Cosmology: Criticality of Fundamental Constants governing Star Formation

[sheeny]

This article form Nature suggests the fundamental constants that govern star formation may not be critical:

http://www.nature.com/news/2008/080728/full/news.2008.985.html

Al.

[OneOfOne]

Interesting article, I have always thought any theory that requires that WE be in some way "special" has to be a bit suss....

[bojan]

I agree..
Besides, if constants are what they are, so what? If they were different, we would not be here.. again, so what? I do not see any significance of either of those cases.
Trying to find some "mysterious" link between the two (our existence and values of cosmic constants) is just blurring our minds. We, as observers, are not important at all. By just sheer luck we are here, and that is all there is...

[OneOfOne]

I guess it is sort of like saying "is it just mere coincidence that all wheels that exist in our universe are round, in any universes where wheels are not round, the car could never exist!"

Maybe the values of the constants are always the same in ANY universe and are just a property of the stuff that makes up every universe regardless of what other things may exist in that universe and to speculate as to what would happen if the constants were different is ludicrous, as in reality the are always the same.

[bojan]

I agree 147% !!! :)

[hector]

It's called the Anthropic principle and it accounts for the fine tuning that appears to govern the Universe without the requirement of a diety. "We" as the observer are here to see, due to the conditions that came before. Change the conditions and you would not be there. Much like say my father who came to Australia after WW2 and meet my mother. If he had not come to Australia my brother and sisters and I would not be here.
While there may be a series of combinations of Gravity, Electromagnitic and Week nuclear forces that can account for star formation the large scale structure of the Universe would be harder to support. This Universe exists due to the the values of all 4 of the fundamental forces. Who is to say that the Big Bang created a Multiverse of which we are just one that can support life due to the constants of the 4 forces. There may be other Universes adjuscent to ours that look and are VERY different due to just a slight change in the value of the electromagnetic force.
In the end you are here so enjoy it, no matter how it came about.

[bojan]

Again, I must say just one thing: I agree, again :-) :thumbsup:
Who is for beer? :cheers: