It's a plot device beloved by science fiction: our entire universe might be a simulation running on some advanced civilization's supercomputer. But new research from UBC Okanagan has mathematically proven this isn't just unlikely—it's impossible.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/post/56676015

Their findings, published in the Journal of Holography Applications in Physics, go beyond simply suggesting that we’re not living in a simulated world like The Matrix. They prove something far more profound: the universe is built on a type of understanding that exists beyond the reach of any algorithm.

  • Artisian@lemmy.worldEnglish
    5·
    3 days ago

    They specifically claim to refute the ‘simulations all the way down’ anthropic-flavored argument which goes as follows:

    1. We can make pretty good simulations already

    2. Later we’ll want to make more and more detailed

    3. Therefore most folks that exist are inside simulations

    4. Ergo we’re probably in a simulation

    If our universe allows us to build more powerful computers, then this argument goes through just the same as it did with Church-Turing.

    (I agree with your broader point: every thing our universe does is a new requirement on the universe simulating ours. But I don’t think this is a particularly relevant observation for the ‘are we in a simulation’ question? Anything our universe does is tautologically something a universe can do.)