Is the Universe Fine Tuned for Life?

An exploration of the fine tuning problem in astrophysics and why the universe appears to have parameters just so for matter and ultimately life to exist.

My Patreon Page:

My Event Horizon Channel:

Music:

[olsonusmaximus]

We're lucky enough to be in a universe that allows for the exact conditions that gave us John's Nutella smooth voice.

[jordanwhite]

This is the only channel on all of YouTube that I listen to every single one of the new uploads and have for years. This is the perfect YouTube channel when you’re just relaxing or prepping for sleep. My favorite thing is when you’re really, really tired where you can barely hold your eyes open but it feels good to lay down like that and fight the sleep for a little bit. I always listen to these while I’m doing that.

[heirofspinoza]

And my evening just got a whole lot better! Thanks John!

[The..Dark..Knight]

Oh wow. The surprise ending really got me! Definitely didn't see that coming. I thought I had a handle on things and then you go and throw a wrench in things. And it's not the Boltzman Brain you theorized, it's the unexpected ending of the Oh-so-beloved one liner that I look forward to that ends in "World in which we I was saying it out loud along with you like I always do (it's too much fun) and what do I hear?? LOL 😆 Mind blown 🤯

[Nethershaw]

I didn't realize how long I've been listening to and sharing your content -- it's been a couple of years now. This one tipped me over to join your Patreon. I think the likes of you, Fraser Cain, and other science communicators deserve support for creating rational, well-informed, thoughtful media. You elevate the conversation.

I can't help that this video got me right in the existential feels, but I think it earns a favorite position for digging into the fine-tuning problem while leaning on a minimum of anthropic reasoning. The fact that the chemistry of life is possible _at all_ resembles other examples of critical phenomena where complexity emerges just before the edge of chaos -- and there is no reason whatsoever known to science that our universe should be anywhere near such a critical point. Fascinating.

[vermasean]

Perfect way to close out the evening! Thanks for another insightful video JMG! 🙌

[alienfish]

The way I've always looked at it is that life is fine tuned for this universe rather than the other way around.

[someguy]

It's worth mentioning that we are mostly limited toward pondering what is in our universe. When considering fine tuning, we tend to exclude things we cannot even fathom. Maybe the universe is poorly tuned for other types of life or matter that we simply can't envision?

[av]

Universal fine tuning is a great topic, but could you also do a video about local fine tuning for life on Earth? Galaxy, solar system, moon, magnetic core, etc.

[rogersnick]

I feel blessed to be alive, given the impossibility of it all.

[LoneReads]

Thank you again for another intriguing and thorough video Mr. JMG. You’re the man!

[Wykesidefruitmachine]

I love this channel so much, it is absolutely amazing. Outside of the immensely captivating essays themselves, the subtle spookiness of the images and music against the effortlessly smooth narration... chef's kiss.

[johnweems]

This becomes even creepier of you consider Levinthal's paradox about protein folding.

[whatsamatou]

John I just wanted to tell you I absolutely love the work you do on this channel

[phillipheaton]

There are many thought experiments that can be fun to think about but have little chance of being resolved at our current level of knowledge. This is one of them. As long as it is something to enjoy playing with, it isn't a waste of time.

[chromabotia]

This was wonderful, John. The fine tuning problem has bothered me for a long time. I was always a Copernicus follower: That there nothing special about us, the earth, our star, the Milkey Way Galaxy, in fact our whole observable universe. The evidence I relied on was the spectroscopic indications that wherever one looks in the deep sky we find the same elements. I'm not even going to mention panpsychism! Years ago I was listening to an original SETI webcast featuring Dr. Jill Tarter, in the Q and A someone asked what should we look for in the case of Type III Kardashev civilizations? I still remember her response, "By that time and wielding that amount of energy they would be out of here". Finally, I have an old friend who ended up at Columbia as a tenured professor in Astro Physics who told me for the last 15 years that if the LHC did not turn some evidence of super symmetric particles (waves) that the Standard Model was in big trouble. Good thing I love a good mystery, I think that you do too. Thanks... time of writing 3:24 am.

[roadkillanonymous]

Yes!!! Another video!

Also yes to the cold. With the windchill the other morning it felt like -45 Fahrenheit where I live here in Saskatchewan, Canada.

[EVILJAMARR]

I thought I’d explored this idea on my own, but as usual a few new ideas came from watching this video! 10/10

[stevenkrasner]

JMG this video ranks right up there as one of your best if not the best ever! In a word awesome! I'm one of your earliest subscribers so way to go champ! Keep up the great work.

[nexpro]

Despite what creationists believe the answer is that the universe is almost entirely hostile to life as we know it.