The cosmological constant controls the rate of expansion of the Universe. Too large and the universe would have collapsed back in on itself, rendering life impossible. Too small and stars and galaxies could not have formed, again rendering life impossible. The 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics went to physicists Saul Perlmutter, Brian Schmidt and Adam Riess for their measurement of the cosmological constant. They found the value of the cosmological constant to be astonishingly small – 1.35 x 10^-123. That number is unimaginably small, almost zero. So what’s the big deal? Nobel Prize winning physicist Steven Weinberg convincingly argued that the precise value of the cosmological constant is fundamentally important to life.

The value of the cosmological constant must fall in a very, very, very small range for life to exist. Specifically, the narrow life-permitting range is between negative 1/10¹²⁰ and positive 1/10¹²⁰.

Stanford University physicist comments on the surprising value of the cosmological constant – “When the laws of elementary particles meet the laws of gravity, the result is a potential catastrophe: a world of such violence that astronomical bodies, as well as elementary particles, would be torn asunder by the most destructive force imaginable. The only way out is for one particular constant of nature—Einstein’s cosmological constant—to be so incredibly finely tuned that no one could possibly think it accidental.”

Although the cosmological constant is the most impressive example of fine tuning, it is not the only one. Here are the other physical constants courtesy of the Christian Apologetics Alliance, of the universe that appear to be fine-tuned for life to exist:

• Strong nuclear force constant
• Weak nuclear force constant
• Gravitational force constant
• Electromagnetic force constant
• Ratio of electromagnetic force constant to gravitational force constant
• Ratio of proton to electron mass
• Ratio of number of protons to number of electrons
• Ratio of proton to electron charge
• Expansion rate of the universe
• Mass density of the universe
• Baryon (proton and neutron) density of the universe
• Space energy or dark energy density of the universe
• Ratio of space energy density to mass density
• Entropy level of the universe
• Velocity of light
• Age of the universe
• Uniformity of radiation
• Homogeneity of the universe
• Average distance between galaxies
• Average distance between galaxy clusters
• Average distance between stars
• Average size and distribution of galaxy clusters
• Numbers, sizes, and locations of cosmic voids
• Electromagnetic fine structure constant
• Gravitational fine-structure constant
• Decay rate of protons
• Ground state energy level for helium-4
• Carbon-12 to oxygen-16 nuclear energy level ratio
• Decay rate for beryllium-8
• Ratio of neutron mass to proton mass
• Initial excess of nucleons over antinucleons
• Polarity of the water molecule
• Epoch for hypernova eruptions
• Number and type of hypernova eruptions
• Epoch for supernova eruptions
• Number and types of supernova eruptions
• Epoch for white dwarf binaries
• Density of white dwarf binaries
• Ratio of exotic matter to ordinary matter
• Number of effective dimensions in the early universe
• Number of effective dimensions in the present universe
• Mass values for the active neutrinos
• Number of different species of active neutrinos
• Number of active neutrinos in the universe
• Mass value for the sterile neutrino
• Number of sterile neutrinos in the universe
• Decay rates of exotic mass particles
• Magnitude of the temperature ripples in cosmic background radiation
• Size of the relativistic dilation factor
• Magnitude of the Heisenberg uncertainty
• Quantity of gas deposited into the deep intergalactic medium by the first supernovae
• Positive nature of cosmic pressures
• Positive nature of cosmic energy densities
• Density of quasars
• Decay rate of cold dark matter particles
• Degree to which exotic matter self interacts
• Epoch at which the first stars (metal-free pop III stars) begin to form
• Relative abundances of different exotic mass particles
• Epoch at which the first stars (metal-free pop III stars cease to form
• Number density of metal-free pop III stars
• Average mass of metal-free pop III stars
• Epoch for the formation of the first galaxies
• Epoch for the formation of the first quasars
• Amount, rate, and epoch of decay of embedded defects
• Ratio of warm exotic matter density to cold exotic matter density
• Ratio of hot exotic matter density to cold exotic matter density
• Level of quantization of the cosmic spacetime fabric
• Flatness of universe’s geometry
• Average rate of increase in galaxy sizes
• Change in average rate of increase in galaxy sizes throughout cosmic history
• Constancy of dark energy factors
• Epoch for star formation peak
• Location of exotic matter relative to ordinary matter
• Strength of primordial cosmic magnetic field
• Level of primordial magnetohydrodynamic turbulence
• Level of charge-parity violation
• Number of galaxies in the observable universe
• Polarization level of the cosmic background radiation
• Date for completion of second reionization event of the universe
• Date of subsidence of gamma-ray burst production
• Relative density of intermediate mass stars in the early history of the universe
• Water’s temperature of maximum density
• Water’s heat of fusion
• Water’s heat of vaporization
• Number density of clumpuscules (dense clouds of cold molecular hydrogen gas) in the universe
• Average mass of clumpuscules in the universe
• Location of clumpuscules in the universe
• Dioxygen’s kinetic oxidation rate of organic molecules
• Level of paramagnetic behavior in dioxygen
• Density of ultra-dwarf galaxies (or supermassive globular clusters) in the middle-aged universe
• Degree of space-time warping and twisting by general relativistic factors
• Percentage of the initial mass function of the universe made up of intermediate mass stars
• Strength of the cosmic primordial magnetic field

Tje Fine Tuning arguments gains credibility and strength as physicists broaden their understanding of the Universe.

Ps 19:1 – “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”