model the composition and processes that determine our planet's unique situation. The text includes descriptive histories of mankind's attempts to analyze and predict how unique this is. To my amazement, these histories converge -- NOT on a view that there could be many habitable planets in the universe, but that earth is one of a kind in a time period that is also unique.
As for a creation event, religion is not mentioned at all until the final chapter + appendix. By then, I was convinced that it is extremely unlikely that life supporting conditions could result from quasi-random events. It's like a gazillion to one.
At each stage, the likelihood of achieving the required environment is evaluated (radiation, gravity, temperature, atmosphere, water, access to critical chemicals, ..) -- usually as a probability estimate.
There are extensive technical references to scientific journals & conferences, so if the reader can check details if you feel so inclined. Most references are within the last ~20 years, during which time mankind has vastly extended our capabilities to observe, to probe & to model the composition and processes that determine our planet's unique situation. The text includes descriptive histories of mankind's attempts to analyze and predict how unique this is. To my amazement, these histories converge -- NOT on a view that there could be many habitable planets in the universe, but that earth is one of a kind in a time period that is also unique.
As for a creation event, religion is not mentioned at all until the final chapter + appendix. By then, I was convinced that it is extremely unlikely that life supporting conditions could result from quasi-random events. It's like a gazillion to one.
July 12, 2018
The only reason I'm giving this a 4 out of 5 and not 5 out of 5 is due to the level of material that's presented. Granted, I took a few accelerated science classes in high school and college, but the amount of detail presented by Dr. Ross is staggering. It's not something a layman's science reader like myself can sit and digest in one sitting. And I'd argue that's the same experience for so many others who choose to read this book.
That being said, the finished result is fascinating. Dr. Ross gives the most compelling scientific argument for the Biblical account I've ever encountered. As before, the detail in this book is intense. The narrative builds upon itself with every chapter, taking you through the most modern scientific explanations for the known universe, while simultaneously given an argument for the Gospel. I know Dr. Ross has his detractors as he is an "old Earth creationist" but I still find this to be a great book to bridge gaps of understanding for the truly scientific mind who is seeking; someone who is looking for scientific evidence of a creator. This book certainly has that.
If you're looking for a book that spoonfeeds information - at a junior high level - then this is probably not for you. The material is dense and at times can make your head spin. Especially if you have a hard time with all the terminology therein. If you have a background in various scientific disciplines already, then you will probably find this book to be more enjoyable than someone who has to look up terms as he goes.
That being said, the finished result is fascinating. Dr. Ross gives the most compelling scientific argument for the Biblical account I've ever encountered. As before, the detail in this book is intense. The narrative builds upon itself with every chapter, taking you through the most modern scientific explanations for the known universe, while simultaneously given an argument for the Gospel. I know Dr. Ross has his detractors as he is an "old Earth creationist" but I still find this to be a great book to bridge gaps of understanding for the truly scientific mind who is seeking; someone who is looking for scientific evidence of a creator. This book certainly has that.
If you're looking for a book that spoonfeeds information - at a junior high level - then this is probably not for you. The material is dense and at times can make your head spin. Especially if you have a hard time with all the terminology therein. If you have a background in various scientific disciplines already, then you will probably find this book to be more enjoyable than someone who has to look up terms as he goes.
May 22, 2018
This is not the type of book I usually read because of the difficult scientific content and I confess a lot of the information was way over my head. However, what I did glean from this book was the absolute uniqueness of our earth home. Ross is a creationist but does not promote a young earth. He believes that the universe was created over long epochs of time rather than literal 24 hour days. I understand the debate over this issue and I haven't yet decided which side of the argument I fall on but there is much to be learned by reading this book either way.
Ross was not raised in a Christian home but came to faith at age 17 after investigating other religions and studying their teachings on the creation. He found that the Bible gave the only credible description of the creation based upon scientific evidence. If you are of a scientific mindset, I think you will understand far more of the science side of this book than I did. I think it is well worth the read.
Ross was not raised in a Christian home but came to faith at age 17 after investigating other religions and studying their teachings on the creation. He found that the Bible gave the only credible description of the creation based upon scientific evidence. If you are of a scientific mindset, I think you will understand far more of the science side of this book than I did. I think it is well worth the read.
June 27, 2019
Being first a Christian and then a scientist, this book was truly enjoyed. Similar information in smaller tidbits have been published in journals. Improbable Planet, however, created a treasure of new information in a highly readable form for the layman. The author includes astronomy, geology, chemistry and biology. Every time I make an astronomy presentation in SE Ohio for the Zanesville Astronomy Club or for my book, "Unraveling the Christmas Star Mystery," one or two persons inquire about my personal beliefs as to the origin of the universe. I give them my opinion. Now, I can refer them to Hugh Ross's book and suggest they read it. They will then understand "what is required to make possible a large human population and advanced civilization" and the miracles which have occurred to fine-tune our planet.
January 22, 2025
I’m perpetually confused on what theory of origins makes the most sense, but Ross examines the traditional naturalistic account of the formation of the solar system and our planet and shows that there are many factors with narrow margins for error that have to overlap perfectly and be timed just right for life to exist at all, much less intelligent life. If you take this account of the universe seriously then God seems to have hit the trick shot of all trick shots to get us here, and if you’re an atheist you better start looking for those other universes (and many of them) to increase your probabilistic resources. The book could be pretty technical at times. I think if someone searched the terms they don’t understand throughout this book by the end they would have a lot of knowledge on astronomy.
December 27, 2025
Full disclosure: I did not actually finish this book. I read the first 5 chapters, the last chapter, and the appendices. This probably amounts to about a quarter of the book.
This was very difficult to read as Dr. Ross goes into esoteric detail as to how the Earth was created in an extremely narrow sets of materials, locations, times, and such that this effectively rules out its creative as random. Earth was carefully designed and crafted. In each chapter, Ross describes a specific aspect of Earth's creation in scientific terms. It was very hard for this layman to follow. I have up.
In other Hugh Ross books, he brilliantly mixes science data with Scripture so that the rather can follow how creation highlights certain aspects of Scripture. In this book, we have the science but not so much Bible. I was disappointed to the point where I could not finish it. This is pretty rare for me.
This was very difficult to read as Dr. Ross goes into esoteric detail as to how the Earth was created in an extremely narrow sets of materials, locations, times, and such that this effectively rules out its creative as random. Earth was carefully designed and crafted. In each chapter, Ross describes a specific aspect of Earth's creation in scientific terms. It was very hard for this layman to follow. I have up.
In other Hugh Ross books, he brilliantly mixes science data with Scripture so that the rather can follow how creation highlights certain aspects of Scripture. In this book, we have the science but not so much Bible. I was disappointed to the point where I could not finish it. This is pretty rare for me.
April 6, 2023
A magnificent overview of the fine-tuning of the universe. Dr Ross lays out a great many factors that must come together in just the right way at just the right time to allow for complex life in the first place, and to sustain it over time, second.
Hugh looks at factors including the size of the sun, its distance from earth, the role of the moon and other planets, the size and distance of galaxies within superclusters, and much much more.
Truly fascinating and well explained. Dr Ross is a great scholar and communicator.
Psalm 19:1
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.
Hugh looks at factors including the size of the sun, its distance from earth, the role of the moon and other planets, the size and distance of galaxies within superclusters, and much much more.
Truly fascinating and well explained. Dr Ross is a great scholar and communicator.
Psalm 19:1
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.
December 3, 2020
This book is very cerebral. If you don't have a pretty thorough scientific background most of it will go over your head. As it is, I as a college educated person (RN), had a few sections that caused me to do some Googling. Honestly, someone would need multiple PhDs to fully understand its entirety.
That said, it was brilliant, thoughtful, informative and at times humorous. My favorite two chapters were 15 and 16 involving ice ages and an encapsulation of all of the ideas pointing to a higher power that designed our universe with a purpose.
I highly recommend it.
That said, it was brilliant, thoughtful, informative and at times humorous. My favorite two chapters were 15 and 16 involving ice ages and an encapsulation of all of the ideas pointing to a higher power that designed our universe with a purpose.
I highly recommend it.
May 9, 2023
Listened to it via Audible+.
Though I would be unsure about the old earth or progressive creationist account that Ross provides here, the argument that he presents for the universe's design is remarkable. The basic structure of the book follows an analogy that Ross draws between a building and the universe, for example in terms of foundations or ventilation. I would not recommend for someone new to these concepts to listen to this in audiobook form though, because listening to the science is like drinking from a hose blindfolded.
Good.
Though I would be unsure about the old earth or progressive creationist account that Ross provides here, the argument that he presents for the universe's design is remarkable. The basic structure of the book follows an analogy that Ross draws between a building and the universe, for example in terms of foundations or ventilation. I would not recommend for someone new to these concepts to listen to this in audiobook form though, because listening to the science is like drinking from a hose blindfolded.
Good.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews