Researchers have mathematically proven that the universe cannot be a computer simulation. Reality, they argue, is rooted in a “non-algorithmic understanding” that no algorithm could ever replicate. Credit: SciTechDaily.com

A new study applies logic and physics to provide a definitive answer to one of science’s greatest questions.

It’s an idea often explored in science fiction: what if our entire universe is actually a simulation created by an advanced civilization’s supercomputer?

New research from UBC Okanagan suggests that this concept isn’t just improbable: it’s mathematically impossible.

Dr. Mir Faizal, an Adjunct Professor at UBC Okanagan’s Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science, worked with an international team that includes Drs. Lawrence M. Krauss, Arshid Shabir, and Francesco Marino. Together, they have demonstrated that the deepest layers of reality function in a way that fundamentally no computer could ever replicate.

Their study, published in the Journal of Holography Applications in Physics, moves beyond the familiar idea that we might be living in a simulated reality similar to The Matrix. Instead, it presents a more profound conclusion: the universe itself is founded on a kind of understanding that cannot be captured or reproduced by any algorithm.

“It has been suggested that the universe could be simulated. If such a simulation were possible, the simulated universe could itself give rise to life, which in turn might create its own simulation. This recursive possibility makes it seem highly unlikely that our universe is the original one, rather than a simulation nested within another simulation,” says Dr. Faizal. “This idea was once thought to lie beyond the reach of scientific inquiry. However, our recent research has demonstrated that it can, in fact, be scientifically addressed.”

From Newton to Quantum Gravity

The research hinges on a fascinating property of reality itself. Modern physics has moved far beyond Newton’s tangible “stuff” bouncing around in space. Einstein’s theory of relativity replaced Newtonian mechanics. Quantum mechanics transformed our understanding again. Today’s cutting-edge theory—quantum gravity—suggests that even space and time aren’t fundamental. They emerge from something deeper: pure information.

This information exists in what physicists call a Platonic realm—a mathematical foundation more real than the physical universe we experience. It’s from this realm that space and time themselves emerge.

Here’s where it gets interesting. The team demonstrated that even this information-based foundation cannot fully describe reality using computation alone. They used powerful mathematical theorems—including Gödel’s incompleteness theorem—to prove that a complete and consistent description of everything requires what they call “non-algorithmic understanding.”

Think of it this way. A computer follows recipes, step by step, no matter how complex. But some truths can only be grasped through non-algorithmic understanding—understanding that doesn’t follow from any sequence of logical steps. These “Gödelian truths” are real, yet impossible to prove through computation.

Here’s a basic example using the statement, “This true statement is not provable.” If it were provable, it would be false, making logic inconsistent. If it’s not provable, then it’s true, but that makes any system trying to prove it incomplete. Either way, pure computation fails.

“We have demonstrated that it is impossible to describe all aspects of physical reality using a computational theory of quantum gravity,” says Dr. Faizal. “Therefore, no physically complete and consistent theory of everything can be derived from computation alone. Rather, it requires a non-algorithmic understanding, which is more fundamental than the computational laws of quantum gravity and therefore more fundamental than spacetime itself.”

Why the Universe Cannot Be Simulated

Since the computational rules in the Platonic realm could, in principle, resemble those of a computer simulation, couldn’t that realm itself be simulated?

No, say the researchers. Their work reveals something deeper.

“Drawing on mathematical theorems related to incompleteness and indefinability, we demonstrate that a fully consistent and complete description of reality cannot be achieved through computation alone,” Dr. Faizal explains. “It requires non-algorithmic understanding, which by definition is beyond algorithmic computation and therefore cannot be simulated. Hence, this universe cannot be a simulation.”

Co-author Dr. Lawrence M. Krauss says this research has profound implications.

“The fundamental laws of physics cannot be contained within space and time, because they generate them. It has long been hoped, however, that a truly fundamental theory of everything could eventually describe all physical phenomena through computations grounded in these laws. Yet we have demonstrated that this is not possible. A complete and consistent description of reality requires something deeper—a form of understanding known as non-algorithmic understanding.”

The team’s conclusion is clear and marks an important scientific achievement, says Dr. Faizal.

“Any simulation is inherently algorithmic—it must follow programmed rules,” he says. “But since the fundamental level of reality is based on non-algorithmic understanding, the universe cannot be, and could never be, a simulation.”

The simulation hypothesis was long considered untestable, relegated to philosophy and even science fiction, rather than science. This research brings it firmly into the domain of mathematics and physics, and provides a definitive answer.

Reference: “Consequences of Undecidability in Physics on the Theory of Everything” by Mir Faizal, Lawrence M Krauss, Arshid Shabir and Francesco Marino, 17 June 2025, Journal of Holography Applications in Physics. DOI: 10.22128/jhap.2025.1024.1118

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