From: mk_thisisit
Our universe may resemble a giant quantum computer [00:00:03]. The latest scientific research, particularly through the study of black holes, suggests that space is constructed from fundamental elements that behave like qubits [00:22:04]. This perspective implies that nature long ago discovered how quantum computers work, and we are only now learning these principles [00:23:13].
Black Holes: A Key to Understanding the Universe
Black holes are not merely interesting astronomical objects [00:02:14]; understanding them presents a unique and huge challenge in physics [00:02:23]. By understanding black holes, significant progress can be made in comprehending how space and time truly operate [00:02:29].
Information and the Singularity
When an object falls into a black hole, it is stretched to zero, and as space disappears, the object and all its atoms also disappear [00:07:05]. This represents a complete erasure of information according to Einstein’s theory of gravity [00:07:10]. However, recent research suggests that information can return [00:07:15].
The “singularity” of a black hole is not a specific place or its center [00:06:46]. Instead, it is the “end of time” for anything that falls into a black hole [00:07:30]. At this moment, according to Einstein’s theory, we cease to exist in a very fundamental sense; our atoms are not destroyed or moved, but simply cease to exist [00:07:43].
Gravitational Effects
For a large black hole, the process of falling into it may not feel particularly extraordinary [00:02:50]. For instance, falling into a supermassive black hole like M87 (millions of solar masses) would allow about a day before meeting an end due to being stretched and torn apart [00:04:40], [00:05:08]. The more massive a black hole, the larger its size and the smaller the gravity on its horizon [00:05:14].
The Nature of Time
Time is not an illusion [00:08:14]. It is a very important idea and significant phenomenon, but it can end for an individual who falls into a black hole, while continuing to flow for observers outside [00:08:20], [00:08:26].
In Einstein’s theory, time is not absolute [00:08:05]. It challenges the intuitive notion of a great cosmic clock ticking universally [00:12:44].
Causal Relationships as Fundamental
Instead of putting time at the center of the universe’s picture, what is important is the causal relationship between cause and effect [00:09:47], [00:09:50]. The universe can be understood as a set of events related by cause and effect [00:09:30], where, for instance, death must occur after birth, with a life being a series of logically connected events in between [00:09:07].
The Nature of Space
The idea that space is made of something seems almost nonsensical at first [00:10:14]. If space is constructed, then the components it’s made of must exist outside of it [00:11:16]. Latest research in the physics of black holes indicates that space may be a product of something more fundamental [00:10:41], [00:10:45].
This “something more elementary” consists of a network of “things” that interact according to certain rules [00:11:26]. These “things” do not exist in space, so talking about distance between them doesn’t make sense [00:11:43]. However, the effects of these interacting objects, as we perceive them, is space [00:11:54].
Einstein’s Contribution to Understanding Space
Einstein’s theory of general relativity was groundbreaking in showing that space is not constant but “plastic” [00:13:11]. It can be curved, and this curvature is what causes the presence of energy and mass, manifesting as gravitational force [00:13:14], [00:13:21]. The Earth, for example, curves the space around it [00:13:24]. Current research suggests that even Einstein’s image might be a simplification, and something even deeper underlies the nature of time and space [00:13:51].
Space as a Quantum Computer
Research on black holes leads to the conclusion that we may live inside something resembling a giant quantum computer [00:22:37], [00:22:39]. The fundamental “things” that interact to create space behave very similarly to qubits [00:21:56], [00:21:59]. This does not necessarily mean we are a simulation programmed by someone, but rather that the laws of nature and the fundamental construction of space are similar to a quantum computer [00:23:01], [00:23:19].
Black Holes as Gateways to Other Universes
From a practical standpoint, no known black holes created by colliding stars provide the possibility of acting as portals to another universe [00:14:23], [00:15:06], [00:15:09]. The collapsing star that forms the black hole blocks any possibility of crossing to the other side [00:15:29], [00:17:10].
However, mathematical equations describing black holes do allow for scenarios where there is access to another universe [00:15:14], [00:15:17]. The Ker solution, a mathematical consequence of Einstein’s equations, describes a spinning black hole with a singularity through which one could “jump” to appear in an infinite universe on the other side [00:17:51], [00:18:04]. This concept could lead to an infinite tower of nested universes, each infinitely large and contained within another [00:18:25], [00:19:44]. While this is a perfectly consistent mathematical solution to Einstein’s equations, it does not describe the world we currently live in because real black holes are formed from collapsing stars [00:19:50], [00:20:01].
Quantum Nature of Reality
Nature is fundamentally quantum mechanical [00:23:51]. Everything around us reflects quantum principles and emerges from quantum physics [00:23:58], [00:24:01]. There is ongoing research into whether human consciousness, or the brain, might function on fundamentally quantum microtubules [00:24:26], [00:24:30]. Understanding how nature uses quantum mechanics, for example in photosynthesis or potentially in the brain’s functioning, is a very interesting area of modern research [00:24:46], [00:24:50]. A major challenge in processing quantum information is protecting the quantum system from environmental influence, which nature seems to achieve even in warm systems like plants and brains [00:25:04], [00:25:09], [00:25:36].