Is there a compelling scientific argument that points to God’s existence? Surprisingly, modern physics provides a powerful case suggesting an intelligence behind our universe. This is known as the Fine-Tuning Argument, and although it has ancient roots in the classic design arguments, recent discoveries have given it new significance.
What exactly is a design argument? Simply put, it suggests that the universe’s complexity and order indicate an intelligent creator. Historically, this idea resonated widely, from ancient philosophers like Plato to medieval theologians and beyond. In 1802, William Paley famously compared the universe to a watch: just as a watch clearly implies a watchmaker, Paley reasoned, the universe implies a creator. However, Paley’s biological argument weakened after Darwin explained how life forms could evolve naturally. Nevertheless, physicists’ recent discoveries about fine-tuning and design have revived and significantly strengthened the modern design argument.
To understand this modern version, we must first appreciate a profound mystery identified by physicists throughout the 20th century. Physicists discovered about 25 special numbers—known as “constants of nature”—that describe fundamental features of our universe. These numbers include constants like the mass of an electron and the strength of electromagnetic interactions. Remarkably, scientists found these numbers were built into the laws of physics, yet they appeared completely arbitrary. They weren’t derived from any deeper theory or mathematical law; they were simply measured and accepted as facts. The great physicist Richard Feynman described this enigma as “one of the greatest damn mysteries of physics.”
This mystery was subsequently solved by an extraordinary discovery known as “fine-tuning.” Physicists in the latter half of the 20th century found that these constants aren’t arbitrary after all—they are precisely set to allow a complex, structured, and ordered universe. If some of these numbers were even slightly different, atoms wouldn’t form, stars wouldn’t burn, and life would be impossible.
One striking example of fine-tuning is the cosmological constant, which controls the universe’s expansion rate. Scientists discovered that it is fine-tuned to an astonishing precision of about 120 decimal places. If it varied even slightly, the universe would either expand too rapidly for galaxies to form or collapse back in on itself, preventing the formation of pretty much anything.
Such extraordinary fine-tuning strongly implies intentional fine tuning. Just as encountering an intricately calibrated machine clearly suggests a skilled engineer, encountering this precisely adjusted universe suggests an intelligent cause.
Many scientists, however, resist this conclusion, proposing instead the multiverse theory. According to this idea, there exist infinitely many unobservable universes, each with different constants. Most universes are bereft of any higher structures or complexity, but we find ourselves in one of the rare universes capable of supporting life because no other kind of universe could be observed by intelligent beings. On the surface, this might seem a plausible alternative to the intelligent fine-tuner, but it has significant problems.
Firstly, the multiverse remains entirely speculative, with no direct observational evidence supporting it. More critically, the multiverse theory faces what is known as the “measure problem.” In an infinite multiverse containing every conceivable type of universe, every possibility occurs infinitely many times. Under these conditions, scientists cannot meaningfully determine probabilities or identify a “typical” universe. Without the ability to define what a typical universe looks like, the multiverse theory loses its explanatory power.
In contrast, the explanation of an intelligent cause neatly matches the evidence. Intelligence, by definition, involves selecting precise conditions from a range of possibilities to achieve a specific outcome. The fine-tuned nature of our universe fits precisely this pattern of intelligent selection.
In conclusion, the profound mystery of nature’s constants, now solved by the astonishing discovery of fine-tuning, provides strong evidence for the existence of an intelligent creator. Alternative explanations like the multiverse are deeply flawed and face serious theoretical challenges. Therefore, the simplest and most compelling explanation remains that our universe was intentionally designed by an intelligent cause—God.
Rabbi Elie Feder, PhD, a Rebbe at Yeshiva Bnei Torah and a math professor at Kingsborough Community College, is the author of Gematria Refigured (2022) and Happiness in the Face of Adversity (2024). He is also a co-host of the podcast “Physics to God” and the host of the podcast “Simply Deep.”
Rabbi Aaron Zimmer, co-host of the “Physics to God” podcast, earned a physics degree and received rabbinical ordination from Rabbi Yisrael Chait. Aaron then utilized his personal resources to venture into commodity futures trading, such as oil, natural gas, cotton, sugar, and coffee. His strategic approach was deeply rooted in the conceptual frameworks of physics and the Brisker Method for Talmudic analysis. After an eleven-year career, Aaron retired and now channels his intellectual energy into studying various branches of knowledge, including the Talmud and physics.
