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A Philosophical Intake Based on New Findings on Astrophysics, Quantum Mechanics and Consciousness
Universal Theory
Dr. Mohsen Kermanshahi
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The world surrounding us is organized, coherent and sophisticated. It also has evolved in a way that life can appear in it and humans can roam at least the planet earth. The history of the universe also shows that at the side, a path to more organization and sophistication has been followed. From elementary particles to hydrogen and helium atoms and heavier elements, from simple inorganic molecules to complex organic ones, the history of our world is full of wonders. These wonders create lots of questions. Why out of all of the possibilities the world followed such a sophisticated path and why it should be so compassionately hospitable to human beings? Why the world is anthropic (human friendly)?
The following is some of the evidences derived by Patrick Glynn that show the universe is anthropic,
- Gravity is roughly 1039 times weaker than electromagnetism. If gravity had been 1033 times weaker than electromagnetism, "stars would be a billion times less massive and would burn a million times faster."
- The nuclear weak force is 1028 times the strength of gravity. Had the weak force been slightly weaker, all the hydrogen in the universe would have been turned to helium (making water impossible, for example).
- A stronger nuclear strong force (by as little as 2 percent) would have prevented the formation of protons--yielding a universe without atoms. Decreasing it by 5 percent would have given us a universe without stars.
- If the difference in mass between a proton and a neutron were not exactly as it is--roughly twice the mass of an electron--then all neutrons would have become protons or vice versa. Say good-bye to chemistry as we know it--and to life.
- The very nature of water--so vital to life--is something of a mystery (a point noticed by one of the forerunners of anthropic reasoning in the nineteenth century, Harvard biologist Lawrence Henderson). Unique amongst the molecules, water is lighter in its solid than liquid form: Ice floats. If it did not, the oceans would freeze from the bottom up and earth would now be covered with solid ice. This property in turn is traceable to the unique properties of the hydrogen atom.
- The synthesis of carbon--the vital core of all organic molecules--on a significant scale involves what scientists view as an astonishing coincidence in the ratio of the strong force to electromagnetism. This ratio makes it possible for carbon-12 to reach an excited state of exactly 7.65 MeV at the temperature typical of the centre of stars, which creates a resonance involving helium-4, beryllium-8, and carbon-12--allowing the necessary binding to take place during a tiny window of opportunity 10-17 seconds long. 80,81
There are many other wonders as well. For example, if oxygen concentration in the air was a just a few percent higher, everything would combust. A lower ratio could kill us because of asphyxiation.
One of the possible answers for anthropic principle is called Strong Anthropic Principle. It states that in order for the cosmos to be as it is, somehow it requires the influence of an intelligent designer. Religion advocates normally use this kind of interpretation to prove the existence of god. But there are scientific extrapolations using this principle as well. One of the views speculates that the macro world that we are observing is that portion of reality that we can see, measure and have the knowledge about. The actual reality is deeper and exists in quantum level in superposition of states. We, according to our state of mind can see a portion, which suits us. So in a way we may say that without us the universe does not exist as we see it.
Anthropic Principles and Multiverse Conclusion