- Fundamental constants can change, according to research from Queen Mary University.
- Viscosity would alter if basic constants did, which would affect how we currently live.
- Life would not survive in its present form or at all if water were as viscous as tar
Fundamental constants can change, according to research from Queen Mary University of London, which enables the viscosity required for life activities to take place both within and between living cells.
This revelation might alter how we perceive the cosmos and aid researchers in understanding how they came to be and how they affected life as we know it.
Scientific Discovery
Fundamental physical constants, like the electron’s mass, are measurable values that apply to all objects and have a constant value over time. They control nuclear reactions and can result in the creation of life-supporting molecular structures.
The enormous problem of determining fundamental constants is closely connected to knowing how water flows in a cup. Motion is necessary for all life activities within and between living cells, and viscosity controls how this motion behaves. Viscosity would alter if basic constants did, which would affect how we currently live.
For instance, life would not survive in its present form or at all if water were as viscous as tar. Beyond water, this holds for all life forms that depend on liquids for survival.
Both an increase and a drop in basic constants would be detrimental to flow and living forms that depend on liquids. Multiple tunings may have been involved, according to historical perspectives and evolutionary theory, suggesting a parallel to biological evolution in which qualities were independently acquired.
Fundamental constants may be the outcome of nature arriving at durable physical structures through evolutionary mechanisms.
