The Physical World as a Virtual Reality (0801.0337v2)

Abstract: This paper explores the idea that the universe is a virtual reality created by information processing, and relates this strange idea to the findings of modern physics about the physical world. The virtual reality concept is familiar to us from online worlds, but our world as a virtual reality is usually a subject for science fiction rather than science. Yet logically the world could be an information simulation running on a multi-dimensional space-time screen. Indeed, if the essence of the universe is information, matter, charge, energy and movement could be aspects of information, and the many conservation laws could be a single law of information conservation. If the universe were a virtual reality, its creation at the big bang would no longer be paradoxical, as every virtual system must be booted up. It is suggested that whether the world is an objective reality or a virtual reality is a matter for science to resolve. Modern information science can suggest how core physical properties like space, time, light, matter and movement could derive from information processing. Such an approach could reconcile relativity and quantum theories, with the former being how information processing creates space-time, and the latter how it creates energy and matter.

• The paper proposes that the universe functions like a computer simulation through complex information processing.
• The paper unites quantum mechanics and relativity by framing space, time, matter, and energy as computational outputs.
• The paper challenges traditional physics by positing that external algorithms may underlie observable phenomena, prompting new research.

Evaluating the Concept of the Universe as a Virtual Reality: A Theoretical Perspective

Brian Whitworth's paper "The Physical World as a Virtual Reality" explores a concept that integrates digital physics and information theory into our understanding of the universe. The proposition is that the physical universe may function as a virtual reality, fundamentally constructed through processes of information handling. This hypothesis doesn't assert that our universe is unreal, but rather suggests that it could be a product of intricate information computations operating outside the observable domain.

Core Propositions and Theoretical Underpinnings

Whitworth's hypothesis is grounded in the idea that the universe, similar to a computer simulation, might operate based on information processing that creates phenomena such as time, space, matter, and energy. These are considered not as standalone entities, but as manifestations of information processing. The hypothesis offers a potential reconciliation of relativity and quantum mechanics, suggesting that space-time and quantum interactions derive from the same foundational computational processes.

Significantly, virtual reality (VR) theory challenges traditional notions of an objective reality, which assert that the universe exists independently of any observing processes. Instead, it posits that physics may arise from external algorithms defining reality, akin to the way video games generate environments.

Analogies with Physics

The paper parallels contemporary physics phenomena with VR model operations:

• Digital Processing and Discreteness: The notion that matter and time might be discrete mirrors quantization principles, such as Planck's quantization of energy.
• Non-locality and Entanglement: It postulates that non-local quantum effects could be explained by the negligible spatial constraints on a computing process external to our observed universe.
• Processing Load and Relativistic Effects: Under a VR framework, high processing demands might manifest as relativistic effects like time dilation and spatial curvature.

Implications and Future Directions

The implications of treating the universe as a virtual reality are vast. It provides a unique perspective that might address inherent contradictions in physics, such as the discrepancies between relativity and quantum mechanics, and could offer novel insights into unsolved problems. It suggests a unified information conservation law underlying all conservation principles, and posits an algorithmic simplicity for laws of physics due to computational necessity.

Critically, a VR-based view encourages a reconsideration of ontological assumptions in modern physics, foregrounding the role of information as a fundamental essence. Future research might focus on identifying computational principles that mimic or derive known physical laws. Moreover, it requires a reevaluation of phenomena deemed paradoxical under classical interpretations.

Conclusion

Whitworth's proposal positions the universe as a virtual reality, challenging orthodox views and inviting scrutiny of the intrinsic nature of reality itself. The hypothesis does not necessarily overturn existing frameworks but opens a dialogue for a potential paradigm shift. The theoretical alignment with aspects of current physics offers compelling circumstantial evidence, although empirical validation remains crucial. As such, this paper serves as an intriguing exploration within the broader discourse on the fundamental nature of the universe, pushing the boundaries of conventional physics and inviting speculative yet structured inquiry into the informational substrate of reality.