The Autodidactic Universe

A paper has just been released by Microsoft stating that their theoretical physicists have made findings that would indicate that the Universe as we know is nothing more than a machine-learning computer.

A number of researchers with ties to Microsoft have published a paper entitled The Autodidactic Universe that elaborates on the concept of our Universe simply being a self-learning algorithm capable of continuously acquiring more knowledge about itself. Much like us, it is suspected that the Universe is able to make changes about itself based upon its own self-discovery of its distinct structures and internal laws of existence. If the ideas behind Simulation Creationism are true, and we are simply living in a simulated reality, it’s possible that our simulated Universe may have been programmed with its own semblance of conscience as well.

An excerpt of the paper explains:

“For instance, when we see structures that resemble deep learning architectures emerge in simple autodidactic systems might we imagine that the operative matrix architecture in which our universe evolves laws, itself evolved from an autodidactic system that arose from the most minimal possible starting conditions?“

Physicist Vitaly Vanchurin proposed a theory that the Universe is just one expansive neural network, and this idea was further researched by the individuals who published the Autodidactic Universe paper quoted above.

Physics That are Likely Impossible

Even if our perceived reality is actually just a massive self-learning algorithm, what exactly would that mean for us as inhabitants, anyway?

The most notable thing, especially for the field of physics, is that the goal of trying to unify physics would now become impossible due to the fluctuating nature of a simulated self-learning universe. The laws of physics, just as everything else, would be subject to change as constantly as the Universe deemed fit.

With those implications, it’s likely that the physics we know now may have operated entirely differently over the course of history and will continue to evolve and change its rule for the future too.

Of Memes and Men

The researchers and authors of the paper also entertain the idea of memes being an example of the Universe learning and adapting strictly for the sake of learning itself rather than doing so out of a need to gain knowledge for survival.

This same paper explains: “The example of memes in human social structures show that a learning system that is not constrained by ‘brute survival’ can sometimes become dominated by ‘economic network effect’ in self-reference.”

With the state of our world and society, it’s almost not even a surprise that the Universe would generate a massive, self-referential meme.