Computational and Biological Analogies for Understanding Fine-Tuned Parameters in Physics
Foundations of Science 15 (4):375 - 393 (2010)
Abstract
In this philosophical paper, we explore computational and biological analogies to address the fine-tuning problem in cosmology. We first clarify what it means for physical constants or initial conditions to be fine-tuned. We review important distinctions such as the dimensionless and dimensional physical constants, and the classification of constants proposed by Lévy-Leblond. Then we explore how two great analogies, computational and biological, can give new insights into our problem. This paper includes a preliminary study to examine the two analogies. Importantly, analogies are both useful and fundamental cognitive tools, but can also be misused or misinterpreted. The idea that our universe might be modelled as a computational entity is analysed, and we discuss the distinction between physical laws and initial conditions using algorithmic information theory. Smolin introduced the theory of "cosmological natural selection" with a biological analogy in mind. We examine an extension ofDOI
10.1007/s10699-010-9183-x
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Citations of this work
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On the Nature of Initial Conditions and Fundamental Parameters in Physics and Cosmology.Jan M. Greben - 2012 - Foundations of Science 17 (1):21-23.
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References found in this work
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions.Thomas Samuel Kuhn - 1962 - Chicago: University of Chicago Press.