Question: Is there a reason the universe is the way it is, or is it just arbitrary?

A few of these attributes are: number and topology of dimensions (like space is 3-dimensional, not 2- or 4-dim), conservation of energy (energy can’t wax and wane, either arbitrarily or according to some rule), four forces and their properties (why not more or fewer forces; why gravity not both attract and repel, electricity only attract, etc), has the particles w/properties that it does.

At a chemical level, why is there a molecule like water that’s such an amazing solvent and supports all kinds of chemical reactions? Why is there an element like carbon that bonds in chains and rings as long and complex as you’d like? Why should there be both of these that allow the incredible variety of biological molecules, genetic info?

Answer: Intelligent life wouldn’t be able to ask the question “Why is the universe the way it is?” if the universe weren’t able to support intelligent life. So the fact that we’re here means this universe’s propoerties must allow us to form and exist.

The alternative is the Strong Anthropic Principle – could be due to a creator god or physical-spiritual principles outside our universe.

Implications:

If there’s only one universe ever, then we got lucky, or else nearly all attribute combinations would produce intelligent life.

If there are many universes, then the ones that produce intelligent life are the ones where intelligent life asks this question. And the ones that don’t product intelligent life never have someone wonder what determines its properties.

In a broader sense, the properties of the universe must allow it to produce intelligent life before the universe ends. Non-conservation of energy or a large cosmological constant are things that would cause a universe to end quickly – those universes wouldn’t ever have intelligent life. During its lifetime, its attributed they must produce structures that are complex and ordered, such as (in our universe) stars, planets, cells, genetic coding.

There’s an excellent article on Wikipedia about the anthropic principle>>.