TNRTB Archive - Retained for reference information
Astronomers have discovered additional galactic design characteristics. A requirement for human life is that the home galaxy maintain a stable spiral without any significant substructure. A new study demonstrates that as a spiral galaxy ages it generates processes that lead to the formation of such substructures—branches, spurs, and feathers—that form in and around the spiral arms. Such developing chaos can disturb a planetary system’s orbit about the center of a galaxy and expose that planetary system to deadly radiation and destructive gas and dust clouds. Consequently, the timing of humanity’s creation must be carefully designed. The galaxy must be old enough to provide humanity with the right kind and quantity of heavy elements, but not so old as to generate significant spiral substructure. The Milky Way exhibits such just-right design characteristics.
S. Chakrabarti, G. Laughlin, and F. H. Shu, “Branch, Spur, and Feather Formation in Spiral Galaxies,” Astrophysical Journal, 596 (2003), pp. 220-239.
http://arxiv.org/pdf/astro-ph/0306472v1.pdf
RTB article: Facts for Faith articles on the anthropic principle
RTB book: The Creator and the Cosmos, third edition
