Experiments to see if the universe exists within a computer simulation from the future Quote:
DON'T be alarmed but you may be living in a computer simulation.
Scientists from the University of Washington are conducting experiments to discover whether the universe exists within a Matrix style computer simulation created by super computers of the future.
The experiment could prove that we are merely pawns in some kind of larger computer game.
So who created these super computers that may hypothetically power our existence?
Professor Martin Savage, one of the physicists working on the project says it's unclear.
"Imagine the situation where we get a big enough computer to simulate our universe, and we start such a simulation on our computers. If that simulation runs long enough, and have the same laws as our universe, then something like our universe will emerge within that simulations, and the situation will repeat itself within each simulation," he said.
The current understanding of string theory indicates that there are 10^500 universes with different laws that determine the behaviour of particles within them, the professor of physics said.
"So it is certainly true, that with enough computer resources, theorists would like to explore these universes."
How the experiment works is a little tricky to understand, but physicists claim that finite computer resources mean that space time is not continuous but set on a grid with a finite volume, designed to create maximum energy subatomic particles. The direction these particles flow in will depend on how they are ordered on the grid (which may or may not be cubic, but could itself have some sort of non-continuous structure).
Still with me?
In a nutshell the physicists will be looking at the distribution of the highest energy cosmic rays in order to try and detect patterns that could suggest that the universe is the creation of some futuristic computer technology.
If it turns out that we are bit players in some sort of computer program, the physicist suggested that there may be a way to mess with the program, and play with the minds of our creators - all in the name of science, you understand.
"One could imagine trying to figure out how to manipulate the code, communicate with the code by moving information around, and questions that appear weird to consider today," he said.
It will be years before we see any sort of definitive data proving, or disproving the team's theory, so before you throw in your job, tell your loved ones what you have always thought of them, Professor Savage says that the possibility that you are just a piece of data in a computer simulation may be disturbing, but it doesn't nullify your existence.
You are a living, breathing human being.
"I am sure you are real!," Prof Savage said. "You are as real as I am. I see no reason to think that computers cannot exist within simulations."
"Understanding how our world and universe works at a fundamental level will continue to be worthy pursuit, and will continue lead to applications we cannot imagine today."
The physicist also said that the experiment should have no impact on the possibility of the existence of God, Vishnu, Allah or any other higher power.
Scientists from the University of Washington are conducting experiments to discover whether the universe exists within a Matrix style computer simulation created by super computers of the future.
The experiment could prove that we are merely pawns in some kind of larger computer game.
So who created these super computers that may hypothetically power our existence?
Professor Martin Savage, one of the physicists working on the project says it's unclear.
"Imagine the situation where we get a big enough computer to simulate our universe, and we start such a simulation on our computers. If that simulation runs long enough, and have the same laws as our universe, then something like our universe will emerge within that simulations, and the situation will repeat itself within each simulation," he said.
The current understanding of string theory indicates that there are 10^500 universes with different laws that determine the behaviour of particles within them, the professor of physics said.
"So it is certainly true, that with enough computer resources, theorists would like to explore these universes."
How the experiment works is a little tricky to understand, but physicists claim that finite computer resources mean that space time is not continuous but set on a grid with a finite volume, designed to create maximum energy subatomic particles. The direction these particles flow in will depend on how they are ordered on the grid (which may or may not be cubic, but could itself have some sort of non-continuous structure).
Still with me?
In a nutshell the physicists will be looking at the distribution of the highest energy cosmic rays in order to try and detect patterns that could suggest that the universe is the creation of some futuristic computer technology.
If it turns out that we are bit players in some sort of computer program, the physicist suggested that there may be a way to mess with the program, and play with the minds of our creators - all in the name of science, you understand.
"One could imagine trying to figure out how to manipulate the code, communicate with the code by moving information around, and questions that appear weird to consider today," he said.
It will be years before we see any sort of definitive data proving, or disproving the team's theory, so before you throw in your job, tell your loved ones what you have always thought of them, Professor Savage says that the possibility that you are just a piece of data in a computer simulation may be disturbing, but it doesn't nullify your existence.
You are a living, breathing human being.
"I am sure you are real!," Prof Savage said. "You are as real as I am. I see no reason to think that computers cannot exist within simulations."
"Understanding how our world and universe works at a fundamental level will continue to be worthy pursuit, and will continue lead to applications we cannot imagine today."
The physicist also said that the experiment should have no impact on the possibility of the existence of God, Vishnu, Allah or any other higher power.
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http://www.heraldsun.com.au/technology/experiments-to-see-if-the-universe-exists-within-a-computer-simulation-from-the-future/story-fn5izo02-1226536251540
Why The Universe Is Not a Computer After All 
