Habitable Zones

Multiverse Predictions for Habitability: Fundamental Physics and Galactic Habitability

By Keith Cowing

Status Report

astro-ph.CO

September 15, 2025

Filed under astro-ph.CO, biochemistry, cosmology, habitability, Multiverse Hypothesis

Multiverse Predictions for Habitability: Fundamental Physics and Galactic Habitability — [LEFT] Best value of the minimum probability for each cosmology scenario-habitability condition pair mentioned in the text. For each element in this chart, the minimum probability of the best combination of habitability conditions of all those which include the one mentioned is displayed. The top row includes combinations of up to 8 habitability conditions; the rest are capped at 5.[RIGHT] Same – but comparing against origin of life scenarios. — astro-ph.CO

In the multiverse hypothesis, a range of universes exist with differing values of our physical constants.

Here, we investigate how the probabilities of observing our values of these constants depend on the assumptions made about the theories governing particle physics and cosmology, along with habitability. The particle physics effects we consider include constraints on the Higgs vacuum expectation value from big bang nucleosynthesis and supernovae, grand unified theories (GUTs), and standard model stability.

Cosmology effects we consider are different theories of dark matter and baryogenesis, and for galactic habitability effects we include star formation efficiency, stellar encounters, supernova explosions, and active galactic nuclei.

We find the following to be disfavored in the multiverse scenario: flexible GUTs, pessimistic galactic disruption rates, some origin of life theories, and freeze-out dark matter with high energy baryogenesis. These predictions can be tested in future experiments to either confirm or rule out the multiverse.

McCullen Sandora

Comments: 31 pages, 4 figures
Subjects: Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics (astro-ph.CO); Astrophysics of Galaxies (astro-ph.GA); General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology (gr-qc); High Energy Physics – Theory (hep-th)
Cite as: arXiv:2509.08220 [astro-ph.CO] (or arXiv:2509.08220v1 [astro-ph.CO] for this version)
https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2509.08220
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Submission history
From: McCullen Sandora
[v1] Wed, 10 Sep 2025 01:30:41 UTC (141 KB)
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.08220

Astrobiology,

Keith Cowing

Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA Space Station Payload manager/space biologist, Away Teams, Journalist, Lapsed climber, Synaesthete, Na’Vi-Jedi-Freman-Buddhist-mix, ASL, Devon Island and Everest Base Camp veteran, (he/him) 🖖🏻

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