In recent decades, scientists have uncovered evidence that if the universe had been forged with even slightly different properties, life as we know it – and life as we can imagine it – would be impossible. With small tweaks to the way the universe works, we can erase the periodic table, disintegrate particles and remove all traces of structure in the cosmos. The fine-tuning of the universe for life is a major unsolved problem in the world of physics. In this talk, Dr. Luke A. Barnes will introduce the science, and show how it leads to deep questions about our cosmos that declare God’s handiwork.
Dr. Luke A. Barnes is a senior lecturer in Physics at Western Sydney University, with a Ph.D in Astronomy from the University of Cambridge. The focus of his research has been the cosmic evolution of matter, galaxy formation, and the fine tuning of the universe for life. Luke is a coauthor with Prof. Geraint Lewis of A Fortunate Universe: Life in a Finely-Tuned Cosmos (2016) and The Cosmic Revolutionary’s Handbook (2019), published by Cambridge University Press.