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.
