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A new study by researchers affiliated with the University of British Columbia Okanagan argues that the idea of the universe being a computer simulation is mathematically impossible. The findings, published in the Journal of Holography Applications in Physics, conclude that a complete description of physical reality cannot be achieved through computation alone.
The research was led by Dr. Mir Faizal, an adjunct professor with UBC Okanagan's Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science, together with Dr. Lawrence M. Krauss, Dr. Arshid Shabir and Dr. Francesco Marino.
The study examines the long-debated "simulation hypothesis," which suggests that the universe could exist as a simulation created by a highly advanced civilization. The idea has appeared in philosophy and science fiction for decades and gained wider public attention through films such as The Matrix. While the hypothesis has attracted interest from some theoretical physicists, it has generally been considered difficult to test scientifically.
"It has been suggested that the universe could be simulated. If such a simulation were possible, the simulated universe could itself give rise to life, which in turn might create its own simulation. This recursive possibility makes it seem highly unlikely that our universe is the original one, rather than a simulation nested within another simulation," said Dr. Faizal. "This idea was once thought to lie beyond the reach of scientific inquiry. However, our recent research has demonstrated that it can, in fact, be scientifically addressed."
