How could superstring theory help predict the values of physical constants?

Superstring theory aims to predict the values of physical constants by linking them to the geometric configuration of the universe's extra dimensions. Because strings are infinitesimal, they vibrate within these hidden dimensions; the specific shape and size of these dimensions determine the vibrational patterns of the strings, which in turn dictate fundamental properties such as particle masses and charges.1

In the context of cosmology, this is often explored through the "eternal inflation/string landscape" model. In this framework, the compact space of six or more dimensions associated with each point in space-time can take many different geometric forms. Transitions between these configurations can lead to a multiverse where different regions possess different physical constants and fields.21

Because these constants can take many values across the landscape, this framework provides an anthropic explanation for why our universe exhibits values—such as the cosmological constant—that are compatible with the existence of life, even if they differ from "natural" values. In this view, life necessarily arises only in regions where the constants permit its existence.23