One of the most extraordinary features of the solar system is that it contains adequate abundances of all the elements essential for advanced life. What makes it so exceptional is that the elements … more

As I described in last week’s Today’s New Reasons To Believe, two MIT planetary scientists added to the list of these features. Their modeling of the formation history of planets the size … more

This is the conclusion that Earth has many unique, apparently designed features that enable it to support life and, in particular, advanced life. The reseachers model degassing during the accretion … more

The big bang creation event— as taught by the Bible for centuries1— now stands well established by astronomers’ observations of the universe.2 This observational evidence shows that … more

Imagine a luxurious house on a remote ranch. Looking out the windows you see majestic mountains on one side and a scenic ocean expanse out the other. The location insures that you can enjoy the … more

The solar system’s current position (in between two nearby exceptionally symmetrical and widely separated spiral arms that are devoid of any significant spurs or feathers) keeps the solar … more

When I first started graduate school in 1991, only the planets in our solar system were known. By the time I finished almost six years later, astronomers had found over a dozen planets beyond the … more

Phosphates serve as the backbone for all nucleic acids and are the major repository of chemical energy for metabolism. The human body contains about 11,000 parts per million of phosphorus by weight. … more

I enjoy traveling, whether taking a trip to visit relatives for Christmas or a summertime vacation to witness the beauty of creation. However, any trip with my family (wife and five kids) requires … more

Sulfur plays a crucial role in life chemistry. This fact became personal for me a year ago when I was diagnosed as sulfur deficient. Many protein functions crucially depend on sulfur. Fortunately, … more

Likewise, the discovery of over 300 extrasolar gas giant planets combined with spacecraft missions to explore the outer solar system is beginning to establish the rare gas giant planet system … more

This event occurred approximately 2.4 billion years ago. The oxygen content of Earth’s atmosphere rose from just one thousandth of a percent (10-5) of its present level (about 21 percent of the … more

We base this view on the Solar System’s various characteristics required to provide the long-term conditions necessary for life in general and especially for the advanced life on Earth. On the … more

9/12/2008 by Dr. David Rogstad

Since its inception 22 years ago, Reasons To Believe has held the position that our Solar System is extremely unusual, probably unique in the observable universe. We … more

A few months ago, Hugh Ross discussed efforts by various astronomers to find a twin of the Sun using six different star properties. Only four or five stars out of more than 100,000 had characteristics … more

In the December 2007 issue of Astrobiology Stanford University geophysicists Norman H. Sleep and Mark D. Zoback note that the higher tectonic activity during Earth’s early history could have … more

The masses and orbits of the solar system’s four gas giant planets are crucial for life on planet Earth. Without the gas giant planets, Earth would suffer from frequent life-destructive … more