Contrary to popular conception, the purpose of particle physics is to understand the everyday world. The current theory of fundamental interactions among the quarks and leptons depends on eighteen parameters, which are a priori arbitrary. Were these parameters different, our world would be changed dramatically. By exploring the connection between these parameters and everyday phenomena we can better appreciate the challenges confronting contemporary particle physics. Until we can explain the origin of these parameters, we cannot say we truly understand why our everyday world is as it is.
So, how do you explain our incredible luck?
The weak anthropic principle is an attempt to "explain" this as an observation bias. That is, it is possible that many universes support life, but of very different kinds. In any one universe, living beings within it will reason that, for life as they know it to be possible, dozens of parameters need to be carefully tuned. But that does not mean that, for any kind of life to be possible the parameters need to be tuned. It only means that living things will look around and find the universe strangely suited to hosting them, all the more so if you thow in the insight that life evolves to adapt to its environment. guaranteed to evoke a violent reaction from police is to challenge their right to "define the situation." --- David Graeber citing Marc Cooper
