LUCKY PLANET:
Why earth is exceptional and what that means
for life in the universe
By David Waltham
Icon Books. 224 pages. £14.99
ISBN 978 1 848 316 560
This is a fascinating book on a popular topic. It is basically an easy read (though some technical sections will slow the reader down). The book is written like a detective story – and that’s what science is: the what, when, how and, sometimes, who? David Waltham describes himself as a geoscientist, but with a strong interest in cosmology.
He begins by summarising the different approaches to the Earth: is it special or is in just another mediocre planet in a vast universe? He carefully argues that it is, in fact, a unique planet. But why? His position is that, rather than being the result of ‘divine providence… I put it down to good fortune: a good fortune that is inevitable somewhere in a big enough universe’ (p.14). An interesting reversal of the usual position that in such a large universe there must be many Earths!
God, Gaia or Goldilocks
Dr Waltham suggests that there are ‘three possible explanations for why we happen to live on a well-regulated planet’. These he characterises as God, Gaia or Goldilocks (p.101). The significance of these terms will be apparent to those who have looked at this subject before. He immediately dismisses the first option, believing that science is better equipped than religion to solve such issues. He does not dismiss a belief in God directly, suggesting that if we are ‘looking for God, I wouldn’t start from here’.
Inevitably the subject is approached through an evolutionary perspective and timescales. However, the author is quite prepared to challenge conventional thinking and even his own. This is a refreshing and a truly scientific approach to any subject and so he is open to new evidence pointing in a different direction. He frequently admits that the various models are ‘highly controversial’. Obviously his thesis is in contrast to the biblical view that the Earth was created especially for man.
The author lists a number of the unique aspects of the Earth that contribute, in his thinking, to it being a ‘lucky planet’ (p.41). He covers such points as the strong and long-lived magnetic field, the solar wind, the rate of the Earth’s rotation and the circularity of its orbit, the angle of its axis to the orbit and its location in the galaxy. Other topics are picked up throughout the book.
Morning stars that sing together
There is an interesting discussion on the ‘music of the spheres’ (p.111) in which he describes how orbital vibrations could be understood in terms of the planetary orbits singing. My mind went to Job 38.7, where the LORD tells Job of the ‘morning stars [that] sang together’.
Waltham’s thesis is that the uniqueness of the earth is due, ultimately, to its thermostat-ically-controlled climate. The planet’s temperature range is very limited compared to other heavenly bodies. But what causes this? The answer to this takes up the rest of the book.
He points out how temperature control is important to chemistry and physics, which, of course, underlie our biological and physical processes.
Dr Waltham comments on ‘human dexterity and balance [which] are unmatched anywhere else in nature’ (p.135), though he displays his evolutionary bias at the end of that paragraph. In discussing human intelligence, he relates the rise of this to the evolutionary timescale giving rise to habitability of the planet and this in turn to the nature of the sun over the timescale. He proposes that biology, geology and astronomy interact to give a broadly stable climate.
So, what is the key to the stability of the climate and the consequent rise of life uniquely on Earth? He concludes that it is life itself. This is the underlying theme of the Gaia hypothesis. Though he warms to this approach, as he admits, he points out that it ‘lacks unambiguous observational support and has significant theoretical difficulties’ (p.152).
The author then moves on to his final proposals. He favours a ‘lucky universe’ rather than a ‘lucky planet’, believing that ‘perhaps the entire cosmos is fine-tuned for life’ (p.157). This leads him to discuss other factors (p.166–179) that mark out the uniqueness of Earth and this universe (he considers ours to be part of the multi-universe system favoured by many cosmologists at the present time). He draws attention to the phenomenon that has fascinated many: the amazing total eclipse of the sun by the Earth. This in itself seems very special.
As he comes to the end of his interesting journey, he considers the Gaia hypothesis. Gaia is also popularly known as ‘Mother Earth’; a term aggravatingly used regularly in the media. Though attractive to him, he feels that it fails to account adequately for the special nature of our planet. He proposes that we should look at an alternative ‘god’, Nemesis, the ‘goddess of undeserved fortune’ (p.204). Though I am sure that Waltham would not wish to be described as a believer in this Greek goddess, it seems remarkable to me that so many who would wish to reject the biblical revelation of the true God turn in the end to some false god of mythology for their inspiration.
Dr Waltham considers the reasons why people reject the ‘anthropic principle’, that this world is uniquely fitted (I would say, designed) for intelligent human life (p.211). He refers to our planet as ‘an amazingly beautiful, unique, and, dare I say it, miraculous place’. Yes, sir, you may say it – we believe it too. He ends with the comment, ‘On earth we have laughed, loved and wondered at the beauty of the world and the Universe around us. We are part of an extraordinary miracle and I, for one, feel very lucky’ (p.214).
Would I recommend this book? For those who are interested in the ‘anthropic principle’ and able to evaluate carefully what they are reading, I would say this is a good read. But, keep your eyes on the Scriptures.
