Why is there something rather than nothing? We may never know. If gods created us, we may learn one day why. Still, that doesn’t explain why these gods exist. Perhaps the gods don’t know either. Coincidence and evolution explain why there are humans, but not why there is a universe. The odds appear stacked against us being here, so we might see our existence as a miracle and think this universe is there for us. However, had humans never arrived on the scene, no cat or fern would have wondered why it exists. Once you reverse the argument, you can see what is wrong with it.

My existence depends on my parents having met. Had my father not broken his leg during a soccer game, he might not have met my mother, who was a nurse in the local hospital. Or, my mother might have had a headache on the night I would otherwise have been conceived. My parents’ existence, in turn, depends on countless accidental actions of the many generations before them. If one of my forebears had slept ten minutes longer on 16 September 1455, I might not exist.

The number of incidents that could have prevented my existence is infinite. Yet, despite the near-zero odds, I exist. If the purpose of the universe were to create me, that must be a miracle. But why isn’t this universe made for that fat grey cat sneaking through my garden or a particular fern growing in the forest? The chance of their existence is as low as yours. Similarly, the chances of humans appearing when dinosaurs were still roaming and of living creatures emerging here on Earth when the galaxy started were also negligible.

In a similar vein, some argue that it is unlikely that this universe emerged by chance. The laws of physics and the values of physical constants appear designed for life to exist. It is the same type of error: thinking that my existence is a miracle. If the universe didn’t support life, we wouldn’t be there to notice it. A rabbit doesn’t ponder these questions, yet the existence of rabbits is as great a miracle as our existence. And how do we know the physical constants and natural laws that support life? And how does that rule out chance? There could be an infinite number of universes with different laws and constants. And this universe might support life by accident.

Intelligent design proponents claim that evolutionary processes lack the intelligence to design something as complex as a human being. And so, life on Earth requires an intelligent Creator. Indeed, the chance of life to emerge in the way it did was close to zero from the outset, and still, we are here, as are ferns and octopuses. Scientific findings indicate life on this planet had four billion years to develop. Given ample time, the possibilities are endless, and anything could happen. Competition, or the struggle for survival, is a force that promotes complexity but has no intelligence.

Humans have messed things up and turned this world into a wasteland. Humans are the outcome of competition between species. Competition always ends in disaster, and in the case of natural selection, it is humans. This world would be a much better place without them. No intelligent designer would design humans unless this individual seeks the praise of the created beings, desires to see their vain endeavours fail, or wants to save us from our stupidity in the nick of time by sending a saviour, as that makes a good story. So, if there is a Creator, this individual is likely humanoid, so the simulation argument makes sense. Our failure is so complete that you might wonder whether this world is real. We can’t be such a failure, or can we? Indeed, you can be right for the wrong reasons.

This world could be a simulation. Our ego stands in the way of seeing the truth, and it is the reason why we are a failed species. Pride is our road to destruction. The mystery of being is not much of a mystery. It is merely that a fool can ask more questions than a thousand sages can answer. If the possibilities are infinite, everything that ever happened once had a near-zero chance of transpiring. However, something had to happen, and that is what occurred. If there is no Creator, this world would still make perfect sense. It is our ego that tells us we are unique and special, so our existence is a miracle that requires a brilliant Creator who is infinitely wise and all-knowing. It doesn’t mean that there isn’t a Creator. After all, we could live inside a simulation modelled after the real world.

Latest revision: 28 October 2025