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https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260508022653.htm
Scientists make stunning discovery that could change our understanding
of the Universe
Date: May 8, 2026
Source: Queen Mary University of London
Summary:
Scientists may have uncovered a surprising secret behind why life exists
at all. A new study suggests that the UniverserCOs fundamental constants rCo the deep physical rules that govern everything from atoms to stars rCo
appear to sit within an incredibly narrow rCLsweet spotrCY that allows
liquids to flow properly inside living cells. Even tiny shifts in these constants could make blood too thick, water too sticky, or cellular
motion impossible, potentially wiping out life as we know it.
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FULL STORY
Physics Discovery Could Change Everything
A new physics study suggests life may depend on an astonishingly
delicate balance hidden in the laws of the Universe. Credit: AI/ScienceDaily.com
Researchers at Queen Mary University of London have proposed a striking
idea that links the deepest laws of physics to the existence of life
itself. Their work suggests that the Universe's fundamental constants
sit within an extremely narrow range that allows liquids to flow in ways living cells depend on. If those constants were even slightly different, water, blood, and other life-supporting fluids could behave so
differently that complex organisms might never have emerged at all.
The study, published in Science Advances in 2023, builds on earlier work
by physicist Kostya Trachenko and colleagues showing that liquid
viscosity is tied directly to fundamental physical constants. That
finding established a lower limit for how "runny" liquids can be. The
newer research extended the idea into biology, asking whether the same physical rules that shape the cosmos may also quietly determine whether
cells can function.
Why Liquid Flow Matters for Life
Life depends on movement at microscopic scales. Nutrients must travel
through cells, proteins need to fold correctly, and molecules constantly diffuse through watery environments. All of this relies on viscosity,
the property that determines how easily a liquid flows.
According to the researchers, the Universe appears to operate within a surprisingly narrow "bio-friendly" window where viscosity and diffusion
remain suitable for life. If the constants governing physics shifted by
only a few percent, liquids essential to biology could become
dramatically thicker or thinner.
"Understanding how water flows in a cup turns out to be closely related
to the grand challenge to figure out fundamental constants. Life
processes in and between living cells require motion and it is viscosity
that sets the properties of this motion. If fundamental constants
change, viscosity would change too impacting life as we know it. For
example, if water was as viscous as tar life would not exist in its
current form or not exist at all. This applies beyond water, so all life
forms using the liquid state to function would be affected."
The team says the consequences would extend far beyond drinking water or oceans. Human blood, cellular fluids, and the chemistry that powers life
all rely on carefully balanced flow properties.
"Any change in fundamental constants including an increase or decrease
would be equally bad news for flow and for liquid-based life. We expect
the window to be quite narrow: for example, viscosity of our blood would become too thick or too thin for body functioning with only a few per
cent change of some fundamental constants such as the Planck constant or electron charge." Professor of Physics Kostya Trachenko said.
A New Twist on Cosmic Fine-Tuning
Physicists have long debated why the Universe's constants appear finely
tuned. Tiny differences in values such as the electron charge or the
strength of fundamental forces could prevent stars from forming heavy
elements needed for planets and life.
What makes this research unusual is that it shifts the discussion from
stars and galaxies down to the level of living cells. Previous
fine-tuning arguments often focused on nuclear reactions inside stars.
This work argues that even if stars and heavy elements still formed,
life might remain impossible if liquids could not flow properly inside organisms.
That introduces a second layer of fine-tuning. The constants not only
appear compatible with a universe full of matter, but also with
biological systems that depend on delicate liquid dynamics.
The researchers even suggest that multiple stages of tuning may have
occurred. In the paper, Trachenko compares the possibility to biological evolution, where traits emerge independently over time. The idea remains speculative, but it raises the possibility that nature may favor stable physical structures in ways scientists do not yet fully understand.
Later Research Expanded the Idea
Since the original publication, scientists have continued exploring how viscosity, diffusion, and fluid behavior connect to fundamental physics. Follow-up theoretical work reviewed how liquid motion inside cells may
place additional limits on the values of physical constants, especially
in systems involving biochemical "machines" such as molecular motors.
Other researchers have also examined how viscosity itself may arise from deeper physical laws. A 2023 analysis highlighted growing evidence that
liquid viscosity may be linked to universal physical limits rather than
simply being a property measured in laboratories.
Together, these studies are helping reshape an old scientific mystery.
Instead of viewing the constants of nature only through the lens of
cosmology and particle physics, scientists are increasingly asking
whether the conditions needed for flowing liquids and functioning cells
should also be part of the equation.
Could Physics and Biology Be More Connected Than We Thought?
The idea remains highly theoretical, and many physicists would caution
that there is still no accepted explanation for why the constants of
nature have their observed values. But the research opens an unexpected
path for thinking about one of science's biggest questions.
For decades, the mystery of fundamental constants was mostly explored
through black holes, stars, and subatomic particles. This work suggests
the answer may also involve something much closer to everyday life: the
simple ability of liquids to flow through living cells.
RELATED TOPICS
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Chemistry
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RELATED TERMS
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Introduction to quantum mechanics
Story Source:
Materials provided by Queen Mary University of London. Note: Content may
be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
Kostya Trachenko. Constraints on fundamental physical constants from bio-friendly viscosity and diffusion. Science Advances, 2023; 9 (34)
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh9024
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Queen Mary University of London. "Scientists make stunning discovery
that could change our understanding of the Universe." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 8 May 2026. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260508022653.htm>.
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