This article is the first in a series of posts which will attempt to outline a model of our universe. That's a tall order, to be sure. However, if one follows the bread crumb trail, it's not such a leap of faith. Especially since we are going to take quite a different path than one would usually follow. We're going to make a single assumption, which you must accept in order to accept the conclusions reached. My intent is not to be authoritative. This is merely the conclusions I've reached, plus my thoughts, ideas and conjecture. For that reason, it won't be entirely in third-person form. My goal is to eventually have enough material for a book. We shall see. Book writing can be an arduous task. One chapter (or post) at a time is a much less stressful way of getting it done. Baby steps.
What's with the Name?
The series title, Holosophy, is a play on two words: Hologram and Philosophy. I'm a nerd and have always love wordsmithing when an opportunity arises. Plus, it sounded pretty cool. Hopefully, by the end of this introduction you will agree it is an apt title.
What you're about to read is an odd look at life, the universe, and everything. This sentence is the only time you will read 42. It's an easy joke to toss into a serious discussion. Might as well use it early, eh? Know that I have nothing but praise and high regard for Douglas Adams and his work. He was true genius. Without him, that last joke wouldn't have been possible.
Odd you say?
The odd bit is in the sense that the topics hinge from a geeky, software engineer's viewpoint. Odd in the sense that these writings are designing a system that is a "game". Something to be "played" by other people. As in, "how would one design a videogame that emulated xyz."
Lastly, (it may be) odd that it is based upon an assumption. Not an insane assumption. Merely a concept, about which actual "scientists" have written papers. It's an assumption that very well may be bat-shit crazy. It's the trifecta of "odd".
But what if that assumption turns out to be sane and correct. Or even partially sane? Wow, then that's something really cool to ponder. "What if...?" is my second favorite question. After "Why?", of course. Not to mention, there's growing evidence that the assumption may actually be the case. That said, I see zero harm in looking at things from a semi-neutral, reverse-engineering viewpoint. These "things" being various fundamentals and frameworks in and of our humanity. These are mid-to-high level topics, like "time", "space", "life force", etc. These are concepts and knowledge with which most people are familiar. It may not be your bag, but you'll "get" it.
Almost done...
The discussions presented will consider the various ways in which the topic could be accomplished via computer (software and/or hardware). That's the reverse-engineering part. If I had to model "time" as as system, how would I do that? Those type of topics. This isn't a "down to the code" reverse-engineering. Far from it. Merely objects on a Visio drawing. Some have lines connecting them, some intersect. Think of it as a crazy yarn map in the closet. A web of multicolored strings spanning both sides. Pushpins linking the item to its cross-wardrobe relation. Then compressed into a series of blog posts. Links (like this) will be provided on things that are outside of the norm, or references media some people may not have seen.
Disclaimers
These articles will be devoid of spiritualistic and/or religious teachings, tenets, and/or doctrine. That is to say, this isn't coming from a specific religious view. You're not heading towards a discussion of an apocalypse, end times, 2012, etc. It has nothing to do with that. It is an objective look at what's going on around us from a "higher level". We'll be thinking "outside of the box", so to speak. However, spirituality and religion will be discussed, at length, in several articles. This area has received much attention and some of the notions are quite compelling. Nothing has influenced the patterns of human behavior as a species more than religion. I consider this semi-neutral because there is always going to be some bias in the topic, one way or the other. Just the act of selecting a topic is in and of itself biased. Within the topic material, however, it will be kept to a minimum.
Finally, if you get triggered by these topics, ideas, and/or concepts; here is my honest and best advice: Calm down, don't panic, and re-read whatever set you off. Keep reading it until it doesn't seem to bother you. If may help, it may not. Please note that the thought of performing those three easy, remedial steps can be a trigger to some. Be aware. ;)
Always keep in mind that these are only thoughts and ideas coming from a geeky dude's perspective. Think of it as overheard conversation at a party. Nothing more. Everything I write is always up for discussion. Please participate constructively.
Onward!
The Aforementioned Assumption
We exist in a quantum holographic construct.
For the purpose of these writings, it is going to be assumed that we we exist within a quantum holographic construct. If that turns out to not be the case, then the rest of the data presented is irrelevant. However, should it be true, then what follows is a possibility. One that should be considered by everyone. Either way, it should make for interesting reading.
Working with this assumption as our foundation, there are many universal things that can be looked at in unique ways. These aspects will be explored as we go. For now, it is this work's basis. All of it based on the work of many people all over the world and throughout time. Without their discoveries, theories, stories, and conclusions, it would be difficult for one to conceptualize (let alone understand) this information. And because we are not all highly advanced mathematicians it is difficult, if not impossible, to understand the equations behind the science. Here are some key vectors in the emergence of the holographic universe concept.
In the 1991, Michael Talbot wrote an excellent book called The Holographic Universe. It isn't a scientific research paper but rather a concept expanded upon. Low on math, high on ideas. It definitely made the concept easier to grasp.
Later, in 1995, Leonard Susskind published a scientific paper called The world as a hologram. Susskind used quantum physics to lay out the premise that our world could actually be holographic in nature. There are quite a few other scientists that have come to similar conclusions, and an equal number who disagree.
In 2011, ex-astronaut Dr. Edgar Mitchell published a paper called Nature's Mind: The Quantum Hologram. In it a multidimensional holographic construct is described in which he believes we exist.
Therefore, this is far from being crazy science fiction. It just requires advanced quantum physics and a little imagination.
Terminology
There will be words used throughout these articles that should be thought of in a specific context. They're listed below with the manner in which they'll be used. This section will, most likely, evolve over time.
Hardware: A system which is capable of executing software.
Software: A contained set of instructions which a computer system can understand and execute.
Quantum Hologram: An extremely advanced, multitasking, multidimensional holographic environment. The device is programmable and runs an operating system. It also has user interface. The purpose of this device is to run simulations.
Construct: The container, "holder of", or "box"; in which a simulation "runs". Runs as in an application running on a computer. You could think of it as a "opening a window" in a modern operating system. When start an application, the operating system creates an environment (the construct), in which to execute ("run") the app's instructions.
Welcome to the Machine
By now you're probably thinking that holograms look shitty and this couldn't possibly be our reality. However, I would argue that holography has come a long way since the 80's. Not to mention, whatever engine is running this hologram is something far beyond what we currently consider a "computer". But to ease your concern, have a look at what was released to the public last year. It's a hologram that can be touched.
If you're a Star Trek fan, you'll remember the holodeck. This was a virtual reality environment on the ship. It emulated countless scenarios for the recreational pleasure of the crew. The captain enjoyed playing detective-type adventure games in the holodeck. Here's a shot from an episode where he was "playing" a detective:
The man (the captain) and the woman are the only real people in the game. The rest are computer generated characters. In modern terms, these are called non-player characters. They're run by an artificial intelligence and are pre-programmed to interact with humans in various ways. Primarily, they provide background noise and/or interfaces into to the game. Put a pin in this concept, we'll be diving deeper in later posts.
Is the Holographic World Flat or Round?
It would not be fair to end the intro there. Thus the first topic is small. Not even post-worthy by itself. The question and alleged answers seem to be proliferating through YouTube and the Twitterverse. Nonetheless, it is a topic that fresh and funky.
Question: What shape is the holographic world?
Answer: Who cares, it doesn't matter
If you've ever played a first-person video game (like World of Warcraft or Call of Duty) where you're looking through the eyes of the figure running around on the screen; have you ever asked if the world inside the game universe is flat or round? No, of course not. It's a ridiculous notion because you know it's a just a game. If you've never played one of these games, or not played one lately, have a look-see at this short video of game play in Bless Online:
Back to the point. When playing games like this, one doesn't stop running around and observe the horizon, or question the reported shape of the world. It is what it is. A rendered construct. It is not relevant to the game, and/or how it is to be enjoyed.
Thus, if we exist in a holographic universe does the shape of the container actually matter? Can we not enjoy the game without considering its shape? I will leave that thought with you to ponder.
Until next time.