Is the Universe a Virtual Reality?
Why Reality is a Computed Simulation Tom Campbell, the author of My Big TOE (Theory of Everything) takes you on a fast ride in the short video below. Campbell explains why our so-called objective reality is actually a virtual reality. The graphic shown in the video is a table from Brian Whitworth. A similar and more concise table from his 2007 paper, The Physical World as a Virtual Reality, is below the video. One of Whitworth's conclusions was, "if the Universe is virtual then so are we". As Campbell notes, Whitworth concluded that only a virtual reality fits all the physical data and therefore is the only logical conclusion as to the nature of our reality. Ultimately, reality is information and what our consciousness interprets to be our reality is digital data. I'll go one further and say life, including humans, are software installed on a biological platform.
Why Reality is a Computed Simulation Words from NASA/DoD physicist Thomas Campbell, author of "My Big TOE"
The Physical World as a Virtual Reality: Brian Whitworth
Table 1. Virtual properties and physical outcomes
Virtual Property, Physical Outcome
Virtual Reality Creation Virtual worlds must begin with an information influx from “nothing”, that also begins VR time/ space.
The Big Bang The universe was created out of nothing by a “big bang” in a single event that also created time and space.
Digital Processing All events/objects that arise from digital processing must have a minimum quantity or quanta.
Quantum Minima Light is quantized as photons. Matter, energy, time, and space may be the same, i.e. have a minimum amount.
Maximum Processing Rate Events in a VR world must have a maximum rate, limited by a finite processor.
Light Speed The speed of light is a fixed maximum for our universe, and nothing in our space-time can move faster.
Non-local Effects A computer processor is equidistance to all screen “pixels”, so its effects can be “non-local” with respect to its screen.
Wave Function Collapse The quantum wave function collapse is non-local - entangled photons on opposite sides of the universe may instantly conform to its requirements.
Processing Load Effects If a virtual processing network is overloaded, its processing outputs must be reduced.
Matter and Speed Effects Space curves near a massive body and time dilates at high speeds.
Information Conservation If a stable VR is not to gain or lose information it must conserve it.
Physical Conservation Physical existence properties like matter, energy, charge, spin etc are either conserved or equivalently transform.
Algorithmic Simplicity Calculations repeated at every point of a huge VR universe must be simple and easily calculated.
Physical Law Simplicity Core physical processes are describable by relatively simple mathematical formulae, e.g. gravity.
Choice Creation A random number function in the VR processor could provide the choices needed to create information.
Quantum Randomness The quantum “dice throw” is to the best of our knowledge truly random, and unpredictable by any world event.
Complementary Uncertainty Calculating one property of a self-registering interface may displace complementary data.
Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle One cannot know both a quantum object’s position and momentum, as knowing either makes the other unknown.
Digital Equivalence Every digital object created by the same code is identical.
Quantum Equivalence All quantum objects, like photons or electrons, are identical to each other.
Digital Transitions Digital processes simulate event continuity as a series of state transitions, like the frames of a film.
Quantum Transitions Quantum mechanics suggests that reality is a series of state transitions at the quantum level.
About Tom Campbell
Tom Campbell began researching altered states of consciousness with Bob Monroe Journeys Out Of The Body, Far Journeys, and The Ultimate Journey) at Monroe Laboratories in the early 1970s where he and a few others were instrumental in getting Monroe's laboratory for the study of consciousness up and running. These early drug-free consciousness pioneers helped design experiments, developed the technology for creating specific altered states, and were the main subjects of study (guinea pigs) all at the same time. Campbell has been experimenting with, and exploring the subjective and objective mind ever since. For the past thirty years, Campbell has been focused on scientifically exploring the properties, boundaries, and abilities of consciousness.
During that same time period, he has excelled as a working scientist, a professional physicist dedicated to pushing back the frontiers of cutting edge technology, large-system simulation, technology development and integration, and complex system vulnerability and risk analysis. Presently, and for the past 20 years, he has been at the heart of developing US missile defense systems.
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