9. October, 2013Uncategorized

In response to a question in class, here is a list of 34 constants, quantities, and ratios that have been ‘fine-tuned’ in order for intelligent life to exist in the universe.  The list comes from 1998 – more have been discovered since then!

Fine Tuning Parameters for the Universe

1. strong nuclear force constant if larger: no hydrogen would form; atomic nuclei for most    life-essential elements would be unstable; thus, no life chemistry if smaller: no elements heavier than hydrogen would form: again, no    life chemistry
2. weak nuclear force constant if larger: too much hydrogen would convert to helium in big bang;    hence, stars would convert too much matter into heavy elements making life    chemistry impossible if smaller: too little helium would be produced from big bang; hence,    stars would convert too little matter into heavy elements making life    chemistry impossible
3. gravitational force constant if larger: stars would be too hot and would burn too rapidly and too    unevenly for life chemistry     if smaller: stars would be too cool to    ignite nuclear fusion; thus, many of the elements needed for life chemistry    would never form
4. electromagnetic force constant if greater: chemical bonding would be disrupted; elements more    massive than boron would be unstable to fission if lesser: chemical bonding would be insufficient for life chemistry
5. ratio of electromagnetic force constant to gravitational force constant if larger: all stars would be at least 40% more massive than the sun;    hence, stellar burning would be too brief and too uneven for life support     if    smaller: all stars would be at least 20% less massive than the sun, thus    incapable of producing heavy elements
6. ratio of electron to proton mass if larger: chemical bonding would be insufficient for life chemistry if smaller: same as above
7. ratio of number of protons to number of electrons if larger: electromagnetism would dominate gravity, preventing    galaxy, star, and planet formation if smaller: same as above
8. expansion rate of the universe if larger: no galaxies would form     if smaller: universe would    collapse, even before stars formed
9. entropy level of the universe if larger: stars would not form within proto-galaxies if smaller:    no proto-galaxies would form
10. mass density of the universe if larger: overabundance of deuterium from big bang would cause stars    to burn rapidly, too rapidly for life to form if smaller: insufficient helium from big bang would result in a    shortage of heavy elements
11. velocity of light if faster: stars would be too luminous for life support if slower:    stars would be insufficiently luminous for life support
12. age of the universe if older: no solar-type stars in a stable burning phase would exist    in the right (for life) part of the galaxy if younger: solar-type stars in a    stable burning phase would not yet have formed
13. initial uniformity of radiation if more uniform: stars, star clusters, and galaxies would not have    formed if less uniform: universe by now would be mostly black holes and    empty space
14. average distance between galaxies if larger: star formation late enough in the history of the universe    would be hampered by lack of material if smaller: gravitational    tug-of-wars would destabilize the sun’s orbit
15. density of galaxy cluster if denser: galaxy collisions and mergers would disrupt the sun’s    orbit if less dense: star formation late enough in the history of the    universe would be hampered by lack of material
16. average distance between stars if larger: heavy element density would be too sparse for rocky    planets to form     if smaller: planetary orbits would be too unstable    for life
17. fine structure constant (describing the fine-structure splitting of    spectral lines) if larger: all stars would be at least 30% less    massive than the sun if larger than 0.06: matter would be unstable in large magnetic    fields if smaller: all stars would be at least 80% more massive than the sun
18. decay rate of protons if greater: life would be exterminated by the release of radiation if smaller: universe would contain insufficient matter for life
19. ¹²C to ¹⁶O nuclear energy level ratio if larger: universe would contain insufficient oxygen for life if smaller: universe would contain insufficient carbon for life
20. ground state energy level for ⁴He if larger: universe would contain insufficient carbon and oxygen for    life     if smaller: same as above
21. decay rate of ⁸Be if slower: heavy element fusion would generate catastrophic    explosions in all the stars if faster: no element heavier than beryllium would form; thus, no    life chemistry
22. ratio of neutron mass to proton mass if higher: neutron decay would yield too few neutrons for the    formation of many life-essential elements if lower: neutron decay would    produce so many neutrons as to collapse all stars into neutron stars or    black holes
23. initial excess of nucleons over anti-nucleons if greater: radiation would prohibit planet formation if lesser:    matter would be insufficient for galaxy or star formation
24. polarity of the water molecule if greater: heat of fusion and vaporization would be too high for    life if smaller: heat of fusion and vaporization would be too low for    life; liquid water would not work as a solvent for life chemistry; ice would    not float, and a runaway freeze-up would result
25. supernovae eruptions if too close, too frequent, or too late: radiation would exterminate    life on the planet if too distant, too infrequent, or too soon: heavy elements would be    too sparse for rocky planets to form
26. white dwarf binaries if too few: insufficient fluorine would exist for life chemistry if too many: planetary orbits would be too unstable for life if formed too soon: insufficient fluorine production if formed too late: fluorine would arrive too late for life chemistry
27. ratio of exotic matter mass to ordinary matter mass if larger: universe would collapse before solar-type stars could form if smaller: no galaxies would form
28. number of effective dimensions in the early universe if larger: quantum mechanics, gravity, and relativity could not    coexist; thus, life would be impossible if smaller: same result
29. number of effective dimensions in the present universe if smaller: electron, planet, and star orbits would become unstable     if    larger: same result
30. mass of the neutrino if smaller: galaxy clusters, galaxies, and stars would not form if larger: galaxy clusters and galaxies would be too dense
31. big bang ripples if smaller: galaxies would not form; universe would expand too    rapidly if larger: galaxies/galaxy clusters would be too dense for life;    black holes would dominate; universe would collapse before life-site could    form
32. size of the relativistic dilation factor if smaller: certain life-essential chemical reactions will not    function properly     if larger: same result
33. uncertainty magnitude in the Heisenberg uncertainty principle if smaller: oxygen transport to body cells would be too small and    certain life-essential elements would be unstable if larger: oxygen transport to body cells would be too great and    certain life-essential elements would be unstable
34. cosmological constant if larger: universe would expand too quickly to form solar-type stars

Taken from  Big Bang Refined by Fire by Dr. Hugh Ross, 1998.