Constraints on fundamental physical constants from bio-friendly viscosity and diffusion.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 37611101.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1126/sciadv.adh9024 and PMC identifier 10446471.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
The problem of understanding fundamental physical constants and their values was discussed in particle physics, astronomy, and cosmology. Here, I show that an additional unexpected insight comes from condensed matter physics and liquid physics in particular: Fundamental constants have a biofriendly window constrained by biofriendly viscosity and diffusion setting the motion in essential life processes in and across cells. I also show that bounds on viscosity, diffusion, and the fundamental velocity gradient in a biochemical machine can all be varied while keeping the fine-structure constant and the proton-to-electron mass ratio intact, with no implication for the production of heavy nuclei in stars. This leads to a conjecture of multiple tuning and an evolutionary mechanism.