Helbig, Phillip (2023) Life, the Multiverse, and Fine-Tuning: Fact, Fiction, and Misconceptions. [Preprint]

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Abstract

Few topics in cosmology are as hotly debated as the Multiverse: for some it is untestable and hence unscientific; for others it is unavoidable and a natural extension of previous science. A third position is that it is seen to follow from other theories, but those other theories might themselves be seen as too speculative. The idea of fine-tuning has a similar status. Some of this disagreement might be due to misunderstanding, in particular the degree to which probability distributions are necessary to interpret conclusions based on the Multiverse, especially with regard to the Anthropic Principle. I present undisputed facts, discuss some common misunderstandings, and investigate the role played by probability. The Multiverse is perhaps an important component necessary for interpreting cosmological and other physical parameters.

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Item Type:	Preprint
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Helbig, Phillip helbig@astro.multivax.de 0000-0003-3637-0057
Additional Information:	Preprint, as Springer does not allow the author’s accepted manuscript to be posted anywhere except a personal webserver or an institutional/funder webserver. For this journal, the AAM can be on the personal webserver with no embargo, and that is the case here. I have neither funding nor institution thus thoese options are not open to me. The final, official version is legally publicly available; follow the links at the related URL: http://www.astro.multivax.de:8000/helbig/research/publications/info/fine-tuning.html
Keywords:	cosmology· fine-tuning· Multiverse· Anthropic Principle
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Physics > Astrophysics Specific Sciences > Physics > Cosmology Specific Sciences > Physics Specific Sciences > Probability/Statistics
Depositing User:	Dr Phillip Helbig
Date Deposited:	27 Nov 2024 13:18
Last Modified:	02 Dec 2024 16:40
Item ID:	24287
Journal or Publication Title:	Foundations of Physics
Publisher:	Springer
Official URL:	https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10701-0...
DOI or Unique Handle:	10.1007/s10701-023-00732-8
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Physics > Astrophysics Specific Sciences > Physics > Cosmology Specific Sciences > Physics Specific Sciences > Probability/Statistics
Date:	December 2023
Page Range:	p. 93
Volume:	53
Number:	6
ISSN:	1572-9516
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/24287

Available Versions of this Item

• Life, the Multiverse, and Fine-Tuning: Fact, Fiction, and Misconceptions. (deposited 26 Nov 2024 13:59)

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