Page 135 - The Creation Of The Universe

es that are necessary for life to take place. In gases, on the other hand, the
atoms move about freely and chaotically: it would be impossible for the
complex mechanisms of life-forms to function within such a structure.
In short, the existence of a liquid environment is essential in order for
the processes necessary for life to take place. The most ideal of all liq-
uids–or rather, the only ideal liquid–for this purpose is water.
That water possesses properties that are extraordinarily fit for life is
something that drew the attention of scientists long ago. The first attempt to
investigate this subject in detail however was Astronomy and General
Physics Considered with Reference to Natural Theology, a book by the

English naturalist William Whewell that was published in 1832. Whewell had
been examining the thermal properties of water and noticed that some of
them seemed to violate the accepted rules of natural law. The conclusion he
drew from this was that these inconsistencies should be taken as proof that
this substance had been specially created in order for life to exist.
The most comprehensive analysis of the suitability of water for life was
to come from Lawrence Henderson, a professor in the Department of