the anthropic principle the universe is finite and so it has a definite mass or weight it follows that a definite mass/weight, when subject to a given set of circumstances, will give rise to specific events in particular the specific events that followed the big bang determined the electric charge of the electron they also determined the strength of the nuclear force of atoms the electric charge of an electron and the strength of the nuclear force of atoms are but two of the things known as the constants of nature they are called constants of nature because wherever we go in the universe they will be the same and they are that way because of the amount of mass/weight to begin with fairly recently it was realized that if the constants of nature were to have been different by only the tiniest amount then carbon would not have been produced if carbon hadn't occurred in the universe then we wouldn't be here either because of the unnaturally high number of coincidences that has to exist amongst the constants of nature in order for carbon, and consequently ourselves, to exist we can no longer think of ourselves as being a thing of chance this new way of thinking about ourselves in relation to the universe is called the anthropic principle unfortunately it leaves us with a sequence of events that doesn't make sense for now we are thinking about the notion of a designer-principle universe that begins the life processes on a planet that formed out of carbon and other elements at the earliest possible moment a planet could have occurred after the universe began and maintains those processes for 3000 000 000 years so as to predispose conditions so that bipeds can evolve and then fails utterly at the first attempt (the dinosaurs) if it failed with the dinosaurs it could fail with us (mammals) and consequently with any other class of being that might evolve how on earth can you have a designer principle universe, with all the fabulous powers that such a concept implies, that then becomes bungling and inept when it matters most it just doesn't make sense however; if we introduce the novel idea that from amongst the dinosaurs one species, man shaped, succeeded in attaining a level of sophistication that enabled it to achieve perpetuation independent of earth and then after 65 000 000 years of mammal dominated evolution, which is roughly half as long as dinosaurs ruled for, another, man shaped species (ourselves), achieve a level of sophistication which enables us to perpetuate independent of earth it not only makes sense a pattern is emerging and we can further speculate that... in 30 000 000 years, which will be roughly half as long as mammals ruled for, another class of being will evolve from which one species, man shaped, will attain a level of sophistication that will enable it to perpetuate independent of earth which in turn allows this speculation... the universe/earth/life evolutionary processes allows for the continuation of different classes of man shaped beings to evolve until the sun becomes too unstable in about 5000 000 000 years allowing for another 1000 classes of man shaped beings to evolve, each one as different to the next as dinosaurs are to mammals, and then permuting just 30 of a possible 1000 we achieve a figure of 250 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 the idea of a man shaped dinosaur isn't new that they might be alive and well is such speculation appears to have no real contact with what we are doing here and now but is it not the very nature of our being to wonder what the future holds for our children so cherish and nurture our existence, co-lovers, for the anthropic principle is spelling it out we are it further reading... brendan carter breuer rienhardt