Is the Universe a Computer Simulation? This Raises a New Theory

Physicist Melvin M. Vospon, associate professor at the University of Portsmouth (UK) , brought to the fore the debate about the possibility that the universe is a computer simulation.

In a recent study published in 'AIP Advances', the scientist suggests that gravity may not be a true force, but rather an effect of a physical principle that drives the universe to optimize and compress all the information it contains .

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This idea is based on the second law of infodynamics , an extension of Claude Shannon's information theory to the field of physics.

According to this law, the entropy of information in an isolated system tends to decrease or, in the most favorable case, to remain constant . This contrasts with the second law of thermodynamics, in which physical entropy tends to increase.

Gravity as a result of an informational process

Vospon is based on a conceptual simulation in which a cloud of randomly distributed particles in space exhibits high information entropy . As these particles clump together, the amount of information needed to describe them decreases.

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In this way, what is commonly understood as gravitational attraction would actually be a manifestation of a data compression process.

“ The universe evolves in such a way that its information content is compressed, optimized, and organized, just like computers and computer code ,” Vopson explained to the Daily Mail, as quoted by the New York Post.

Another way to understand the Universe

Vospon, however, is not the first to suggest a non-traditional origin for gravity. In 2011, Erik Verlinde proposed an entropy-gravity theory based on holography and thermodynamics . However, the British researcher's approach introduces clear differences. While Verlinde postulated an increase in entropy as the gravitational driver, Vospon claims that the key is the reduction of information entropy.

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It also introduces the principle of equivalence between mass, energy and information (M/E/I) , which is not present in the previous formulation.

This framework allows us to propose that the entire universe can be understood as a computational system that constantly seeks efficiency in the use of its " storage resources ."

Implications

This hypothesis has potential consequences for various areas of physics, from the thermodynamics of black holes to theories of dark matter and dark energy. If proven, it could provide a way to unite concepts from quantum mechanics, general relativity, and information theory . However, Vospon himself acknowledges that the main difficulty lies in how to subject this theory to empirical validation. For the moment, the proposal remains a novel theoretical approach that opens up new lines of scientific exploration. PORTFOLIO