Under The Microscope

COSMIC COINCIDENCES by John Gribbin and Martin Rees; Black Swan, 1991; 302 pages; $16.95

I've always been a little suspicious of John Gribbin's writing ever since he made a prat of himself over the so-called Jupiter Effect. His latest enthusiasm is also a source of heated debate -- the anthropic universe. In its strongest sense, the anthropic principle suggests that the universe and everything in it, from the original conditions of the Big Bang to the freezing point of water, has been tailor-made for Man. These are the "cosmic coincidences" of the title, coincidences which Gribbin and Rees imply are Truly Significant.

Their arguments are unconvincing and their logic dubious. One could just as well argue that the entire universe, including Man, has been created for the benefit of cockroaches, or for promoting the carbon cycle. However, ignore the Significant Coincidences and the special pleading that surrounds them, and you are left with a good broad look at current cosmology. Gribbin does write well, and Rees, as Cambridge's professor of astronomy, provides intellectual rigour and accuracy. Their discussions range over cosmic strings, dark matter and gravity waves, covering these and other potentially confusing concepts clearly and concisely.

Vicki Hyde, NZSM