US EditionUBC Researchers Say Universe Cannot Be a Simulation
UBC Okanagan researchers disproved the simulation hypothesis by proving reality requires non-algorithmic understanding beyond any computer's capability, using Gödel's incompleteness theorem.
- On October 30, 2025, UBC Okanagan researchers led by Dr. Mir Faizal mathematically proved a computer simulation of the universe is impossible in a Journal of Holography Applications in Physics paper.
- Once confined to philosophy, the simulation hypothesis prompted UBC Okanagan researchers to test whether the universe's informational foundation could be simulated using mathematics and quantum gravity.
- Using Gödel and related theorems, the researchers demonstrate that Gödel's incompleteness theorem, Tarski, and Chaitin prove some truths are unprovable, requiring non-algorithmic understanding beyond computation.
- The authors say this result moves the debate into mathematics and physics, offering a definitive answer, while Dr. Lawrence M. Krauss says it changes how we view physical laws.
- In their proposed scaffolding, they add an external truth predicate and a non-algorithmic layer, rejecting John Wheeler's 'It from Bit' as fundamental, to explain reality emerging from a Platonic realm.
24 Articles
24 Articles
Physicists Just Ruled Out The Universe Being a Simulation
A question that has vexed physicists for the past century may finally have a solution – but perhaps not the one everyone was hoping for. In a new, detailed breakdown of current theory, a team of physicists led by Mir Faizal of the University of British Columbia has shown that there is no universal "Theory of Everything" that neatly reconciles general relativity with quantum mechanics – at least, not an algorithmic one. A natural consequence of t…
Recently, even before artificial intelligence became commonplace, virtual reality became an everyday experience.
Mathematical proof debunks the idea that the universe is a computer simulation
It's a plot device beloved by science fiction: our entire universe might be a simulation running on some advanced civilization's supercomputer. But new research from UBC Okanagan has mathematically proven this isn't just unlikely—it's impossible.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 57% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
