2,344 views | 00:05:44
As computers become progressively faster and more powerful, they’ve gained the impressive capacity to simulate increasingly realistic environments. Which raises a question familiar to aficionados of The Matrix—might life and the world as we know it be a simulation on a super advanced computer? “Digital physicists” have developed this idea well beyond the sci-fi possibilities, suggesting a new scientific paradigm in which computation is not just a tool for approximating reality, but is also the basis of reality itself. In place of elementary particles, think bits; in place of fundamental laws of physics, think computer algorithms. But is this a viable approach? Is the universe the ultimate computer running some grand cosmic code? A discussion among the brightest minds in digital physics to explore math, computer science, theories of consciousness, the origin of life, and free will—and delve into a world of information that may underlie everything.Learn More
TOPICS: Physics & Math, Technology & Engineering
TAGS: 2011, computer algorithms, computer science, Digital physicists, Edward Fredkin, Fotini Markopoulou-Kalamara, free will, full program, Is the Universe the Ultimate Computer, John Hockenberry, Jurgen Schmidhuber, laws of physics, math, New York, New York City, NYC, Rebooting the Cosmos, sci-fi, science of the Matrix, Seth Lloyd, simulate the universe, supercomputer, theories of consciousness
PLAYLISTS: Physics & Mathematics, Popular Videos
Video Duration: 01:31:14
Original Program Date: Saturday, June 4, 2011
As computers become progressively faster and more powerful, they’ve gained the impressive capacity to simulate increasingly realistic environments. Which raises a question familiar to aficionados of The Matrix—might life and the world as we know it be a simulation on a super advanced computer? “Digital physicists” have developed this idea well beyond the sci-fi possibilities, suggesting a new scientific paradigm in which computation is not just a tool for approximating reality, but is also the basis of reality itself. In place of elementary particles, think bits; in place of fundamental laws of physics, think computer algorithms. But is this a viable approach? Is the universe the ultimate computer running some grand cosmic code? A discussion among the brightest minds in digital physics to explore math, computer science, theories of consciousness, the origin of life, and free will—and delve into a world of information that may underlie everything.Learn More
TOPICS: Art & Science, Biology & Origins of Life, Earth & Environment, Mind & Brain, Physics & Math, Science in Society, Science Unplugged, Space & The Cosmos, Technology & Engineering, Your Daily Equation, Youth & Education
TAGS: 2011, computer algorithms, computer science, Digital physicists, Edward Fredkin, Fotini Markopoulou-Kalamara, free will, full program, Is the Universe the Ultimate Computer, John Hockenberry, Jurgen Schmidhuber, laws of physics, math, New York, New York City, NYC, Rebooting the Cosmos, sci-fi, science of the Matrix, Seth Lloyd, simulate the universe, supercomputer, theories of consciousness, 2011, computer algorithms, computer science, Digital physicists, Edward Fredkin, Fotini Markopoulou-Kalamara, free will, full program, Is the Universe the Ultimate Computer, John Hockenberry, Jurgen Schmidhuber, laws of physics, math, New York, New York City, NYC, Rebooting the Cosmos, sci-fi, science of the Matrix, Seth Lloyd, simulate the universe, supercomputer, theories of consciousness
PLAYLISTS: Physics & Mathematics, Popular Videos
Video Duration: 01:31:14
Original Program Date: Saturday, June 4, 2011
© 2008-2023 World Science Foundation. All Rights Reserved.
World Science Festival ® and its related logo are registered trademarks of the World Science Foundation. All Rights Reserved.