Barrow J.D., Tipler F.J. The Anthropic Cosmological Principle

With the foreword by John A. Wheeler. — Oxford University Press, 1986. — 706 p. — ISBN: 0-19-851949-4.Ever since Copernicus, scientists have continually adjusted their view of human nature, moving it further and further from its ancient position at the center of Creation. But in recent years, a startling new concept has evolved that places it more firmly than ever in a special position. Known as the Anthropic Cosmological Principle, this collection of ideas holds that the existence of intelligent observers determines the fundamental structure of the Universe. In its most radical version, the Anthropic Principle asserts that "intelligent information-processing must come into existence in the Universe, and once it comes into existence, it will never die out." This wide-ranging and detailed book explores the many ramifications of the Anthropic Cosmological Principle, covering the whole spectrum of human inquiry from Aristotle to Z bosons. Bringing a unique combination of skills and knowledge to the subject, John D. Barrow and Frank J. Tipler - two of the world's leading cosmologists - cover the definition and nature of life, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, and the interpretation of the quantum theory in relation to the existence of observers. The book will be of vital interest to philosophers, theologians, mathematicians, scientists, and historians, as well as to anyone concerned with the connection between the vastness of the universe of stars and galaxies and the existence of life within it on a small planet out in the suburbs of the Milky Way.Prologue
Anthropic DefinitionsDesign argumentsHistorical Prologue
The Ancients
The Medieval Labryrinth
The Age of Discovery
Mechanical Worlds
Critical Developments
The Devolution of Design
Design in Non-Western Religion and Philosophy
Relationship Between The Design Argument and the Cosmological ArgumentModern teleology and the anthropic principlesOverview: Teleology in the Twentieth Century
The Status of Teleology in Modern Biology
Henderson and the Fitness of the Environment
Teleological Ideas and Action Principles
Teleological Ideas in Absolute Idealism
Biological Constraints on the Age of the Earth: The First Successful Use of an Anthropic Timescale Argument
Dysteleology: Entropy and the Heat Death
The Anthropic Principle and the Direction of Time
Teleology and the Modern ‘Empirical’ Theologians
Teleological Evolution: Bergson, Alexander, Whitehead, and the Philosophers of Progress
Teilhard de Chardin: Mystic, Paleontologist and TeleologistThe rediscovery of the anthropic principleThe Lore of Large Numbers
From Coincidence to Consequence
‘Fundamentalism’
Dirac’s Hypothesis
Varying Constants
A New Perspective
Are There Any Laws of Physics?
DimensionalityThe weak anthropic principle in physics and astrophysicsPrologue
Atoms and Molecules
Planets and Asteroids
Planetary Life
Nuclear Forces
The Stars
Star Formation
White Dwarfs and Neutron Stars
Black Holes
Grand Unified Gauge TheoriesThe anthropic principles in classical cosmologyThe Hot Big Bang Cosmology
The Size of the Universe
Key Cosmic Times
Galaxies
The Origin of the Lightest Elements
The Value of S
Initial Conditions
The Cosmological Constant
Inhomogeneity
Isotropy
Inflation
Inflation and the Anthropic Principle
Creation ex nihilo
Boundary ConditionsQuantum mechanics and the anthropic principleThe Interpretations of Quantum Mechanics
The Many-Worlds Interpretation
The Friedman Universe from the Many-Worlds Point of View
Weak Anthropic Boundary Conditions in Quantum Cosmology
Strong Anthropic Boundary Conditions in Quantum CosmologyThe anthropic principle and biochemistryThe Definitions of Life and Intelligent Life
The Anthropic Significance of Water
The Unique Properties of Hydrogen and Oxygen
The Anthropic Significance of Carbon, Carbon Dioxide and Carbonic Acid
Nitrogen, Its Compounds, and other Elements Essential for Life
Weak Anthropic Principle Constraints on the Future of the EarthThe space-travel argument against the existence of extraterrestrial intelligent lifeThe Basic Idea of the Argument
General Theory of Space Exploration and Colonization
Upper Bounds on the Number of Intelligent Species in the Galaxy
Motivations for Interstellar Communication and Exploration
Anthropic Principle Arguments Against Steady-State CosmologiesThe future of the universeMan’s Place in an Evolving Cosmos
Early Views of the Universe’s Future
Global Constraints on the Future of the Universe
The Future Evolution of Matter: Classical Timescales
The Future Evolution of Matter: Quantum Timescales
Life and the Final State of the Universe