Stories
New Discovery Links Physics Constants to Why Life Exists
- •Physicist Kostya Trachenko discovered that fundamental physical constants must permit liquids to flow in ways that support cellular life.
- •Even small changes to physical constants like the Planck constant could drastically alter liquid viscosity, making biological processes impossible.
- •Research shows that just a few percent change in fundamental constants could render blood too thick or too thin for bodily functions.
- •A follow-up 2025 study revealed that complex biological fluids like blood maintain a viscosity surprisingly close to theoretical values derived from basic physics.
- •The findings suggest that the universe's fundamental constants must satisfy strict constraints beyond just forming stars and heavy elements to support life.
Key Questions Answered
Fundamental physical constants determine how strongly fluids resist flowing, placing a lower limit on liquid viscosity. If these constants changed by even a few percent, vital liquids like water or blood would become too thick or too thin, disrupting essential cellular processes and making life impossible.
A January 2025 follow-up study published in The European Physical Journal E examined complex biological fluids like blood. Despite blood's complexity, its viscosity remains surprisingly close on a fundamental physical scale to a theoretical value derived from basic physical constants due to interactions between closely spaced cells.
While fundamental constants govern nuclear reactions in stars that produce heavy elements like carbon and oxygen, creating these chemical ingredients does not guarantee life can function. A universe might form stars and planets yet have liquids so viscous that cellular processes cannot operate, meaning fluid properties impose additional constraints.
