If G were changing with time, then we'd see the Moon's orbit moving outward faster than the 10 cm/year or so caused by tides.
- Tom --- Matt Mahoney <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- Tom McCabe <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Why would a simulating alien race want to create a > > universe with fluctuating constants as opposed to > > fixed constants? To drop us a subtle hint? Why a > > subtle hint, and not an obvious hint or no hint at > > all? > > There is no experimental evidence that c, G, h, or > the size/mass of the proton > are changing, certainly not as fast as the theory > suggests. The only constant > whose change we could not detect would be G. It is > only known to 4 > significant figures. With this accuracy, it would > take about a million years > to detect a change directly. But even then we > should still be able to look at > galaxies when gravity was significantly different > see some effects, but we see > none as far as I know. > > So it may just be a coincidence. > > As for why the universe is the way it is, I believe > the multiverse theory and > anthropic principle apply. > > > > > > --- Matt Mahoney <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > > > --- Eugen Leitl <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > > On Wed, Mar 28, 2007 at 06:19:47AM -0700, Matt > > > Mahoney wrote: > > > > > *The entropy of the universe is of the order > T^2 > > > c^5/hG ~ 10^122 bits, > > > > where T > > > > > is the age of the universe, c is the speed > of > > > light, h is Planck's > > > > constant > > > > > and G is the gravitational constant. By > > > coincidence (or not?), each bit > > > > would > > > > > occupy the volume of a proton. (The > physical > > > constants do not depend on > > > > any > > > > > > > > A proton is a damn complex system. Don't see > how > > > you could equal it with one > > > > mere bit. > > > > > > I don't. I am equating one bit with a volume of > > > space about the size of a > > > proton. The actual number of baryons in the > > > universe is smaller, about 10^80. > > > If you squashed the universe flat, it would > form a > > > sheet about one proton > > > thick. > > > > > > But I am also pointing out a coincidence (or > not) of > > > physics. But you will > > > note that the volume of the universe is > proportional > > > to T^3, not T^2, so if > > > the relation is not a coincidence, then either > the > > > properties of the proton or > > > one of the other physical constants would not be > > > constant. > > > > > > And BTW I agree that we cannot prove or disprove > > > that the universe is a > > > simulation. > > > > > > > > > -- Matt Mahoney, [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > -- Matt Mahoney, [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > ----- > This list is sponsored by AGIRI: > http://www.agiri.org/email > To unsubscribe or change your options, please go to: > http://v2.listbox.com/member/?list_id=11983 > ____________________________________________________________________________________ Don't get soaked. Take a quick peek at the forecast with the Yahoo! Search weather shortcut. http://tools.search.yahoo.com/shortcuts/#loc_weather ----- This list is sponsored by AGIRI: http://www.agiri.org/email To unsubscribe or change your options, please go to: http://v2.listbox.com/member/?list_id=11983
