<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
***<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
While I have my copy of Geraint F. Lewis and Luke A. Barnes,\u00a0A Fortunate Universe: Life in a Finely Tuned Cosmos<\/em>\u00a0(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2016) out \u2014 an excellent book, by the way \u2014 permit me to share a passage about one of the \u201cfree parameters\u201d they identify among the \u201cfundamental constants of nature\u201d:<\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
The electron is one of the fundamental particles of the Universe. \u00a0Electron orbits around the nuclei of atoms dictate the processes of chemistry. \u00a0With the appropriate experimental equipment, we can measure the mass of an individual electron: 9.10938215 x\u00a010-31<\/sup>\u00a0kg (and, with our most accurate equipment, we know this value has an uncertainty of 0.00000045 x\u00a010-31\u00a0<\/sup>kg). \u00a0If you measure the mass of any electron in the Universe, you get the same answer!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nWhen we measure the mass of an object in kilograms, we are implicitly comparing it to a lump of platinum-iridium alloy held in uniform conditions at the International Bureau of Weights and Measures laboratories in the outer reaches of Paris. \u00a0There is nothing special about this lump, and so nothing special about the kilogram. \u00a0Nothing changes if we were to express the mass of the electron in pounds, long tons, grains or karats.<\/span><\/p>\nHowever, the mass of the electron relative to other particles in the Universe is important. \u00a0Each member of the menagerie of fundamental particles comes with a mass, and while some are zero, many are just plain, unexplained numbers.<\/span><\/p>\nHere we can play our \u2018what if?\u2019games. \u00a0If we change the relative masses of the fundamental particles, what effect does this have on a complex, multi-cellular, balding primate sitting and typing on a planet orbiting a star? \u00a0We\u2019ll see in later chapters that the existence of life depends critically upon particle masses. \u00a0Universes with different mass ratios are often sterile. \u00a0(29-30)<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
[An astute reader, Theron Stanford, reminds me that, since Lewis and Barnes published their book in 2016,\u00a0the kilogram has been redefined in terms of the Planck constant. \u201cNo more comparing to lumps.\u201d]<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u00a0 \u00a0 I know, I know. \u00a0Scientists don\u2019t know anything. \u00a0They\u2019ve been wrong almost every time. \u00a0They\u2019re mostly dishonest progressive hacks. \u00a0Nonetheless, these two studies will be of interest to people who aren\u2019t reflexively anti-science: \u00a0 \u201cMillions of COVID Cases and Deaths Averted Thanks to Lockdowns: \u2018One of Humanity\u2019s Greatest Achievements\u2019\u201d \u00a0 And scientists may […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1019,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[10121,548,8031,10253,8307,9108,5421,9101,10127,545,12461,11699,9104,9063,9301],"class_list":["post-85807","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-anthropic","tag-anthropic-principle","tag-coronavirus","tag-cosmic","tag-cosmos","tag-covid-19","tag-disease","tag-epidemic","tag-fine-tuned","tag-fine-tuning","tag-lock-down","tag-lockdown","tag-pandemic","tag-social-distance","tag-social-distancing"],"yoast_head":"\n
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