Anthropic principle

Hypothesis about sapient life and the universe

In cosmology and philosophy of science, the anthropic principle (also known as the observation selection effect) is the proposition that the range of possible observations made about a universe is limited by the fact that observations can only be made if that universe is capable of developing observers in the first place. Proponents of the anthropic principle argue that it explains why the universe has the age and the fundamental physical constants necessary to accommodate intelligent life. If either had been significantly different, no one would have been around to make observations.

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