2007: God or Multiverse

Howard Building, Downing College, Cambridge
24 November 2007

A remarkable feature of the Universe is that the physical constants appear to be fine-tuned for the emergence of life. One possible explanation for this is that a Creator designed the Universe for our benefit. Another - prompted by recent developments in cosmology and particle physics - is that there could be many universes in which the constants are different, in which case the observed fine-tunings just become a selection effect. Some scientists regard this “Multiverse” explanation as more plausible since it is predicted by respectable (albeit speculative) physics but others regard it as just as metaphysical as invoking God since the other universes can never be seen. One might also argue that a God who can create a Universe could equally well create a Multiverse.
The day provided a unique opportunity for three theologians – Dr. Rodney Holder, Sir John Polkinghorne and Prof. Keith Ward – to join two cosmologists – Prof. Bernard Carr and Prof. Peter Coles – in a discussion of these issues. They do not expect to answer the question posed by the title definitively but - between them - they explored all possible views:
(1) no Multiverse and no God (for those who regard both God and the Multiverse as equally unpalatable);
(2) Multiverse and no God (for those who regard the Multiverse as the natural atheistic explanation of finetunings);
(3) no Multiverse and God (the standard theological view);
(4) Multiverse and God (an alternative theological view).
A general discussion, with contributions from the floor followed.

Audio Recordings and Biographical Notes on the Speakers