Researchers: Maybe fundamental constants are not constant

Maybe they are “kind of shifty after all,” some suggest:

Is it possible for light to travel faster or slower in the distant corners of our universe? The speed of light, like dozens of other so-called fundamental constants, is essential to how physicists understand the cosmos. These numbers even help define our units of measure, such as the meter, the second and, as of this Monday, the kilogram. However, there is no scientific consensus as for why the constants must be constant, or fundamental.

A new paper in the journal Physical Review Letters proposes experiments to investigate whether these unwavering pillars of physics are, in fact, fluctuating over space-time. If so, scientists will need to reevaluate the current models of our universe — or at least give these numbers a different name.Yuen Yiu, “Could Fundamental Constants Be Neither Fundamental nor Constant?” at Inside Science

Well, if they find anything at all, they could call fine-tuning “not-so-fine-tuning” and make a big point of it. If they don’t find anything, they can say they are still looking.

See also: Exact values of constants said to drive physicists crazy

and

What becomes of science when the evidence does not matter?

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