A group of international researchers has come up with mathematical evidence that, according to them, definitively refutes the theory that our lives are part of a computer simulation.
The idea that the universe could be a computer program has long been supported by figures like Elon Musk and has inspired famous films like The Matrix.
But, according to the new study, this theory is not only practically impossible — it's mathematically impossible.
Why?
According to scientists, the fundamental nature of reality works in ways that cannot be described by algorithms or computer calculations alone.
In the world where quantum physics operates, phenomena occur that cannot be described by any computer, no matter how powerful.
Dr. Francesco Marino, co-author of the study from the Italian National Institute of Optics, explains to the Daily Mail:
"We have shown that a fully algorithmic description of the universe is impossible. Any simulation is based on programmed rules, so it can only imitate the 'mechanical' parts of reality, but not the deep ones, which do not follow algorithms."
The argument that collapsed
The “simulation-universe” theory suggests that if a civilization creates a virtual universe with intelligent life within, that life can create other simulations — and so on, in an endless loop.
But the study published in the Journal of Holography Applications in Physics, by Dr. Mir Faizal (University of British Columbia) and his colleagues, proves that this reasoning does not hold up.
Mathematical roots
The research is based on the theory of quantum gravity, which says that everything — particles, fields, and space-time itself — emerges from a deeper reality, a "Platonic world" composed of pure mathematical information.
But, according to researchers, even this world of information cannot be completely described by a computer's calculations.
For this, they used several mathematical theorems to show that we can never have a complete and consistent description of the universe through computers alone.
Dr. Marino explains with a classic example:
“If we say 'This true sentence cannot be proven,' we face a paradox: if it is proven, it is false; if it is not proven, it is true. So any logical system that tries to prove it will remain incomplete.”
This is the essence of what is called Kurt Gödel's Incompleteness Theorem, which shows that there are truths that are impossible to prove — not for lack of knowledge, but because it is mathematically impossible.
The universe cannot be simulated.
Based on these results, the authors conclude that:
“A complete description of reality requires something we call non-algorithmic meaning — something that goes beyond calculations and that cannot be simulated.”
Dr. Lawrence Krauss of the Origin Project Foundation adds:
“We have shown that it is not possible to have a ‘theory of everything’. A complete description of reality requires a deeper form of understanding, beyond mathematics and computers.”
What is the “Holographic Principle”?
This principle, proposed by modern physicists, states that three-dimensional objects in the universe can be described as two-dimensional structures, much like holograms.
He has helped solve the famous paradox of Stephen Hawking, who believed that black holes destroy the information they "swallow".
According to the holographic principle, information does not disappear, but is encoded on the two-dimensional surface of the black hole, which expands every time it absorbs matter. /GazetaExpress/
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