Glen Mackie - SAO Project 117 Information

SAO Project 117 Information

Do we self-select our Universe because we are observers?

Project #117. The Anthropic Universe?

Is the Universe "fine-tuned" to allow us, as observers, to exist? The Anthropic Principle suggests that "We may occupy a preferred place or preferred time in the Universe (we may also occupy a preferred Universe)". A similar question is the much quoted "If a tree falls in a deserted forest does it make a noise as it falls?" It is generally agreed that if some physical constants were even slightly different, galaxies, stars and planets could not form and we would not exist. What are the salient details of this debate? For high marks you should describe the background and reasoning of "anthropic" thought, the important players including Dicke and Carter, the weak and strong variations of the principle, and describe the opposition to the anthropic model.

Below I list some web sites and reference books to get you started. The books are not to be regarded as "must buy". They are not required reading for each project, because there is no required reading! I list well known books that I hope can be found in libraries.

I am happy to comment on a summary of what you intend to do (in fact please send me a summary as soon as possible so I know you are on track).

Caution! The Internet

Internet search engines are listed below the Projects. A word of warning/caution to users of Internet/Web resources. Just because information is on a Web page, doesn't mean that it is correct. After a while you will be able to identify the more reputable sites (eg. most .edu, .ac sites). Check the credentials of the author of the site. Has the web site been updated lately? Does it agree with other (non-Internet) information?The truth is out there, but so is a lot of rubbish!

Excerpt from "Cosmological Physics" by John Peacock

Anthropic Principle.com Some good links, BUT, always be wary of any internet site that ends with .com !!

Stanford Philosophy Links

PBS-Hawking web site

Book: Barrow J.D. & Tipler F.J., "The Anthropic Cosmological Principle," 1996

Journal paper: Carter, B. 1983, Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A370, 347.

SAO Astronomy Links

Astronomy Resources

Resource Lists * Astronomical Resources on the World Wide Web: A Guide to Surfing

Internet Search Engines

Google * HotBot * MetaCrawler

General References

CNN Space * Astronomy * Sky and Telescope * Scientific American * Mercury * New Scientist * New Scientist Astronomy Links



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Last updated: 11-Sept.-2003