l li um - 8 . ▁The ▁existence ▁of ▁this ▁reson ance ▁( the ▁Ho yle ▁state ) ▁was ▁ ▁confirmed ▁experiment ally ▁shortly ▁there after ; ▁its ▁discovery ▁has ▁been ▁c ited ▁in ▁form ulations ▁of ▁the ▁anth rop ic ▁principle ▁and ▁the ▁fine - t un ed ▁Un iverse ▁hypothesis . ▁ ▁Hyp oth et ical ▁univers es ▁with ▁stable ▁ 8 Be ▁ ▁As ▁b ery l li um - 8 ▁is ▁un bound ▁by ▁only ▁ 9 2 ▁ke V , ▁it ▁is ▁the or ized ▁that ▁very ▁small ▁changes ▁in ▁nuclear ▁potential ▁and ▁the ▁fine ▁tun ing ▁of ▁certain ▁constants ▁( such ▁as ▁α , ▁the ▁fine ▁structure ▁constant ), ▁could ▁sufficiently ▁increase ▁the ▁binding ▁energy ▁of ▁ 8 Be ▁to ▁prevent ▁its ▁alpha ▁decay , ▁thus ▁making ▁it ▁stable . ▁This ▁has ▁led ▁to ▁investig ations ▁of ▁hypoth et ical ▁scenarios ▁in ▁which ▁ 8 Be ▁is ▁stable ▁and ▁spec ulation ▁about ▁other ▁univers es ▁with ▁different ▁fundamental ▁constants . ▁These ▁studies ▁suggest ▁that ▁the ▁disapp earance ▁of ▁the ▁bott l ene ck ▁created ▁by ▁ 8 Be ▁would ▁result ▁in ▁a ▁very ▁different ▁reaction ▁mechanism ▁in ▁Big ▁Bang ▁nucle os yn thesis ▁and ▁the ▁triple - alpha ▁process , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁alter ▁the ▁abund ances ▁of ▁heav ier ▁chemical ▁elements . ▁As ▁Big ▁Bang ▁nucle os yn thesis ▁only ▁occurred ▁within ▁a ▁short ▁period ▁having ▁the ▁necessary ▁conditions , ▁it ▁is ▁thought ▁that ▁there ▁would ▁be ▁no ▁significant ▁difference ▁in ▁carbon ▁production ▁even ▁if ▁