Scientists have proposed a method for checking the anthropic principle, which suggests that the Universe is in such a way as to support life. This principle was first formulated by Brandon Carter in 1973 and has long remained a philosophical assumption than scientific hip. However, a new study, published in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, offers a method Experimentally check it based on cosmological observations.
Anthropic principle can be divided into two main versions. The weak version claims that the existence of a reasonable life is possible due to the fact that the Universe has the conditions necessary for this. The strong version suggests that the Universe initially had to evolve in such a way that life could arise. This statement often goes beyond science, approaching the issues of philosophy and metaphysics.
One of the main problems of the anthropic principle is the lack of its verification. Until now, he has not allowed to make quantitative forecasts that could be confirmed or refuted by observations. However, a new study of the physicists of Nemania Caloper and Alexander Westfal proposes a model that allows you to test the principle based on modern knowledge about cosmology.
The basis of the study has become three key elements:
Cosmic inflation: Presumably, during the first moments of its existence, the Universe experienced a rapid expansion, which allowed the current structures such as galaxies and stars. There are no direct evidence of this process, but the theory of inflation is considered one of the most promising.
Dark matter: approximately 85% of matter in the universe remain invisible and unknown in nature. Among the many hypotheses of one of the most popular are the existence of axions – ultra-light particles that could arise in huge quantities during inflation and have characteristics suitable for explaining the nature of dark matter.
Axions and black holes: if axins exist, their influence can be found through observations of black holes. In particular, axions can change