Physicist Shows Fundamental Constants Set Narrow Limits on Liquid Flow for Life

Physicist Kostya Trachenko at Queen Mary University of London found that the Planck constant and electron charge constrain how viscous liquids can be. A few percent change in either value would make water too thick or too thin for cells to transport nutrients.

• Liquid viscosity is bounded by the same constants that set electron charge and the Planck constant
• A few percent shift in these constants would disrupt nutrient transport in cells
• Blood viscosity stays close to the theoretical minimum despite its complexity
• Conditions for liquid-based life arose long before the first cells appeared