Researchers from Queen Mary University of London have made a discovery that could change our understanding of the universe. In their study, published August 23 in the journal Science Advances, they showed for the first time that there is a range in which fundamental constants can vary; this allows for the necessary viscosity for life processes to occur within and between living cells. This is an important piece of the puzzle in determining where these constants come from and how they affect life as we know it.

Preliminary results and new ideas

In 2020, the same team discovered that the viscosity of liquids is determined by fundamental physical constants that set the limits on how liquid a liquid can be. Now this result is being carried over to the life sciences field.

Fundamental physical constants form the structure of the universe we live in. Physical constants are quantities (for example, the mass of an electron) whose values ​​are generally considered universal in nature and remain constant over time. They trigger nuclear reactions and can lead to the formation of molecular structures necessary for life, but their origin is unknown. This work could bring scientists one step closer to pinpointing the origin of these constants.

The picture shows how the fundamental constants of nature determine the fundamental lower limit of fluid viscosity. Credit: thehackneycollective.com

Viscosity and the role of constants in life

“Understanding how water flows in a glass turned out to be closely related to the grandiose task of determining fundamental constants. Vital processes in and between living cells require movement, and it is viscosity that determines the properties of this movement. If the fundamental constants change, viscosity will change too, which means life as we know it. “For example, if water were as fluid as resin, there would be no life as it is today, or no life at all. This is not just true for water, but all life forms that use the liquid state will suffer.”

“Any change in fundamental constants, including increases or decreases, will be equally bad news for fluid-based flow and life. We expect the window to be fairly narrow: only a few percent for some fundamental constants, such as Planck’s constant or the charge of an electron. with the change, the viscosity of our blood will become too thick or too thin for the body to function. ” Physics professor Kostya Trachenko spoke about this.

Historical perspective and evolutionary hypothesis

Surprisingly, the fundamental constants were thought to have been tuned billions of years ago to form heavy nuclei in stars where life as we know it today did not exist. At this point, there was no need to fine-tune these constants to enable cellular life billions of years later, but nonetheless, these constants turned out to be biologically suitable for flow into and between living cells.

A related suggestion is that there may be multiple adaptations similar to biological evolution in which traits are acquired independently. Fundamental constants through evolutionary mechanisms may be the result of nature’s attainment of stable physical structures. Time will tell how evolutionary principles can be useful in understanding the origin of fundamental constants. Source