B i b l i o f i l e

ET, Phone God

This readable but poorly imagined genre novel is notable for presenting natural theological arguments within the context of an account of First Contact with extraterrestrials.

“Natural theology” is the label applied to attempts to demonstrate the existence of an omnipotent creator by an examination of the characteristics of the natural world.

Contemporary science is agreed that both the structure and the development of the cosmos are dependent upon certain parameters, the value of each of which must lie within narrow limits in order for intelligent life to develop on Earth or any other planet.

For example, if the strength of gravity was very slighter greater, then the average star would be smaller, stellar nuclear fusion would proceed at a much greater rate, and the Sun would have a life of thousands, rather than billions, of years. Life could not possibly evolve on such a short time scale.

Advocates of natural theology have claimed that this “fine-tuning” of the constants of nature is so unlikely that it can only be explained by the existence of a creator god. Those unfamiliar with this kind of reasoning may be impressed by its exposition in this book, even though there are faults with its presentation.

It has been suggested by reputable scientific thinkers that there are many universes, each with a different set of constants. This idea has been extended to argue that there is a kind of “natural selection” at work, as a result of which universes that are favourable to the development life tend to be more numerous than those hostile to life. The concept of the natural selection of universes is dependent upon the notion that when a large supernova remnant collapses to form a black hole, a new universe is formed.

Thus, the existence of a universe “fine-tuned” for the development of life is not such a mystery when we take into account that there are an infinite number of other universes, each with its own peculiar set of constants. Rather than being unlikely, the existence of at least one universe with a set of constants necessary for the development of life is a certainty.

Unfortunately, Calculating God presents the above explanation as being the only alternative to what might be called “the argument for god from cosmic fine-tuning.” This straw man is then easily, though unsatisfactorily, demolished in the novel. (One of the extraterrestrial visitors informs the protagonist that its planet’s scientists have demonstrated conclusively that there are not and cannot be other universes).
It is indeed true to say that the suggestion that other universes exist is highly speculative and that there is no solid evidence for it. However, the “argument from fine-tuning” can be rebuffed without recourse to the “multiple universes” speculation.

Puzzling over why the constants have values that allow the development of intelligent life is a bit like a puddle wondering why it exactly fits the depression in which it lies. The fact is, if the universe was not here, we would be able to talk about it.

The author does present a good counter-argument to the argument from design in the field of biology. There are 64 possible “words” in the genetic code, which means that there could be three synonyms for each amino acid that DNA utilises. However, in reality some “words” have no synonyms, and one has as many as six. This would suggest that if DNA was designed, then the designer was incompetent, if not malicious. For transcription errors can cause cancer, and the more synonyms there are, the lass the chance of a transcription error.

The final part of the novel is more than a little ridiculous, with the deity manifesting itself to stop a supernova destroying life on planets in this part of the Galaxy, and then giving birth! The author should be ashamed.

On a more positive note, there are some pertinent remarks on how public institutions in Canada such as museums are suffering cutbacks in state funding, becoming commercialised and “dumbed down.” It is clear that Canada has been infected by the neo-liberal ethos espoused by Thatcher, Blair and Brown. The author’s stance on this issue, at least, cannot be faulted. If I am ever in Ontario, I will be sure to visit the Royal Ontario Museum.