Cosmic Jackpot
Cosmic Jackpot, also published under the title The Goldilocks Enigma: Why is the Universe Just Right for Life?,[1] is a 2007 non-fiction book by physicist and cosmologist Paul Davies, describing the idea of a fine-tuned universe.
 Cover | |
| Author | Paul Davies |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Subject | Physics |
| Publisher | Penguin Group |
Publication date | 2007 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 242 |
| ISBN | 978-0-618-59226-5 |
| OCLC | 70775587 |
| 523.1/2 22 | |
| LC Class | BS651 .D325 2007 |
The Enigma
In Cosmic Jackpot, Davies argues that certain universal fundamental physical constants are precisely adjusted to make life in the Universe possible: that we have, in a sense, won a "cosmic jackpot," and that conditions are "just right" for life, as in The Story of the Three Bears. As Davies writes elsewhere, "There is now broad agreement among physicists and cosmologists that the universe is in several respects 'fine-tuned' for life."[2]
After explaining this enigma, Davies discusses possible solutions, such as the anthropic principle, the idea of a multiverse which contains many different universes (including our "just right" one), and the idea of intelligent design.
The Multiverse
Davies also discusses a number of other ideas connected with the "multiverse." Much like a pencil falling to the ground from its tip in a trade off of symmetry for stability, Davies writes that the Big Bang could have established a complex but stable universe (or multiverse) from symmetry breaking as the heat radiation in "space" lowered abruptly past the Curie Point.
References
- Google Books: The Goldilocks Enigma
- Paul Davies, "How bio-friendly is the universe?" International Journal of Astrobiology, vol. 2, no. 2 (2003): 115.
External links
- Interview with Paul Davies about his book Cosmic Jackpot (starts at 40 min)
- Op-Ed Paul Davies New York Times Opinion-Editorial
- Paul Davies interview (Salon.com)
- "The Goldilocks Enigma: 3 extracts". Newsnight. BBC NEWS. October 9, 2006. Retrieved August 20, 2019.