The Bliss of Incidental Existence

The mystery of how the universe came into existence is being answered today by physicists using mathematical theories and measurements from highly advanced equipment. When a believer says that we can’t know how it happened, I can point to a number of different theories and say, “We have some pretty plausible ideas and none of them require a god to work.” However, to someone who knows to look a bit deeper, an explanation for the origin of existence isn’t wholly satisfying. We still lack a satisfying answer to the question of why the laws of physics are as they are, thus allowing our world to exist as it is in the first place. If any values within the physical laws were any different, our universe would be much weirder and it’s almost certain that we wouldn’t exist.

The following is pure imagination on my part, but it is something that I’ve been wanting to enunciate for months. It is more philosophical and contemplative than it is observational. Please let it entertain you, but don’t feel like I am trying to assert anything about reality.

Physics, the rules of the universe, are not fine-tuned. The fact that we exist is not proof of intention by a creator, nor is it necessarily random luck. We have the vantage point of being able to contemplate our own place in the world, but that only leads us to vainly assume that we are the reason that existence exists. Consider the following scenario:

Outside of what we consider to be existence, or perhaps on a basic layer of it, lay the seeds for new universes. The word seed is not to be taken literally, but imagine this layer to be an as yet undefined furnace for creation’s variables. The values that we identify as “physical constants” are not constant here until a universe springs into existence from the seed. The physical constants are given near-random values within each new universe, as they are determined by the purely coincidental starting position of the new universe.

Universe 1: The laws of physics are slightly different from those in our reality. Let’s say the force of gravity isn’t as strong. The big bang happens, but stars fail to form, so no heavy elements get created. As a result, no planets or life can occur. By rule, no sentient being can exist within this reality and thus there is nobody here to conclude that this world was made for them.

Universe 2: The laws of physics are the same as those in our reality. The big bang happens, stars form, die and explode. They scatter their heavy elements, which coalesce into planets and other cosmic bodies. Organic compounds find their way to planets, life begins on one or a few of them and after 3 billion more years, sentient life arises. These sentient beings look at their reality and come up with ways to explain it. They conclude that the world was created to house them in it.

Universe 3: The laws of physics are slightly different from those in our reality. The big bang happens, but maybe it takes stars a little longer to form. Their explosive power is limited and only half of the elements in our reality are possible in this one. Still, planets form and organic compounds take the improbable route to eventually become sentient beings. These beings look at themselves and see a long, unlikely history of nature and conclude that their world was created to have them in it.

Universe n + 1: The laws of physics are completely random here and the effects are impossible to describe with only words created in our own universe.

From this model, we see that many universes can be spun off of the same thread, each one different, each one just as likely. The only difference is the incidental values of the physical constants, which then result in different-looking realities. Sometimes matter never forms, sometimes it forms too densely, sometimes it creates intelligence. Of course, in every instance of intelligence, the initial reaction of an individual is to assume they were put there for a reason.

It seems almost a trick, you know, to be able to contemplate our existence only to realize that there is no real purpose for any of it. We’re just here because our universe was created with just the right variables to make us so. And here we are, alone on this rock, hurtling through empty space. But, hey, we have these nifty things called serotonin receptors. Let’s go see what we can do with ‘em.