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2 - The Fine-Tuning Considerations

from Part I - Setting the Stage

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 January 2021

Simon Friederich
Simon Friederich
Affiliation:
Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, The Netherlands
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Summary

According to many physicists, several aspects of the laws of nature, the constants, and the cosmic boundary conditions are fine-tuned for life: had they been slightly different, life would not have existed. Here I review the claimed instances of fine-tuning and some of the criticism that has been levelled against the fine-tuning considerations. I also discuss in which sense, if any, fine-tuned parameters may qualify as improbable. Finally, I review the naturalness criterion of theory choice and discuss how violations of naturalness may be regarded as relevant to the discussion about fine-tuning for life.

Keywords

fine-tuning for lifecosmological constantparticle massesinteraction constantsform of lawsfine-tuning as improbablenew physicsnaturalnessold evidence problem (Bayesianism)
Type
Chapter
Information
Multiverse Theories
A Philosophical Perspective
 , pp. 20 - 36
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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