Astrobiology Workshop, Macquarie University July 12-13 2001

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Is there a Physical Basis for the Anthropic Principle?

Peter Wilson (University of Sydney - School of Maths and Stats)

It is recognized that there exist invariant properties of the natural universe, sometimes known as the `constants of nature' which determine the gross size and structure of its constituent parts. Further, if any of these constants had a slightly different value, this universe would be a very different place, one in which which the development of carbon-based life-forms could not have occurred.

Thus it is a concern for theoretical physicists that there exists no theoretical base from which the value of these constants can be deduced. The Anthropic Principle represents an attempt to supply this need, but has frequently been denigrated as `something you do when you cannot think of anything else.

Certainly, it does not merit the classification of `principle'; it is, at best, a speculative hypothesis. However, it is not without content, and highlights the incompleteness of our current physical picture. Indeed it represents the interface between the concepts of random evolutionary change and design. Some of the implications of this hypothesis are explored.