Fecund universes

The fecund universes theory of cosmology advanced by Lee Smolin suggests that the rules of biology apply on the grandest scales.

In this view, a collapsing black hole causes the emergence of a new universe on the "other side", whose fundamental constant parameters (speed of light, Planck length and so forth) may differ slightly from those of the universe where the black hole collapsed. Each universe therefore gives rise to as many new universes as it has black holes, and the age of a universe can be told by counting up its black holes.

If this theory is correct, the odds strongly favor this universe being not the first to ever exist, but a descendant of many that have existed through time. And, since a universe with conditions favoring production of many 'child' universes, i.e. favoring black hole creation, would have many more 'children' than one that did not, it is reasonable to expect a late universe to have 'evolved' towards conditions favoring black holes.

Thus, an observation of very many black holes in the known universe would be evidence for this view, while if black holes are rare or unusual, it would be quite strong evidence against.