Fine-tuned universe

Uncommon card · No. 136988

The fine-tuned universe is the hypothesis that, because "life as we know it" could not exist if the constants of nature—such as the electron charge or the gravitational constant—had been even slightly different, the universe must be tuned specifically for life. In practice, this hypothesis is formulated in relation to dimensionless physical constants. These physical constants, parameters, and initial conditions of the universe at or around the Big Bang played a key role in allowing life to emerge and evolve. There are about 31 physical constants in the Standard Model of particle physics and the standard model of cosmology combined, and they seem to have unusual precision.

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