Okay...so we can't really know that there is now or present time in the universe since all we can ever sense are things that happen in the past. In other words, all we know are outcomes and we presume those outcomes all have precursors and so we assume that there is a whole universe of precursors that we call now.
Anthony Aguirre starts with the popular fine-tuning statement that grabs one of the 65 or so physical constants and supposes that any small variation in just that one constant would mean that life could not exist. This is not a good place to start any argument about the universe since as long as you change constants together there are a large number of possible universes. Do we really need koans?
In fact, changing constants in concerted ways is the fundamental principle of matter time. Matter time starts with just two constants and is a pulsed universe with growing force. Thus, Aguirre's example of proton charge variation makes no sense without electron charge variation. Given electron and proton charge growth along with matter decay is the basis the universe and explains everything. Instead of a big bang, the universe begins as the antiverse ends with the chaos of aethertime.