If you love watching classic movies, I’m sure you are familiar with The Matrix. Since its first release in 1999, millions of people around the world have wondered about the universe and if it’s what it seems. In the movie, Neo discovers that humanity is trapped in a simulation controlled by machines and, now, some scientists believe something similar could be a reality. I mean, some scientific discoveries seem like they were taken from a science-fiction movie, right?
Melvin Vopson, one of the researchers from Portsmouth University, developed the Second Law of Infodynamics theory which he says could be the proof of us living something similar to the Matrix. So, let’s find out more about this.
What is the Matrix theory in science?
The movie shows a world that looks real, but it’s actually a computer program. Now, Vopson is using this as an influence to his new idea: the universe works as a digital simulation where everything is made of information, not just matter and energy.
In physics, there is a very well known law called the second law of thermodynamics which says that entropy (a way to measure disorder in a system) always increases with the passage of time. For example, if a glass falls and breaks, disorder increases because the glass never reassembles itself since that would be a reduction of entropy.
Having this in mind, Vopson thought that if this law applies to everything, should it be applied to information too?
Second Law of Infodynamics
When studying information systems, Vopson found something unexpected: entropy in information does not always increase, sometimes it is stable or even lowers reaching a balance. According to Vopson, this was called the Second Law of Infodynamics and means that the universe isn’t chaotic, but that it’s in a constant process of organization and data optimization.
Here is where we find the Matrix relationship: if the world were a simulation, it would need methods to compass data and save processing energy (like it happens with videogames or smartphone apps). For Vopson, this is exactly what we see in nature from the way atoms organize themselves to how living beings evolve.
Example in real life
Vopson explained his theory in different fields, so let’s have a look:
- Atomic physics: The arrangement of electrons seems to follow patterns that minimize disorder.
- Cosmology: The universe is expanding without losing or gaining heat, which suggests another type of entropy—information entropy—may be balancing things.
- Biology: Mutations in DNA may not be as random as Charles Darwin thought.
A great example is his study on COVID-19 virus. He analyzed how the virus mutated with the passage of time in a more ‘’efficient’’ way, as if it were a computer system optimizing itself.
Do we live in the Matrix?
From Vopson’s point of view, everything seems to lead to the conclusion that the universe is a huge simulation. If such a complex system like ours were generated by computer, it would need to optimize data to work without spending unnecessary resources. He says this is what we see everywhere: symmetry in math, order in biological systems, and data compression in the universe itself.
Of course, not all sce¡ientists agree with Vopson. Many of them state his theory needs more evidence and that the observations could be explained as the natural way in which the cosmos works, with no need of thinking about a simulation.
The mystery continues
Whether this theory is true or not, it reopens one of the most asked questions of humankind: is reality what we think or an illusion? The doubt has always been present, from Greek philosophers like Plato to movies like the Matrix. Even though we never find a definite proof, these ideas encourage science to keep exploring new ways. Do you think we live in the Matrix?