Study links fundamental physics constants to viability of life

Physicist Kostya Trachenko at Queen Mary University of London has published a theoretical analysis suggesting that the universe's fundamental physical constants are constrained by the requirements for life. The study, published in Science Advances, indicates that these constants must permit liquids to flow in ways that support biological processes within and between cells. According to the research, even relatively small changes to these constants could alter liquid viscosity enough to prevent essential functions such as nutrient transport and waste removal.

The Link Between Physics and Viscosity

Fundamental physical constants, such as the mass and electric charge of an electron and the Planck constant, govern the behavior of atoms, chemical bonds, and nuclear reactions. While these values are generally considered universal and unchanging, their specific origins remain unknown. Trachenko’s work builds on a 2020 finding by his colleagues that these constants impose a lower limit on the viscosity of liquids. Viscosity measures a fluid's resistance to flow; water has low viscosity, while honey and tar have high viscosity.

The new analysis extends this concept to biology. Every living cell depends on the movement of molecules through a liquid environment. Diffusion, the natural spreading of particles through a fluid, is critical for chemical interactions required for life. If the viscosity of these fluids were too high, vital materials could not move efficiently. If it were too low, the controlled flow necessary for biological functions could be disrupted.

Trachenko explained the connection in the study: "Understanding how water flows in a cup turns out to be closely related to the grand challenge to figure out fundamental constants. Life processes in and between living cells require motion and it is viscosity that sets the properties of this motion. If fundamental constants change, viscosity would change too impacting life as we know it. For example, if water was as viscous as tar life would not exist in its current form or not exist at all. This applies beyond water, so all life forms using the liquid state to function would be affected."

Narrow Window for Life

The research suggests that the range of fundamental constants compatible with cellular life is narrow. Trachenko noted that changes in constants such as the Planck constant or electron charge could have significant biological consequences. "Any change in fundamental constants including an increase or decrease would be equally bad news for flow and for liquid-based life. We expect the window to be quite narrow: for example, viscosity of our blood would become too thick or too thin for body functioning with only a few per cent change of some fundamental constants such as the Planck constant or electron charge," he said.

These predictions are derived from theoretical models rather than experiments where constants were altered. Consequently, the precise limits that different forms of life could tolerate remain uncertain. The findings imply that the conditions for life involve more than just the ability to form stars and complex chemistry; the physical properties of liquids impose additional requirements on the universe's constants.

Implications for Blood and Complex Fluids

A follow-up study published in January 2025 in The European Physical Journal E examined how these constants influence complex biological fluids, specifically blood. Unlike water, blood is a mixture of plasma, red blood cells, and platelets. Its viscosity depends on molecular properties and the interactions between these components, such as red blood cells forming clusters that increase resistance to flow.

The researchers found that despite blood's complexity, its viscosity remains surprisingly close to a theoretical value derived from basic physical constants. They proposed that interactions between closely spaced blood cells involve distances small enough for molecular and quantum effects to matter. This suggests that estimating which constants are compatible with life requires accounting for both intrinsic liquid properties and effects created by interactions among cells and molecules.

Why it matters

The study highlights a potential constraint on the universe's physical laws that goes beyond the production of heavy elements in stars. While stars can create elements like carbon and oxygen necessary for life, Trachenko’s analysis shows that a universe could produce these ingredients while having liquids too viscous for cellular processes to operate. This raises questions about why the fundamental laws of nature have values that appear well suited to the existence of life. Trachenko suggested that multiple forms of fine-tuning may be involved, with the values allowing for heavy element production and those permitting liquid-based life representing separate requirements. For now, this remains a theoretical framework for investigating the connection between the universe's basic physical properties and biological processes.

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Sources

• sciencedaily.com: Scientists make stunning discovery that could help explain why life exists | ScienceDaily
• news.ssbcrack.com: Fundamental Constants of Physics May Determine the Possibility of Life in the Universe - SSBCrack News

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