Fine Tuning

Fine Tuning of the Universe:

The fine tuned universe is the idea that even the slightest changes in the laws of nature would make it impossible for life to exist. Below is a list of some of the laws that if anyone of these was slightly different, then life could not exist.

Scientists have a hard time explaining why all these factors are just right for life to form in our universe. The most common explanation is that we live in a multiverse. Therefore there are countless universes out there that do not contain life. We just happen to be in the one that has the right conditions.

• Quantum Field Theory (QFT) describes particles as configurations of a field. QFT says a vacuum state will still exist in the absence of any particles. This would require there to be a considerable amount of energy in a vacuum state. For this to be true, the vacuum energy and quantum fields cancel each other out. This requires a fairly precise coincidence between several independent factors.
• Matter consists of 25 different types of subatomic particles. The slightest deviation to their properties (mass, charge and spin) would significantly affect how they interact and behave. This would lead to the complete instability of matter.
• Our universe contains 3 dimensions of space and dimension of time. Three dimensions of space are needed for stable atoms and stable planetary orbits. Also three dimensions of space and one dimension of time are needed or atomic systems could not remain stable.
• The gravitational force in the universe. If gravity was slightly stronger, the universe would not expand and would be very small. If gravity was slightly weaker than the universe would expand faster and no planets, stars, or galaxies would form.
• Our universe is neutrally charged, meaning there are almost the same number of protons to cancel out the electrons charge. If the universe was negatively charged, then matter would push apart and nothing would form. Again no planets, stars, galaxies or any big pieces of matter.
• The electromagnetic force that holds an atom's electrons and atomic nuclei together. If this was slightly weaker or stronger, we would not have stable chemical bonds.
• The strong nuclear force holds nuclei of atoms together which would otherwise be repulsive due to the electromagnetic force. If it was weaker, there would be far fewer stable chemical elements.
• The weak nuclear force which governs radioactive decay. If it was slightly stronger or weaker, stars would not form.
• The amount of dark energy in the universe. Dark energy is the name of the energy thought to be driving the expansion of the universe. When physicists try to calculate how much dark energy should be in the universe, they are 10 to the power of 120 times too high. Not only do scientists not know why there is so little dark energy, if there was slightly more, spacetime would have expanded so fast that galaxies would not form.
• Of the infinite number of curvatures the universe could have had, zero curvature, or the flat universe, is the most unstable. Our universe is flat. But without it being zero, some scientists say that the universe we know with all the structures and life in it would not exist if it was not flat.
• The laws of physics appear to be completely symmetric between matter and antimatter. But all the planets, stars, galaxies that we see are made up 100% of matter.

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