post the seventieth, 2013

the anthropic principle states that perception is reality. if you look up the definition, it sounds more complicated, but boil it down like milk and sugar to the delicious caramel-sweet simplicity: we are what we think we are.

wikipedia... "observations of the physical universe must be compatible with the conscious life that observes it". we can't see what we don't understand. it's like stan shunpike says to harry on the knight bus --

Harry: "How come the Muggles don’t hear the bus?"
Stan: "Them! Don’ listen properly, do they? Don’ look properly either. Never notice nuffink, they don’"

we define our world by what we know. it's a vicious cycle.

the anthropic principle comes to us from the realm of astrophysics and cosmology, where folks spend their days trying to understand and further, to explain, the nature of the universe and, among other things, why the universe is capable of sustaining life. there are two groups. proponents of strong anthropic principle look around and see the unique combination of carbon and hydrogen and oxygen, earth and wind and fire, and they say the universe supports life because the universe is constructed in such a way that it cannot help but support life. it's inevitable. the weak anthropic principle is a bit more convoluted... only in a universe that's capable of supporting life will there be life that can recognize the construction of the universe that supports it, while a universe that's less supportive will go unbeheld. see? like, if all the universe can support is worms, then the universe will exist unnoticed because worms don't notice things, but a universe capable of supporting life that can appreciate it will be appreciated.

our universe appears to be uniquely situated to support life on earth and that's an amazing, precise fit. ...or, is it? is it an amazing, fantastic, mind-blowing confluence of element and circumstance that fits precisely what we need... or do we merely THINK it is an amazing fit for us because we fit in it?

i mean, just because we can exist in the universe doesn't mean it was created for us. just because we perceive it as a unique fit doesn't mean that it is. after all, worms think the puddle they're flopping around in was created especially for them, and we all know the universe is bigger than a worm in a puddle.

...don't we?