To Know Itself: the Universe and Us
The most astounding fact about the universe is that life exists within it. The laws of physics define what is possible in the cosmos. And although there are many ways in which they could be different so as to prohibit us from existing, they nonetheless let us be. The universe as a whole is in constant flux, but always according to the laws of physics.
It is surely possible to imagine a universe without laws, but that would be one in which we were not invited. Our existence depends on the laws of physics and the regularities of nature. If gravity wasn’t always attractive, if electrons weren’t always negatively charged, or if the speed of light wasn’t always finite, we almost certainly wouldn’t be around to take note of it.
But the fact that there are laws of physics that, more or less, appear to be unchanging makes it possible for there to be stability, from which order can arise out of chaos. It was a long, slow process that brought us here, one governed by the laws of physics played out over an immense passage of time. And although there is no need for us to be here, and many, many reasons as to why we could not be, it is incredibly significant that we are. Our ability to understand and alter the world around us makes the human race the most significant force in the universe.
Although one cannot leave out the laws of chemistry or biology when considering how the universe produced us, it is ultimately the laws of physics that make our existence possible. The laws of physics explain the laws of chemistry, and the laws of chemistry do very much to explain the things we observe in the biosphere.
The complexity of life demands many levels of explanation, but the laws of physics ultimately determine what can and cannot exist. The argument that life is “written into” the laws of physics is a completely different endeavor, but it is obvious that the ability for life to form and evolve is not precluded by the laws of physics. So in that sense, we are one of the many potential results of the laws of physics.
But that by no means goes to say that we are the inevitable result of the laws of physics. There is no law of physics that absolutely demands that we exist exactly as we are. The human genome contains billions of bits of information, information that is not encoded in the laws of physics. There is no law of physics that demands that we exist at all.
We are not necessary ingredients of the universe, without which there would be nothing at all. The universe existed for billions of years before self-aware human beings started roaming the earth. And if human beings are extinguished at some point in the future, the universe will continue to exist. Although we are an expression of the laws of physics, we are certainly not the only way in which the universe could have carried them out.
Earth could very easily have never formed, and we could very easily have never existed without violating any of the laws of physics, at least as we understand them now. Surely the universe was not constructed for our convenience, considering without our technology we would be hard-pressed to survive in many parts of the world, let alone the cosmos as a whole. But what if we were constructed for the convenience of the universe?
A universe with intelligent, self-aware beings is much different than a universe without them. Intelligent beings such as ourselves have the potential to alter the universe in ways that would have never been possible if it weren’t for our unnecessary understanding of the laws of physics. The fact that we exist in the universe, and that we understand the language with which it expresses itself, has immense implications for its history and evolution.
As of 2017 we have discovered thousands of planets similar to our own, but we have yet to discover any obvious signs of intelligent alien life. As far as we can tell, we are the only intelligent beings around.
Of course, statistically speaking, it is extremely unlikely that we are alone in the universe. But at the very least, our cosmic neighborhood does not appear to be teeming with life. Even if we do have intelligent neighbors, they are likely to be unimaginably far away from us by our standards of measurement. That makes our fragile existence on this pale blue dot all the more significant.
It would be arrogant to exclaim that humans are the only “intelligent” beings in the universe, considering we haven’t physically traveled farther than our own moon. But regardless of whether there are other intelligent beings, our existence as intelligent beings in this part of the universe remains incredibly significant, since it is not necessary for life to even exist in the first place.
No matter how many times life shows up in the universe, its capacity for intelligence, and its ultimate ability to alter the universe according to its will renders it extremely significant.
Our ability to manipulate nature is still very primitive compared to that of the intergalactic beings of science fiction. But there is no reason we can’t achieve that level of influence if we continue to progress as we are now. Our sheer potential for such mastery of the universe makes us fundamental aspects of it.
Any “broad understanding” of the universe must consider the fact that life exists within it, and that we are at least one example of life and its incredible ability to understand and alter the universe. Once intelligent life exists within a universe, it must be a part of its description if it is to be explained in full.
Humans seem to have a tendency to want to separate themselves from the rest of the universe. We proclaim that we live “in” the universe, and say that we are born “into” the world at birth. But at the most fundamental level we are made of the same stuff as rocks and oceans, planets and meteors. We literally are the universe, or at least a little piece of it.
Each of us did exist before we were born, just not as humans. The atoms that make up our bodies were once in plants and trees, mountains and rivers, birds and beasts of a distant past. And going back far enough, our atoms were once the cores of stars across the galaxy. Although our sentience makes us seem wholly different from the rest of the observable universe, we must remember that we are not simply in the universe. The universe is in us.
The question of whether we might have been constructed for the convenience of the universe carries a very teleological overtone. Surely every thing that has ever happened in the history of the universe has not been a conspiracy to bring about intelligent life. There are simply way too many ways we could have not been here. But a universe with intelligent life has infinitely more potential futures than a universe without intelligent life.
Somehow, the universe has engineered its own self-awareness, and we are the product through which the universe may know itself. But beyond just knowing itself, we are a way for the universe to further create itself. Our existence gives the universe an uncountable number of new ways to express itself, ways that would never have been possible if we weren’t here.
Ultimately, we are the product of the laws of physics and the long history in which the laws played out. But now that we are here, the laws of physics get somewhat removed from the spotlight, to be replaced by the will of humanity. That does not mean the laws of physics don’t still proscribe certain things from happening in the cosmos. But a universe with just the laws of physics is much different than a universe with the laws of physics and the will of intelligent beings like ourselves.
Our will has a measurable impact on the universe. We create elements and molecules that don’t exist naturally. We build structures that would never exist if it weren’t for our intelligence. And unless humanity comes to an abrupt and irrevocable end, we will continue to exert our influence on the universe in ever more profound ways. We very easily could have never shown up here, but the fact that we did means the universe will never be the same.
Thanks for reading! I know the origin and significance of the human race is a very controversial topic, and I don’t pretend to know more than the next person, but I love thinking about these kinds of things, and I know there are others that do as well! Let me know your thoughts and ideas in the comments.
