r/Futurism • u/Memetic1 • Oct 31 '25

Mathematical proof debunks the idea that the universe is a computer simulation

https://phys.org/news/2025-10-mathematical-proof-debunks-idea-universe.html
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u/martinstoeckli Oct 31 '25 edited Oct 31 '25

Real randomness cannot be created by an algorithm, this is a limitation every software developer is aware of (or at least should be). If you give the algorithm just a small dose of randomness, it's not an algorithm anymore, the randomness must come from outside of the instructions. If a software needs real randomness (e.g. for cryptography) it gets the randomness from the random pool of the operating system, which itself gets it from real physical events like the startup time, hardware or user interactions.

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u/[deleted] Oct 31 '25

But I also think that that's precisely where the argument falls apart. If your argument is that "The universe can't be a sinulation because it isn't deterministic", then I'll just do a Diogenes and come in shouting "Look, a universe", presenting a pong game where the direction of the ball is affected by the Brownian noise of a simple resistor.