Book Review: The Privileged Planet: How Our Place in the Cosmos is Designed for Discovery

Authors: Guillermo Gonzalez and Jay W. Richards
Spiritual Bias: N/A
Origins Bias: Intelligent Design Proponents
Rating: Top Shelf
Level: Intermediate

Comments: There are many books on the subject of intelligent design but few attempt to address the purpose behind the design we observe. In fairly convincing fashion, "The Privileged Planet" explains why the universe appears to be designed for discovery. This hypothesis has surfaced due to the fact that the many of the same attributes that make the universe, solar system, and planet habitable also make for ideal scientific discovery. In this book, the authors present several evidences in support of this notion. One example is the size and distance relationships between the Earth, Moon, and Sun which make for habitability as well as measurability (the ability to observe perfect solar eclipses from Earth contributed to confirmation of Einstein's General Relativity). Necessarily the authors also spend a lot of ink on challenging the myth of the Copernican Principle, which says that there is nothing special or unique about our position in the universe.

"The Privileged Planet" is a very good book and will be part of my library for some time to come. At times, it's a little fact heavy, but has received the highest recommendation that I give and should be read by anyone interested in origins independent of reader worldview.


Sample Quote(s): "Earth's long-lasting hydrological cycle, plate tectonics, oscillating magnetic field, continents, stable orbit, and transparent atmosphere together provide the best overall "laboratory bench" in the Solar System. Earth's surface strikes a balance between the permanence required to preserve patterns written on it and the dynamic yet gentle circulation that subtly sways these "recorder pens" without tearing up its paper-thin crust. The crust records and stores information while maintaining the most habitable environment for complex life in the Solar System."

"Who would have guessed that the asteroid belt, which first seemed like a failed experiment in planet-building or a dangerous planetary junkyard, should play a role not only in Earth's habitability but in scientific discovery as well? As we learn more about the seemingly accidental features of our atmosphere and Solar System, we begin to recognize a trend: The Earth system offers not only a habitat but also a great viewing platform for its inhabitants."

"Our claim is that our habitable environment is an exceptional compromise of diverse conditions for measurability ranging from cosmology and galactic astronomy to geophysics, and that those same conditions are also important for habitability."