According to a philosophical argument published in 2003, our lives may not be exactly what we think they are, and sensory experiences – such as the smell of food or the heat of sunlight – may be as real as the wallpaper on a computer screen.
This interesting concept is known as the simulation hypothesis, which suggests that if humanity achieves the ability to repeatedly simulate the universe using advanced computers, it is very likely that we will be inhabitants of a simulated reality.
The second law of information dynamics
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The simulation hypothesis is more a philosophical thought experiment than a concrete scientific theory. However, it has captured the imagination of scholars who seek to challenge its validity. The idea that our reality is a carefully constructed model, divorced from some basic, tangible reality, is an intriguing possibility, inspiring researchers to delve deeper into this concept.
A recent advance in the continued exploration of this idea has come through the so-called Second Law of Informatics, a theory developed by physicist Melvin Fopson of the University of Portsmouth and mathematician Serban Libadato of the Jeremiah Horrocks Institute of Mathematics, Physics and Astronomy in 2011. United Kingdom. She suggests that Our world may actually be a complex construct within a highly advanced computer system.
In a paper published in the journal AIP Physics in 2022, Vobson explained that the concept opens the door to innovative research tools at the intersection of physics and information. The physicist and mathematician believes that the law provides scientific evidence that reinforces the idea of a simulated universe.
Thermodynamics and Informatics
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The idea is based on the second law of thermodynamics, which states that any natural process in the universe leads to an increase in entropy, or some degree of chaos, and a loss of energy.
Believing that information could be viewed as a form of matter, Fobson predicted a similar trend in information systems. However, contrary to their expectations, the investigation revealed that the second law of information dynamics requires that the entropy of information remains the same or decreases over time.
For the physicist, this discovery has far-reaching implications, prompting him to test it in various fields such as genetics, cosmology, atomic physics, symmetry, and the simulation hypothesis itself.
Reality simulation?
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One investigation into the possible fact that we live in a simulated universe involves studying the prevalence of symmetry in the universe, which can be found in anything from a snowflake to an entire galaxy.
“Symmetry principles play an important role in relation to the laws of nature, but until now there have been few explanations as to why this is so. My findings show that high symmetry corresponds to a state of lowest information entropy, which may explain the biased nature of this,” said Fopson. .
According to the physicist, symmetry would essentially be the removal of redundant information, similar to what a computer does when erasing or compressing redundant codes to save storage space and improve power consumption. This would fit well with the hypothesis, suggesting that we may be living in a carefully constructed simulated reality.
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However, in order to truly prove this concept, it is still necessary to perform experimental verification that would show how much information constitutes the fundamental basis of our universe. Furthermore, Melvyn Vobson’s proposal that information has mass can find experimental support through its annihilation in particle-antiparticle collisions.
This theory actually raises very interesting questions. If our universe is a model, it must be programmed by a more complex system, where all our sensory experiences depend on something outside the simulation. Maybe one day someone will develop a program to answer these questions and reveal the secrets of our existence, and whether it is actually a simulation or not.
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