Was the universe made for us?
At one level, the question may seem arrogant, even preposterous. After all, as a recent article in the “New Scientist” magazine put it:
“For much of our existence on Earth, we humans thought of ourselves as a pretty big deal. Then along came science and taught us how utterly insignificant we are. We aren’t the centre of the universe. We aren’t special. We are just a species of ape living on a smallish planet orbiting an unremarkable star in one galaxy among billions in a universe that had been around for 13.8 billion years without us.”
At another level, as the article – which can only be accessed online by subscription – points out, the laws of physics are ridiculously fine-tuned for you and me. All told, about 12 parameters – such as the values of the electromagnetic force and the strong nuclear force or the amount energy contained in empty space – have been identified as being just right for life. Why?
One answer is known as the strong anthropic principle which states that the universe is so perfect for life that it must have been made for us either by an intelligent creator or, more likely, because of some fundamental features of the cosmos that drives it towards intelligent life.
Another answer is known as the weak anthropic principle which states that, given that we are around to observe the universe, it simply has to allow for our existence.
Another, altogether more radical, proposition is that our universe is simply one of many multiverses, each with its own physical constants and laws. Wild as this idea seems, versions of it emerge from both quantum mechanics and standard cosmology.
So, how do you feel now?