Next Book: A Fortunate Universe – Life in a Finely Tuned Cosmos

I’ve been quite interested in the physics behind the apparent “fine-tuning” of the universe recently, so I decided to invest in what appears to be a well-regarded review of the subject. “A Fortunate Universe” is an exceptionally accessible telling of the “fine-tuning” literature by two physicists at the Sydney Institute for Astronomy: Geraint Lewis, and Luke Barnes.

Luke Barnes is a postdoctoral researcher in cosmology and extremely active researcher of apparent fine-tuning in the universe. Geraint Lewis is a professor of cosmology and head of the Gravitational Astrophysics group at the University of Sydney.

The book was published relatively recently in 2016 and is an excellent review of academic research into the extent and mysteries of fine-tuning. “A Fortunate Universe” provides compelling evidence to support the claim that if our universe had slightly different properties, then life as we know it would not exist, and there is extensive discussion of its implications. A lot of time is devoted to clearing up some of the misconceptions around fine-tuning and addressing some of the strong-feelings that can be aroused aroused. While the mystery of apparent “fine-tuning” is very much alive, the book explains with admirable clarity what the possible solutions are.