Yes, we may all be living in the Matrix, say physicists

Yes, we may all be living in the Matrix, say physicists



Posted on October 12, 2012 - 05:48 by Emma Woollacott




German scientists say
they've found a way to tell whether or not our universe is a giant
computer simulation - and that there's evidence to suggest that it is.

The basis of the idea is that, if the universe is a simulation, then it would have certain observable constraints.

The laws of physics, which appear continuous, would have to be
superimposed onto a discrete three-dimensional lattice which advances in
steps of time.

This lattice spacing, says Professor Silas Beane of the University
of Bonn, would impose an otherwise unnecessary limit on the energy that
particles can have, because nothing can exist that is smaller than the
lattice itself.

And, he says, precisely such a a cut-off in the spectrum of high
energy particles exists: a limit to the energy of cosmic rays known as
the Greisen–Zatsepin–Kuzmin (GZK) cut-off. High energy particles
interacting with the cosmic microwave background lose energy as they
travel across long distances.

And there's something else to look for that could, perhaps, confirm
things one way or the other. If we're living in a simulation, 'the
angular distribution of the highest energy components would exhibit
cubic symmetry in the rest frame of the lattice, deviating significantly
from isotropy."

In other words, the cosmic rays would have a tendency to travel
along the lines of the lattice, so that they wouldn't show up equally in
all directions. And this is something that can be checked using current
technology.

There are a couple of caveats. First, this technique would only
identify a certain type of simulation - and we could be living in one
that's constructed completely differently.

Second, the preferential travel of cosmic rays would only show up if
the lattice cut off is the same as the GZK cut off. This occurs when
the lattice spacing is about 10^-12 femtometers; if it's much smaller
than that, there's no way of knowing.




Source:-
http://www.tgdaily.com/general-sciences-features/66796-yes-we-may-all-be-living-in-the-matrix-say-physicists