Is the Universe Actually a Cosmic Computer?

AI Thread Summary
The discussion explores the idea of the universe functioning as a cosmic computer, drawing parallels between computer components and universal characteristics. The laws of physics are likened to a processor's instruction set, while the concept of computing power is questioned in terms of spatial volume. The conversation also delves into the universe's storage capacity, pondering how much data is needed to represent every particle's properties. Additionally, it raises the possibility of data transmission limitations leading to uncertainties in measurements. The implications of phenomena like black holes and wormholes within this framework are also considered.
martix
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There's been a concept I've been thinking about for quite some time.
Lets imagine the universe was a computer. How would it look like/function.
Now a computer has some characteristics and I wonder if you can apply these to the universe. Though I'm not sure which corresponds to what.
For example the processor's instruction set - its probably the laws of physics in the universe - like creating a homogeneous space and the like.
Now a processor also has computing power, but I can't imagine what its universal alternative is(maybe volume of space? like a cubic inch has that many FLOPS of power)...
Also - storage capacity - how many bytes does it take to record every physical property of a particle(without any uncertainties - the data is there, even if we can't measure it)?
Which also gives me an idea - maybe there's a pipeline or something that allows you to transmit only so much data, leaving some of it behind thus leaving some uncertainty as to the exact measurement of certain properties.
Also - say the universe has that many particles each having that many storage capacity. Can a system of these particles possibly hold more data than their individual sums?
And what would phenomena like black holes, wormholes, etc. be like inside this "universal" computer?
 
Space news on Phys.org
http://wwwphy.princeton.edu/~kirkmcd/examples/QM/lloyd_prl_88_237901_02.pdf

Related topic:
http://puhep1.princeton.edu/~mcdonald/examples/QM/lloyd_nature_406_1047_00.pdf
 
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Oh, so someone did actually come up with such a wacky idea before me... nice to know I'm not the only nutjob around.:rolleyes::biggrin::-p
 
Abstract The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) has significantly advanced our ability to study black holes, achieving unprecedented spatial resolution and revealing horizon-scale structures. Notably, these observations feature a distinctive dark shadow—primarily arising from faint jet emissions—surrounded by a bright photon ring. Anticipated upgrades of the EHT promise substantial improvements in dynamic range, enabling deeper exploration of low-background regions, particularly the inner shadow...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recombination_(cosmology) Was a matter density right after the decoupling low enough to consider the vacuum as the actual vacuum, and not the medium through which the light propagates with the speed lower than ##({\epsilon_0\mu_0})^{-1/2}##? I'm asking this in context of the calculation of the observable universe radius, where the time integral of the inverse of the scale factor is multiplied by the constant speed of light ##c##.
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