Fine Tuning of the Universe The Next CEO of Stack OverflowHow many times do solar protons repeatedly fuse and fission before they form deuteronFine Tuned UniverseRelationship between hierarchy problem and higgs fine tuning?Definition of Fine-TuningEarliest example of naturalness/fine-tuning argumentsMultiverse explanation of fine tuning of cosmic constantsCan dimensional regularization solve the fine-tuning problem?Are the fundamental constants of nature independent?Does the Peccei-Quinn (PQ) mechanism require fine-tuning?Why does the flatness problem (of the universe) present a fine tuning problem?Bare Cosmological Constant and Fine-Tuning Problem
Easy to read palindrome checker
Can I board the first leg of the flight without having final country's visa?
What day is it again?
Man transported from Alternate World into ours by a Neutrino Detector
Is it ever safe to open a suspicious HTML file (e.g. email attachment)?
Inexact numbers as keys in Association?
Small nick on power cord from an electric alarm clock, and copper wiring exposed but intact
Can Sneak Attack be used when hitting with an improvised weapon?
Is there an equivalent of cd - for cp or mv
Redefining symbol midway through a document
Is there a way to save my career from absolute disaster?
How to get the last not-null value in an ordered column of a huge table?
What happened in Rome, when the western empire "fell"?
Could a dragon use its wings to swim?
Why do we say 'Un seul M' and not 'Une seule M' even though M is a "consonne"
what's the use of '% to gdp' type of variables?
Does destroying a Lich's phylactery destroy the soul within it?
Is it correct to say moon starry nights?
IC has pull-down resistors on SMBus lines?
Expectation in a stochastic differential equation
Is fine stranded wire ok for main supply line?
Defamation due to breach of confidentiality
How to use ReplaceAll on an expression that contains a rule
Audio Conversion With ADS1243
Fine Tuning of the Universe
The Next CEO of Stack OverflowHow many times do solar protons repeatedly fuse and fission before they form deuteronFine Tuned UniverseRelationship between hierarchy problem and higgs fine tuning?Definition of Fine-TuningEarliest example of naturalness/fine-tuning argumentsMultiverse explanation of fine tuning of cosmic constantsCan dimensional regularization solve the fine-tuning problem?Are the fundamental constants of nature independent?Does the Peccei-Quinn (PQ) mechanism require fine-tuning?Why does the flatness problem (of the universe) present a fine tuning problem?Bare Cosmological Constant and Fine-Tuning Problem
$begingroup$
I'm an A level student looking into the fine tuning of various constants.
Physicists explain the extensive effects that would happen if these constants were to be changed/different and hence, how this affects the probability of life existing. What I fail to understand is why, if these constants were to be different, life wouldn't adapt to these changes. If gravity was stronger, then wouldn't the general muscle mass/stability of life be greater through evolution in order to withstand a greater force? Or am I looking at it from the wrong perspective? Some clarification on this would be appreciated.
physical-constants time-evolution cosmological-constant fine-tuning
asked Mar 27 at 19:38
Samuel HunterSamuel Hunter
284
New contributor
Samuel Hunter is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
I'm an A level student looking into the fine tuning of various constants.
Physicists explain the extensive effects that would happen if these constants were to be changed/different and hence, how this affects the probability of life existing. What I fail to understand is why, if these constants were to be different, life wouldn't adapt to these changes. If gravity was stronger, then wouldn't the general muscle mass/stability of life be greater through evolution in order to withstand a greater force? Or am I looking at it from the wrong perspective? Some clarification on this would be appreciated.
physical-constants time-evolution cosmological-constant fine-tuning
asked Mar 27 at 19:38
Samuel HunterSamuel Hunter
284
New contributor
Samuel Hunter is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
$endgroup$
2
$begingroup$
It's more fundamental than that: if certain constants were different, it could prevent stars and planets from forming, much less allow liquid water to exist, and then allow for organic chemistry as we know it.
$endgroup$
– Dmitry Brant
Mar 27 at 20:22
$begingroup$
Some related references are cited in the introduction of "Preliminary Inconclusive Hint of Evidence Against Optimal Fine Tuning of the Cosmological Constant for Maximizing the Fraction of Baryons Becoming Life" (arxiv.org/abs/1101.2444)
$endgroup$
– Chiral Anomaly
Mar 27 at 23:48
add a comment |
$begingroup$
I'm an A level student looking into the fine tuning of various constants.
Physicists explain the extensive effects that would happen if these constants were to be changed/different and hence, how this affects the probability of life existing. What I fail to understand is why, if these constants were to be different, life wouldn't adapt to these changes. If gravity was stronger, then wouldn't the general muscle mass/stability of life be greater through evolution in order to withstand a greater force? Or am I looking at it from the wrong perspective? Some clarification on this would be appreciated.
physical-constants time-evolution cosmological-constant fine-tuning
asked Mar 27 at 19:38
Samuel HunterSamuel Hunter
284
New contributor
Samuel Hunter is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
$endgroup$
I'm an A level student looking into the fine tuning of various constants.
Physicists explain the extensive effects that would happen if these constants were to be changed/different and hence, how this affects the probability of life existing. What I fail to understand is why, if these constants were to be different, life wouldn't adapt to these changes. If gravity was stronger, then wouldn't the general muscle mass/stability of life be greater through evolution in order to withstand a greater force? Or am I looking at it from the wrong perspective? Some clarification on this would be appreciated.
physical-constants time-evolution cosmological-constant fine-tuning
physical-constants time-evolution cosmological-constant fine-tuning
asked Mar 27 at 19:38
Samuel HunterSamuel Hunter
284
New contributor
Samuel Hunter is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked Mar 27 at 19:38
Samuel HunterSamuel Hunter
284
New contributor
Samuel Hunter is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked Mar 27 at 19:38
Samuel HunterSamuel Hunter
284
New contributor
Samuel Hunter is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked Mar 27 at 19:38
Samuel HunterSamuel Hunter
284
asked Mar 27 at 19:38
Samuel HunterSamuel Hunter
284
284
New contributor
Samuel Hunter is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
Samuel Hunter is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Samuel Hunter is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
2
$begingroup$
It's more fundamental than that: if certain constants were different, it could prevent stars and planets from forming, much less allow liquid water to exist, and then allow for organic chemistry as we know it.
$endgroup$
– Dmitry Brant
Mar 27 at 20:22
$begingroup$
Some related references are cited in the introduction of "Preliminary Inconclusive Hint of Evidence Against Optimal Fine Tuning of the Cosmological Constant for Maximizing the Fraction of Baryons Becoming Life" (arxiv.org/abs/1101.2444)
$endgroup$
– Chiral Anomaly
Mar 27 at 23:48
add a comment |
2
$begingroup$
It's more fundamental than that: if certain constants were different, it could prevent stars and planets from forming, much less allow liquid water to exist, and then allow for organic chemistry as we know it.
$endgroup$
– Dmitry Brant
Mar 27 at 20:22
$begingroup$
Some related references are cited in the introduction of "Preliminary Inconclusive Hint of Evidence Against Optimal Fine Tuning of the Cosmological Constant for Maximizing the Fraction of Baryons Becoming Life" (arxiv.org/abs/1101.2444)
$endgroup$
– Chiral Anomaly
Mar 27 at 23:48
2
2
$begingroup$
It's more fundamental than that: if certain constants were different, it could prevent stars and planets from forming, much less allow liquid water to exist, and then allow for organic chemistry as we know it.
$endgroup$
– Dmitry Brant
Mar 27 at 20:22
$begingroup$
It's more fundamental than that: if certain constants were different, it could prevent stars and planets from forming, much less allow liquid water to exist, and then allow for organic chemistry as we know it.
$endgroup$
– Dmitry Brant
Mar 27 at 20:22
$begingroup$
Some related references are cited in the introduction of "Preliminary Inconclusive Hint of Evidence Against Optimal Fine Tuning of the Cosmological Constant for Maximizing the Fraction of Baryons Becoming Life" (arxiv.org/abs/1101.2444)
$endgroup$
– Chiral Anomaly
Mar 27 at 23:48
$begingroup$
Some related references are cited in the introduction of "Preliminary Inconclusive Hint of Evidence Against Optimal Fine Tuning of the Cosmological Constant for Maximizing the Fraction of Baryons Becoming Life" (arxiv.org/abs/1101.2444)
$endgroup$
– Chiral Anomaly
Mar 27 at 23:48
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
$begingroup$
The variation you are talking about here would still be considered relatively 'fine-tuned', in the following sense:
If the strength of gravity was stronger by such an amount such that the processes that govern the formation of stars, planets, complex molecules, and life were relatively unchanged (in that they still take place in a recognizable fashion), then the strength of gravity must be quite similar to what we observe. If this were the case, yes, there is no reason that life might not develop to be a bit tougher.
However, such a difference would have to be very small indeed. Arguments about fine-tuning are based on the observation that even relatively small changes to certain constants would be enough to drastically change the make-up of the universe.
For example, Paul Davies notes that if the strong force were 2% stronger than it is, hydrogen would fuse to form diprotons as opposed to helium as it would be energetically favorable. This would drastically alter structure formation in the early universe, leading to a today where planets do not even exist, let alone weak or strong animals on them. I should note here that the 2% figure quoted by Davies may not be accurate, but this is the idea at play here.
In short, the problems from fine-tuning start to occur far before life would ever develop in the first place.
answered Mar 27 at 20:20
gabegabe
377112
$endgroup$
1
$begingroup$
also look at the triple $alpha$ process (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple-alpha_process) which appears terribly fine tuned, and is the only way to make lots of carbon and oxygen, which are life's favorite elements.
$endgroup$
– JEB
Mar 27 at 22:16
$begingroup$
The proton-proton chain does start by making a diproton (aka $^2_2mathrmHe$), which by the weak force can turn into a deuteron, but normally the diproton just falls apart instead. According to Ben's answer here the number of times a solar core proton makes a diproton before it suceeds in making a deuteron is on the order of $10^23$. So stars would have very short lifespans if the diproton were stable.
$endgroup$
– PM 2Ring
Mar 28 at 8:13
add a comment |
StackExchange.ifUsing("editor", function ()
return StackExchange.using("mathjaxEditing", function ()
StackExchange.MarkdownEditor.creationCallbacks.add(function (editor, postfix)
StackExchange.mathjaxEditing.prepareWmdForMathJax(editor, postfix, [["$", "$"], ["\\(","\\)"]]);
);
);
, "mathjax-editing");
StackExchange.ready(function()
var channelOptions =
tags: "".split(" "),
id: "151"
;
initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);
StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function()
// Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled)
StackExchange.using("snippets", function()
createEditor();
);
else
createEditor();
);
function createEditor()
StackExchange.prepareEditor(
heartbeatType: 'answer',
autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
convertImagesToLinks: false,
noModals: true,
showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
reputationToPostImages: null,
bindNavPrevention: true,
postfix: "",
imageUploader:
brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
allowUrls: true
,
noCode: true, onDemand: true,
discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
);
);
Samuel Hunter is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function ()
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
);
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
StackExchange.ready(
function ()
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fphysics.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f469025%2ffine-tuning-of-the-universe%23new-answer', 'question_page');
);
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
$begingroup$
The variation you are talking about here would still be considered relatively 'fine-tuned', in the following sense:
If the strength of gravity was stronger by such an amount such that the processes that govern the formation of stars, planets, complex molecules, and life were relatively unchanged (in that they still take place in a recognizable fashion), then the strength of gravity must be quite similar to what we observe. If this were the case, yes, there is no reason that life might not develop to be a bit tougher.
However, such a difference would have to be very small indeed. Arguments about fine-tuning are based on the observation that even relatively small changes to certain constants would be enough to drastically change the make-up of the universe.
For example, Paul Davies notes that if the strong force were 2% stronger than it is, hydrogen would fuse to form diprotons as opposed to helium as it would be energetically favorable. This would drastically alter structure formation in the early universe, leading to a today where planets do not even exist, let alone weak or strong animals on them. I should note here that the 2% figure quoted by Davies may not be accurate, but this is the idea at play here.
In short, the problems from fine-tuning start to occur far before life would ever develop in the first place.
answered Mar 27 at 20:20
gabegabe
377112
$endgroup$
1
$begingroup$
also look at the triple $alpha$ process (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple-alpha_process) which appears terribly fine tuned, and is the only way to make lots of carbon and oxygen, which are life's favorite elements.
$endgroup$
– JEB
Mar 27 at 22:16
$begingroup$
The proton-proton chain does start by making a diproton (aka $^2_2mathrmHe$), which by the weak force can turn into a deuteron, but normally the diproton just falls apart instead. According to Ben's answer here the number of times a solar core proton makes a diproton before it suceeds in making a deuteron is on the order of $10^23$. So stars would have very short lifespans if the diproton were stable.
$endgroup$
– PM 2Ring
Mar 28 at 8:13
add a comment |
$begingroup$
The variation you are talking about here would still be considered relatively 'fine-tuned', in the following sense:
If the strength of gravity was stronger by such an amount such that the processes that govern the formation of stars, planets, complex molecules, and life were relatively unchanged (in that they still take place in a recognizable fashion), then the strength of gravity must be quite similar to what we observe. If this were the case, yes, there is no reason that life might not develop to be a bit tougher.
However, such a difference would have to be very small indeed. Arguments about fine-tuning are based on the observation that even relatively small changes to certain constants would be enough to drastically change the make-up of the universe.
For example, Paul Davies notes that if the strong force were 2% stronger than it is, hydrogen would fuse to form diprotons as opposed to helium as it would be energetically favorable. This would drastically alter structure formation in the early universe, leading to a today where planets do not even exist, let alone weak or strong animals on them. I should note here that the 2% figure quoted by Davies may not be accurate, but this is the idea at play here.
In short, the problems from fine-tuning start to occur far before life would ever develop in the first place.
answered Mar 27 at 20:20
gabegabe
377112
$endgroup$
1
$begingroup$
also look at the triple $alpha$ process (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple-alpha_process) which appears terribly fine tuned, and is the only way to make lots of carbon and oxygen, which are life's favorite elements.
$endgroup$
– JEB
Mar 27 at 22:16
$begingroup$
The proton-proton chain does start by making a diproton (aka $^2_2mathrmHe$), which by the weak force can turn into a deuteron, but normally the diproton just falls apart instead. According to Ben's answer here the number of times a solar core proton makes a diproton before it suceeds in making a deuteron is on the order of $10^23$. So stars would have very short lifespans if the diproton were stable.
$endgroup$
– PM 2Ring
Mar 28 at 8:13
add a comment |
$begingroup$
The variation you are talking about here would still be considered relatively 'fine-tuned', in the following sense:
If the strength of gravity was stronger by such an amount such that the processes that govern the formation of stars, planets, complex molecules, and life were relatively unchanged (in that they still take place in a recognizable fashion), then the strength of gravity must be quite similar to what we observe. If this were the case, yes, there is no reason that life might not develop to be a bit tougher.
However, such a difference would have to be very small indeed. Arguments about fine-tuning are based on the observation that even relatively small changes to certain constants would be enough to drastically change the make-up of the universe.
For example, Paul Davies notes that if the strong force were 2% stronger than it is, hydrogen would fuse to form diprotons as opposed to helium as it would be energetically favorable. This would drastically alter structure formation in the early universe, leading to a today where planets do not even exist, let alone weak or strong animals on them. I should note here that the 2% figure quoted by Davies may not be accurate, but this is the idea at play here.
In short, the problems from fine-tuning start to occur far before life would ever develop in the first place.
answered Mar 27 at 20:20
gabegabe
377112
$endgroup$
The variation you are talking about here would still be considered relatively 'fine-tuned', in the following sense:
If the strength of gravity was stronger by such an amount such that the processes that govern the formation of stars, planets, complex molecules, and life were relatively unchanged (in that they still take place in a recognizable fashion), then the strength of gravity must be quite similar to what we observe. If this were the case, yes, there is no reason that life might not develop to be a bit tougher.
However, such a difference would have to be very small indeed. Arguments about fine-tuning are based on the observation that even relatively small changes to certain constants would be enough to drastically change the make-up of the universe.
For example, Paul Davies notes that if the strong force were 2% stronger than it is, hydrogen would fuse to form diprotons as opposed to helium as it would be energetically favorable. This would drastically alter structure formation in the early universe, leading to a today where planets do not even exist, let alone weak or strong animals on them. I should note here that the 2% figure quoted by Davies may not be accurate, but this is the idea at play here.
In short, the problems from fine-tuning start to occur far before life would ever develop in the first place.
answered Mar 27 at 20:20
gabegabe
377112
edited Mar 27 at 20:26
answered Mar 27 at 20:20
gabegabe
377112
answered Mar 27 at 20:20
gabegabe
377112
answered Mar 27 at 20:20
gabegabe
377112
377112
1
$begingroup$
also look at the triple $alpha$ process (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple-alpha_process) which appears terribly fine tuned, and is the only way to make lots of carbon and oxygen, which are life's favorite elements.
$endgroup$
– JEB
Mar 27 at 22:16
$begingroup$
The proton-proton chain does start by making a diproton (aka $^2_2mathrmHe$), which by the weak force can turn into a deuteron, but normally the diproton just falls apart instead. According to Ben's answer here the number of times a solar core proton makes a diproton before it suceeds in making a deuteron is on the order of $10^23$. So stars would have very short lifespans if the diproton were stable.
$endgroup$
– PM 2Ring
Mar 28 at 8:13
add a comment |
1
$begingroup$
also look at the triple $alpha$ process (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple-alpha_process) which appears terribly fine tuned, and is the only way to make lots of carbon and oxygen, which are life's favorite elements.
$endgroup$
– JEB
Mar 27 at 22:16
$begingroup$
The proton-proton chain does start by making a diproton (aka $^2_2mathrmHe$), which by the weak force can turn into a deuteron, but normally the diproton just falls apart instead. According to Ben's answer here the number of times a solar core proton makes a diproton before it suceeds in making a deuteron is on the order of $10^23$. So stars would have very short lifespans if the diproton were stable.
$endgroup$
– PM 2Ring
Mar 28 at 8:13
1
1
$begingroup$
also look at the triple $alpha$ process (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple-alpha_process) which appears terribly fine tuned, and is the only way to make lots of carbon and oxygen, which are life's favorite elements.
$endgroup$
– JEB
Mar 27 at 22:16
$begingroup$
also look at the triple $alpha$ process (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple-alpha_process) which appears terribly fine tuned, and is the only way to make lots of carbon and oxygen, which are life's favorite elements.
$endgroup$
– JEB
Mar 27 at 22:16
$begingroup$
The proton-proton chain does start by making a diproton (aka $^2_2mathrmHe$), which by the weak force can turn into a deuteron, but normally the diproton just falls apart instead. According to Ben's answer here the number of times a solar core proton makes a diproton before it suceeds in making a deuteron is on the order of $10^23$. So stars would have very short lifespans if the diproton were stable.
$endgroup$
– PM 2Ring
Mar 28 at 8:13
$begingroup$
The proton-proton chain does start by making a diproton (aka $^2_2mathrmHe$), which by the weak force can turn into a deuteron, but normally the diproton just falls apart instead. According to Ben's answer here the number of times a solar core proton makes a diproton before it suceeds in making a deuteron is on the order of $10^23$. So stars would have very short lifespans if the diproton were stable.
$endgroup$
– PM 2Ring
Mar 28 at 8:13
add a comment |
Samuel Hunter is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Samuel Hunter is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Samuel Hunter is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Samuel Hunter is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Thanks for contributing an answer to Physics Stack Exchange!
- Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!
But avoid …
- Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.
- Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.
Use MathJax to format equations. MathJax reference.
To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function ()
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
);
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
StackExchange.ready(
function ()
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fphysics.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f469025%2ffine-tuning-of-the-universe%23new-answer', 'question_page');
);
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function ()
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
);
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function ()
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
);
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function ()
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
);
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
2
$begingroup$
It's more fundamental than that: if certain constants were different, it could prevent stars and planets from forming, much less allow liquid water to exist, and then allow for organic chemistry as we know it.
$endgroup$
– Dmitry Brant
Mar 27 at 20:22
$begingroup$
Some related references are cited in the introduction of "Preliminary Inconclusive Hint of Evidence Against Optimal Fine Tuning of the Cosmological Constant for Maximizing the Fraction of Baryons Becoming Life" (arxiv.org/abs/1101.2444)
$endgroup$
– Chiral Anomaly
Mar 27 at 23:48