The Razor's Edge

The normal person goes here and there not aware of the physical laws around us that make everything possible. This is how it should be. But the abnormal person, i.e. physicists, think about such things. One reality of the universe that is known by all Astrophysicists is the "fine-tuning" of the universe. By "fine-tuning" scientists mean this: the fundamental laws of nature and the parameters are physics are exactly as they must be for life to exist. The exactness and the number of parameters that are as the must be is shocking. One physist said "there are more than 30 septate physical or cosmological parameters that require precise calibration in order to product a life-sustaining universe". Here are some examples.

Fine Tuning of the Physical Constants of the Universe
PARAMETER	Max. Deviation
Ratio of Electrons:Protons	1:1037
Ratio of Electromagnetic Force:Gravity	1:1040
Expansion Rate of Universe	1:1055
Mass of Universe	1:1059
Cosmological Constant	1:10120

These numbers represent the maximum deviation from the accepted values, that would either prevent the universe from existing now, not having matter, or be unsuitable for any form of life. Without these parameters set to where they are, life - any life - would be impossible. There are many more examples that are listed in the addendum to this blog posting. All these are known by all astrophysicists regardless whether they are theists for not.

Former professor of theoretical physics Paul Davis, "Through my scientific work I have come to believe more and more strongly that the physical universe is put together with an ingenuity so astonishing that I cannot accept it has a brute fact. I cannot believe the our existence to this universe is a mere quirk of fate, and accident of history, an incidental blip in the great cosmic drama."

Cosmologist Edward Harrison, "The fine tuning of the universe provides prima facie evidence of deistic design."

Astrophysicist Fred Hoyle, "I do not believe that any scientists who examined the evidence would fail to draw the inference that the laws of nuclear physics have been deliberately designed with regard to the consequences they product inside stars"

Discover Magazine, "The universe is unlikely. Very unlikely. Deeply, shockingly unlikely."

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. 12 C to 16 O 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 4 He
    if larger : universe would contain insufficient carbon and oxygen for life
    if smaller : same as above
21. Decay rate of 8 Be
    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

Source: http://www.designanduniverse.com/articles/fine_tunning_parameters_for_universe.php