What are the odds that this world we live in evolved?
To believe that the world evolved from a big explosion sometime in the past would be like saying that my watch evolved.
Evolve means change. The odds are 100% that the world has changed since its beginning.
It depends on what you mean. If you are asking "what is the likelihood that life on earth evolved from other life," the likelihood is as near to 100% as science ever claims. In other words: all the evidence indicates that all the species on the planet today are descendents of other life forms, and ultimately of a one or very few primitive lifeforms. If you are asking about the chance that life would come about from inorganic processes, the "odds" were pretty good: 1) it happened 2) it happened because of the natural properties of some chemicals and compounds. The search for life on other planets is in part a search for a confirmation that this process can and did happen elsewhere under similar conditions.
To determine the odds of this world evolving, we can approach it from a scientific perspective. The theory of evolution, proposed by Charles Darwin and supported by extensive scientific evidence, suggests that the diversity of life on Earth evolved over billions of years.
The process of evolution involves random genetic variations (mutations) occurring in populations of living organisms. These variations can provide certain advantages or disadvantages for survival and reproduction. Favorable traits tend to be passed on to the next generation, leading to the gradual change and adaptation of species over time.
To assess the odds of evolution, we need to consider the vastness of the universe and the number of potential habitable planets. The Milky Way alone contains billions of stars, and astronomers estimate that there could be over 100 billion galaxies in the observable universe. This suggests that there are countless opportunities for life to evolve on other planets.
Furthermore, the evidence for evolution is based on various scientific disciplines, including paleontology, genetics, and comparative anatomy. Fossils provide a rich record of past life forms, and the discovery of transitional fossils supports the idea of gradual changes over time.
Genetic studies reveal shared DNA sequences and similarities among organisms, pointing to a common ancestry and evolutionary relationships. Additionally, observations of natural selection and speciation in action provide further evidence for the evolutionary process.
While it is impossible to assign an exact numerical probability to the evolution of our world, considering the vastness of the universe and the compelling scientific evidence for evolution, it is reasonable to conclude that the odds are in favor of life evolving on Earth and potentially on other worlds as well.