The Accidental Universe: Science’s Crisis of Faith Cover Image

Przypadkowy Wszechświat: kryzys wiary w nauce
The Accidental Universe: Science’s Crisis of Faith

Author(s): Alan P. Lightman
Subject(s): Philosophy
Published by: Instytut Filozofii, Uniwersytet Zielonogórski
Keywords: accident; fundamental principles and parameters of the universe; fine-tuning; anthropic principle; dark energy; multiverse; theory of eternal inflation; string theory

Summary/Abstract: The history of science can be viewed as the recasting of phenomena that were once thought to be accidents as phenomena that can be understood in terms of fundamental causes and principles. This long and appealing trend may be coming to an end. Dramatic developments in cosmological findings and thought have led some of the world’s premier physicists to propose that our universe is only one of an enormous number of universes with wildly varying properties, and that some of the most basic features of our particular universe are indeed mere accidents — a random throw of the cosmic dice. In which case, there is no hope of ever explaining our universe’s features in terms of fundamental causes and principles.

  • Issue Year: 2012
  • Issue No: 09
  • Page Range: 255-267
  • Page Count: 13
  • Language: Polish