1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:27,000
The neutron does not know what mass it needs to have.

2
00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:33,200
Protons have a stable mass of 1.67 times 10 to the minus 24th grams.

3
00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:38,920
If the mass of the neutron were 2% greater than this, neutrons would quickly collapse

4
00:00:38,920 --> 00:00:41,240
and atoms would become unstable.

5
00:00:41,240 --> 00:00:46,600
In such a state of affairs, no element essential for life could exist, and the only element

6
00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:48,540
in the universe would be hydrogen.

7
00:00:48,540 --> 00:00:54,240
On the other hand, were the mass of the neutron to be slightly less, then in that case protons

8
00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:56,180
would have an unstable structure.

9
00:00:56,180 --> 00:01:01,900
That would mean the mass of the protons would be greater than the mass of the neutrons inside

10
00:01:01,900 --> 00:01:09,180
the nucleus, and the protons would degenerate and turn into neutrons.

11
00:01:09,180 --> 00:01:14,360
Physicists say that if the neutron mass were just two parts in a thousand smaller than what

12
00:01:14,360 --> 00:01:20,360
it is, it would be impossible for atoms to possess the structure they have.

13
00:01:20,360 --> 00:01:29,800
In short, there would be no such thing as life.

14
00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:36,200
Current questions now arising in cosmology, elementary particle physics, and microbiology

15
00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:39,380
have an obvious metaphysical or religious content.

16
00:01:39,380 --> 00:01:43,200
The existence of the universe requires me to conclude that God exists.

