The Inevitability of Fine Tuning in a Complex Universe

Bradford, R.

doi:10.1007/s10773-011-0669-2

Cited by 8 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…This indeed has been one of the conclusions in [7] as summarized more elegantly in [12]; as well as [10] where, reviewing the alternative universe landscapes studied by [7,12,[15][16][17] it has been observed that if one is prepared to adjust another parameter in a compensating manner, it might be possible to find other regions in the parameter space that are also congenial. However, that does not remove the fine-tuning problem, as the alternative values are still finely tuned and this is inevitable to produce complexity as observed in our present universe.…”

Section: Case Iii: Left Half Of the Trianglementioning

confidence: 82%

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Congeniality bounds on quark masses from nucleosynthesis

2013

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The work of Jaffe, Jenkins and Kimchi [Phys. Rev. D79, 065014 (2009)] is revisited to see if indeed the region of congeniality found in their analysis survives further restrictions from nucleosynthesis. It is observed that much of their congenial region disappears when imposing conditions required to produce the correct and required abundances of the primordial elements as well as ensure that stars can continue to burn hydrogen nuclei to form helium as the first step in forming heavier elements in stellar nucleosynthesis. The remaining region is a very narrow slit reduced in width from around 29 MeV found by Jaffe et al. to only about 2.2 MeV in the difference of the nucleon/quark masses. Further bounds on δmq/mq seem to reduce even this narrow slit to the physical point itself.

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Section: Case Iii: Left Half Of the Trianglementioning

confidence: 82%

“…It is increasingly being understood that if there is complexity, fine-tuning is inevitable [10]. Even if one is not happy with anthropic arguments, we simply cannot get away from fine-tuning.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Congeniality bounds on quark masses from nucleosynthesis

2013

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“…Furthermore, maybe there is a deep link between the different constants and physical laws, such that it makes no sense to change just one parameter at a time. Changing a parameter would automatically perturb other parameters (see [11], p1581). Fortunately, more recent research have gone much further than these one-parameter variations.…”

Section: Gregory Chaitin ([12] P339)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Artificial Cosmogenesis: A New Kind of Cosmology

Vidal

2013

Emergence, Complexity and Computation

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This paper introduces foundations for a new kind of cosmology. We advocate that computer simulations are needed to address two key cosmological issues. First, the robustness of the emergence of complexity, which boils down to ask: "what would remain the same if the tape of the universe were replayed?" Second, the much debated fine-tuning issue, which requires to answer the question: "are complex universes rare or common in the space of possible universes?" We argue that computer simulations are indispensable tools to address those two issues scientifically. We first discuss definitions of possible universes and of possible cosmic outcomes -such as atoms, stars, life or intelligence. This leads us to introduce a generalized Drake-like equation, the Cosmic Evolution Equation. It is a modular and conceptual framework to define research agendas in computational cosmology. We outline some studies of alternative complex universes. However, such studies are still in their infancy, and they can be fruitfully developed within a new kind of cosmology, heavily supported by computer simulations, Artificial Cosmogenesis. The appendix [section 9] provides argumentative maps of the paper's main thesis.

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“…Stenger (2011) and Bradford (2011 attempt to play down the accuracies claimed of fine-tuning, whilst Aguirre (2001) casts doubt on its limited scope.…”

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confidence: 99%

The Fine-Tuning Argument: Exploring the Improbability of Our Existence

Landsman¹

2016

The Frontiers Collection

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A mild form of satire may be the appropriate antidote. Imagine, if you will, the wonderment of a species of mud worms who discover that if the constant of thermometric conductivity of mud were different by a small percentage they would not be able to survive. (Earman 1987, p. 314).Abstract Our laws of nature and our cosmos appear to be delicately fine-tuned for life to emerge, in a way that seems hard to attribute to chance. In view of this, some have taken the opportunity to revive the scholastic Argument from Design, whereas others have felt the need to explain this apparent fine-tuning of the clockwork of the Universe by proposing the existence of a 'Multiverse'. We analyze this issue from a sober perspective. Having reviewed the literature and having added several observations of our own, we conclude that cosmic fine-tuning supports neither Design nor a Multiverse, since both of these fail at an explanatory level as well as in the more quantitative context of Bayesian confirmation theory (although there might be other reasons to believe in these ideas, to be found in religion and in inflation and/or string theory, respectively). In fact, fine-tuning and Design even seem to be at odds with each other, whereas the inference from fine-tuning to a Multiverse only works if the latter is underwritten by an additional metaphysical hypothesis we consider unwarranted. Instead, we suggest that fine-tuning requires no special explanation at all, since it is not the Universe that is fine-tuned for life, but life that has been fine-tuned to the Universe.

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The Inevitability of Fine Tuning in a Complex Universe

Abstract: Why should the universe need to be fine tuned? The thesis is presented that parameter sensitivity arises as a natural consequence of the mathematics of dynamical systems with complex outcomes. Hence, fine tuning is a mathematical correlate of complexity and should not elicit surprise.

Cited by 8 publications

References 41 publications

Congeniality bounds on quark masses from nucleosynthesis

Congeniality bounds on quark masses from nucleosynthesis

Artificial Cosmogenesis: A New Kind of Cosmology

The Fine-Tuning Argument: Exploring the Improbability of Our Existence

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