Experiment Determines if the Universe is a Hologram

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

I actually never saw that movie. Is it any good?

Yes. The idea alone is worth giving it a shot.

 

[Metadigital]

Well, things aren't full of phlogiston and we're not drifting in the luminiferous aether, so we must all be holograms, right?

I enjoy these kinds of experiments at the edge of science. Not because they sort the science from the non-science, but because they show how the basis of all scientific endeavors is the human imagination.

 

[Kenjitsuka]

Wouldn't inherent noise from their sensors, mechanical noise, and electrical noise completely overshadow the tiny signal they're trying to measure?

Indeed... Measuring motion a hundred billion billion times smaller than a proton with a 40 meter long tube?
Btw, first I read "smaller than a photon". I'm verrrry tired atm.

 

[St3rY]

Scientists aim to determine whether or not the universe is a two-dimensional holographic illusion using a device called the Holometer.

The NewScientist article cautions against just this kind of misunderstanding:

Hogan cautions that the idea that the universe is a hologram is somewhat misleading because it suggests that our experience is some kind of illusion, a projection like a television screen. If the Holometer finds a fundamental unit of space, it won't mean that our 3D world doesn't exist.

In fact, the only context the word "illusion" appears in the article, is the warning above.

Every time a misread like this is published, a little Deepak Chopra gains it's wings.

 

[RJ 17]

But what happens if Hollow Graham goes on a rampage and tries to kill us all?!
-Captain Murphy

Hogan cautions that the idea that the universe is a hologram is somewhat misleading because it suggests that our experience is some kind of illusion, a projection like a television screen. If the Holometer finds a fundamental unit of space, it won't mean that our 3D world doesn't exist.

In fact, the only context the word "illusion" appears in the article, is the warning above.

Every time a misread like this is published, a little Deepak Chopra gains it's wings.

This is actually what I clicked on the article to find out: "Surely they don't actually mean there's scientists out there wanting to find out if we really live in The Matrix or not..."

Gotta say that even the non-scientific jargon in this article makes it very confusing...specifically because of throwing around the word "hologram".

 

[ZeroAxis]

I actually never saw that movie. Is it any good?

Yes. The idea alone is worth giving it a shot.

It's basically the grandfather of The Matrix, Inception, and movies of that type,......with arguably better acting.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

If the Universe is just a hologram then we must be really sophisticated AI programs.

 

[Hero in a half shell]

The great prophet Frankie once spoke of this:


I just hope the next level isn't an escort mission. Those always suck (although hopefully the devs will nerf that money exploit. Currently economics is majorly OP.)

 

[Fsyco]

There are so many things about this that tickle my bullshit detectors, but I'm not studied up in physics enough to quite figure out why so much about this sounds like really bad pseudoscience. I need to go read QED again.

It probably sounds stupid because it's going to a sort of metaphysics about the nature of the universe. As someone who is reasonably studied up in physics, this all sounds fairly legit. I don't know if I agree with the hypothesis, but hey, that's what the experiment is for, right? Their methods seem sound enough.

 

[frizzlebyte]

If you want to get into crazier ideas about reality being 'fake' there are some that remain pretty interesting. The simulated universe hypothesis, for example. The idea is that if a species survives long enough, and advances its technology continually, then they *will* eventually have the capability to create a computer simulation of life, or even a galaxy, or universe. How would those living within the simulation even know? What happens if they survive long enough to create simulations of their own? Then you start getting this whole, simulation, within simulation, within simulation... and then you go cross-eyed. It' a neat thought experiment at any rate, I think.

The thing I've always been fascinated by is that religions that believe in an afterlife essentially subscribe to the "simulated universe" hypothesis, if not in name, then in details, with the higher plane of existence being the "true" reality and this one being "created," i.e., not "real."

OT: Can't say much else except "cool experiment," because even if they get data, how can you know whether it's actually useful or not? Even if it checks out, there's a chance that the nature of living inside the "holograph" skews the data one way or another.

 

[Saetha]

...What.

I feel like I just accidentally stumbled into an episode of Futurama. "Good news, everyone! The universe is a hologram! We've been living in Brannigan's holodeck this entire time!"

I'm gunna... lie down or something.

 

[McMarbles]

So Bill Cypher was right all along?

Spoiler: Deer teeth, for you, kid!

 

[Nowhere Man]

The theory that the universe is made of these units comes from the belief that information cannot be destroyed, and that something similar to the 2D event horizon of a black hole "records" everything that gets pulled into it. If said notion is true, the boundary of the universe could also create a 2D representation of all things contained within the universe- like a hologram storing a 3D image in 2D.

So basically they're saying that it's possible that on the other side of this universe there's a 2D blueprint containing every piece of quantifiable information that ever existed on our side? This means it's possible that a pandimensional alien super-god collective consciousness (or its IT department) can reconstruct our universe according to how they feel fit. Or they can just store us away in some dusty inter-dimensional archival library.

I am so stoned right now.

 

[Sylocat]

And I just finished reading Echopraxia, no less.

I think the term "Hologram" is slightly misleading in this context, though I suppose it's not the scientists' fault that the colloquial usage has changed.

 

[snowpuppy]

Looking forward to the results, I hope they are correct, the more knowledge to exploit the better.

 

[tzimize]

I don't know, it's a tantalising theory but I have a feeling it may fall flat when it comes to finding convincing evidence.

Hahahahahahahahahah! That...is just great. I tip my hat to you sir/madam.

Also on topic: I dont really get this, but I love science. If the universe is flat, does that mean we are all really the same height? Hehehe. This is great.