Latest news with #MelvinVopson
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Physicist Says He's Identified a Clue That We're Living in a Computer Simulation
What if gravity were informed by the way matter was arranged in the universe — and a sign that we were living in a reality composed by a giant computer? In a new paper published in the journal AIP Advances, University of Portsmouth physicist Melvin Vopson offered a new interpretation of gravity, arguing that it could be the result of the universe trying to make itself less cluttered, thereby behaving much like a computer algorithm. "This is another example of data compression and computational optimization in our universe, which supports the possibility of a simulated or computational universe," he wrote. Vopson's article is part of a greater movement of scientists trying to explain the forces of nature by arguing that they're the result of an all-encompassing simulation. In the early 2000s, philosopher Nick Bostrom proposed that our reality is a computer simulation dreamed up by a highly advanced civilization, echoing the plot of the 1999 blockbuster "The Matrix." But proving the theory is a thorny issue, especially considering if we really were trapped in a simulation, its creators would likely have taken measures to ensure we're unable to peek behind the curtain. Vopson built on his own "second law of information dynamics" proposition, which holds that the "entropy of any system remains constant or increases over time," to argue that gravity is pulling together matter and objects in space to keep entropy at a minimum, much like a computer tidying and compressing data. "My findings in this study fit with the thought that the universe might work like a giant computer, or our reality is a simulated construct," said Vopson in a statement. "Just like computers try to save space and run more efficiently, the universe might be doing the same." "It's a new way to think about gravity," he added, "not just as a pull, but as something that happens when the universe is trying to stay organised." In his article, Vopson argued that information stored in elementary cells, defined as the smallest possible volume in space in quantum mechanics, informs the coordinates of matter inside the simulation, a kind of pixelation of ones and zeroes. "The process is identical to how a digital computer game, virtual reality application, or other advanced simulation would be designed," he said in the statement. Each cell can fit more than one particle, much like a computational system minimizing information content. "Put simply, it is far more computationally effective to track and compute the location and momentum of a single object in space, than numerous objects," Vopson argued. "Therefore, it appears that the gravitational attraction is just another optimising mechanism in a computational process that has the role to compress information." Vopson has long been a proponent of the simulation theory, arguing in 2022 that genomes of the COVID-19 virus exhibited a decreasing entropy over time, supporting evidence of his second law of information dynamics. In another eyebrow-raising paper, he posited that information could be a "fifth form of matter," again allegedly demonstrating that we live in a simulation. But whether his research will ever gain mainstream acceptance and approval outside of the fringes of the scientific community remains to be seen. After all, extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence — especially when you're trying to turn reality itself on its head. More on simulation theory: Mathematician: Here's why the simulation theory is stupid
Daily Mail
29-04-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
Is our universe the ultimate computer? Scientist says we're living in a simulation
A physicist has claimed that the science-fiction film, The Matrix may hold more truths than people first though and has pointed to gravity has a sign that we are living in a virtual simulation. In his new paper Melvin Vopson, an associate professor in physics at the University of Portsmouth, said our universe is the 'ultimate computer.' Gravity's pull – both on planet Earth and in outer space – is the universe trying to keep its vast amount of data organised, Vopson claims. Vopson adds that forcing objects with mass into one direction – for example downwards towards Earth's core – is similar to how computers compress code. The scientist said: 'The universe evolves in a way that the information content in it is compressed, optimized and organized – just as computers and computer code do. 'Hence, gravity appears to be another process of data compression in a possibly simulated universe.' The simulation theory is not unique to Professor Vopson and is popular among a number of well-known figures including Elon Musk. However, in recent years Vopson has been investigating the various cues that suggest we live in a simulated reality. His new study, published in AIP Advances, reports that gravity may be one of these everyday clues and 'evidence of a computational universe'. Gravitational attraction helps to reduce 'information entropy' – which is essentially how much information there is in an object in a given space. The study introduces a new way to think about gravity – not just as a pull, but as something that happens when the universe is trying to stay organised. Vopson said: 'My findings in this study fit with the thought that the universe might work like a giant computer, or our reality is a simulated construct.' The scientist stresses that he's not only talking about the gravitational pull we see on Earth and the 'apple falling on Isaac Newton's head' moment four centuries ago. But is instead speaking much more widely, gravity is a fundamental force throughout our vast universe, which is commonly said to be 93billion light-years across. In space, gravity has many roles including building entire galaxies, pulling planets into orbit around their stars, and influencing the motion of nearby objects. So, in space, matter and objects may be being pulled together because the universe is trying to keep information tidy and compressed. Vopson said: 'To put it simply, it is easier to compute all the properties and characteristics of a single object in space, rather than multiple objects. 'That is why objects in space are pulled together.' The physicist is known for formulating the principle that information is not just an abstract mathematical entity, but a 'physical, dominant, fifth state of matter'. He argues that information has mass and that all elementary particles – the smallest known building blocks of the universe – store information about themselves, similar to the way cells have DNA. He thinks bits – the unit of digital information – have their own mass and energy, which has wide-ranging implications for computing technologies, physics and cosmology. In a previous paper, Vopson established a new law of physics, called the 'second law of information dynamics' to explain how information behaves. His law establishes that the 'entropy', or disorder, in a system of information decreases rather than increases. This new law came as somewhat of a surprise, because it is the opposite of the second law of thermodynamics, established in the 1850s, which explains why we cannot unscramble an egg or why a glass cannot unbreak itself. As it turns out, the second law of infodynamics explains the behaviour of information in a way that the old law cannot. Vopson said; 'The second law of infodynamics requires the minimisation of the information content associated with any event or process in the universe. 'To put it simply, everything appears to evolve to an equilibrium state where the information content is minimal. 'Such behaviour is fully reminiscent of the rules deployed in programming languages and computer coding.'
NDTV
29-04-2025
- Science
- NDTV
Do We Live In A Simulated Reality Like In The 'Matrix'? UK Scientist Makes Bold Claim
Are we living in a simulated reality like in the movie 'The Matrix'? Dr. Melvin Vopson, a UK-based physicist, suggests that gravity might be evidence we're living in a virtual world, with the universe acting like a giant computer. His theory echoes the 1999 film's concept of a simulated universe, but with a scientific twist. Dr. Vopson's research suggests that gravity might be a form of data organisation, similar to computer code compression. He proposes that the universe's tendency to pull objects with mass towards the Earth's core is analogous to how computers optimise data, supporting the idea that our universe could be a simulated or computational construct. "The universe evolves in a way that the information content in it is compressed, optimised and organised – just as computers and computer code do. Hence, gravity appears to be another process of data compression in a possibly simulated universe," he told the Daily Mail. According to the study, gravity reduces "information entropy," or the amount of information an object holds in a given space. Gravity shapes galaxies, orbits planets around stars, and affects nearby objects' motion. In Dr Vopson's theory, gravity pulls objects together as the universe strives to keep information organised and compressed. "To put it simply, it is easier to compute all the properties and characteristics of a single object in space, rather than multiple objects. That is why objects in space are pulled together," Dr Vopson added. Dr. Vopson's idea builds on his previous work on entropy in information theory, which likely explores how information systems tend to become more disordered or complex over time. "A super complex universe like ours, if it were a simulation, would require a built-in data optimisation and compression to reduce the computational power and the data storage requirements to run the simulation. This is exactly what we are observing all around us, including in digital data, biological systems, mathematical symmetries and the entire universe," he explained in 2023. This time, he shifted his focus from biological systems to gravity, exploring its potential connection to information theory and the simulated universe hypothesis. "My findings in this study fit with the thought that the universe might work like a giant computer, or our reality is a simulated construct. Just like computers try to save space and run more efficiently, the universe might be doing the same. It's a new way to think about gravity – not just as a pull, but as something that happens when the universe is trying to stay organised," Mr Vopson explained.
Daily Mail
28-04-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
Is our universe the ultimate computer? Scientist uncovers a major clue that we're all living in a simulation
For more than a quarter of a century since its release, 'The Matrix' has fueled modern fears that life is not all it seems. But according to a scientist, the classic movie's premise may not be completely science fiction. Melvin Vopson, an associate professor in physics at the University of Portsmouth, thinks gravity may be a sign that we're all living in a virtual simulation. Our universe is the 'ultimate computer', Professor Vopson theorizes in a new paper. Gravity's pull – both on our planet and in outer space – is the universe trying to keep its vast amount of data organised. Forcing objects with mass into one direction – i.e. downwards on Earth – is similar to how computers compress code, Professor Vopson claims. 'The universe evolves in a way that the information content in it is compressed, optimized and organized – just as computers and computer code do,' he told MailOnline. 'Hence, gravity appears to be another process of data compression in a possibly simulated universe.' The simulation theory is not unique to Professor Vopson; in fact, it's popular among a number of well-known figures including Tesla founder Elon Musk. But in recent years Professor Vopson has been investigating the various cues that suggest we live in a simulated reality. His new study, published in AIP Advances, reports that gravity may be one of these everyday clues and 'evidence of a computational universe'. Gravitational attraction helps to reduce 'information entropy' – which is essentially how much information there is in an object in a given space. The study introduces a new way to think about gravity – not just as a pull, but as something that happens when the universe is trying to stay organised. 'My findings in this study fit with the thought that the universe might work like a giant computer, or our reality is a simulated construct,' he said. Professor Vopson stresses he's not only talking about the gravitational pull we see on Earth and the 'apple falling on Isaac Newton's head' moment four centuries ago. Speaking much more widely, gravity is a fundamental force throughout our vast universe, which is commonly said to be 93 billion light-years across. The professor is not just talking about gravity on Earth but in the wider universe, where it builds entire galaxies, pulls planets into orbit around their stars, and influences the motion of nearby objects What is the simulation theory? The simulation theory suggests that what humans perceive as reality is actually a computer-generated simulation. Human beings are unknowingly being fed this simulated consciousness either for their own good or for nefarious means. In 2003, University of Oxford philosopher Nick Bostrum first proposed the argument that 'we are almost certainly living in a computer simulation'. Simulation theory is explored in sci-fi films including 'The Matrix' (1999) and its sequels, as well as 'The Thirteenth Floor' (1999) and 'Dark City' (1998). In space, gravity has many roles including building entire galaxies, pulling planets into orbit around their stars, and influencing the motion of nearby objects. So, in space, matter and objects may be being pulled together because the universe is trying to keep information tidy and compressed, the theory goes. 'To put it simply, it is easier to compute all the properties and characteristics of a single object in space, rather than multiple objects,' he told MailOnline. 'That is why objects in space are pulled together.' Dr Vopson is known for formulating the principle that information is not just an abstract mathematical entity, but a 'physical, dominant, fifth state of matter'. He argues that information has mass and that all elementary particles – the smallest known building blocks of the universe – store information about themselves, similar to the way cells have DNA. He thinks bits – the unit of digital information – have their own mass and energy, which has wide-ranging implications for computing technologies, physics and cosmology. In a previous paper, the academic established a new law of physics, called the 'second law of information dynamics' to explain how information behaves. This image visualises the second law of thermodynamics from the 1850s. This old law establishes that entropy - a measure of disorder in an isolated system - can only increase or stay the same. In contrast, Professor Vopson's second law of infodynamics establishes that entropy decreases - but it explains the behaviour of information in a way that the old law cannot His law establishes that the 'entropy', or disorder, in a system of information decreases rather than increases. This new law came as somewhat of a surprise, because it's the opposite of the second law of thermodynamics established in the 1850s, which explains why we cannot unscramble an egg or why a glass cannot unbreak itself. As it turns out, the second law of infodynamics explains the behaviour of information in a way that the old law cannot. 'The second law of infodynamics requires the minimisation of the information content associated with any event or process in the universe,' he told MailOnline. 'To put it simply, everything appears to evolve to an equilibrium state where the information content is minimal. 'Such behaviour is fully reminiscent of the rules deployed in programming languages and computer coding. The second law of thermodynamics One of the most powerful laws is the second law of thermodynamics, which establishes that entropy (a measure of disorder in an isolated system) can only increase or stay the same, but it will never decrease. This is an undisputed law linked to the arrow of time, which shows that time only goes one way. It flows in a single direction and can't go backwards. The law explains why we cannot unscramble an egg or why a glass cannot unbreak itself. Professor Vopson had expected that the entropy in information systems, such as bits of data, would also increase over time. But on examining the evolution of these systems he realised it remains constant or decreases. That's when he established the second law of information dynamics, or infodynamics in 2022. In a nutshell, the second law of information dynamics (2022) states that entropy (disorder) deceases over time.
