The Universe as a Computer Game Introduction The French mathematician and philosopher Laplace (1790-1799) was intrigued by recent progress in the knowledge of the laws that determine the orbits of the planets within our solar system. With these laws and careful calculations it was possible to predict the movement of the planets for the future and also for the past. In order to clarify the philosophical consequences he performed what later would be called a Gedanken experiment. He introduced a superior spirit with unlimited processing-power and unlimited knowledge of the state of the universe: the ‘demon of Laplace’. Just by intellectual activity (by a demon) the temporal evolution of the physical reality can be in part or even completely explained. The question now arises whether this is just a happy coincidence or that one could look for an ontological basis. What is the relation between material reality and intellectual activity or properties? And especially, how can the step from intellectual activity to reality be made? How can intellectual activity lead to something so evidently material as our real world? Hawkings expresses in lyric words the latter question: Even if there is only one possible unified theory, it is just a set of rules and equations. What is it that breathes fire into the equations and makes a universe for them to describe? Metaphysics in a Nutshell Classic philosophy already was puzzled by the close relation between intellectual activity and material reality. In the beautiful allegory of the cave, Plato related the material world to the invisible world of the ideas. And ideas suppose intellectual activity. Aristotle made a step further in stating that material things being physically one are metaphysically composed by two components: the (philosophical) matter and the form which informs the matter. Consequences for Physics This presentation is primarily an intent to apply the philosophy of Aristotle and Aquinas to exploit the relation between intellectual activity and reality. The examples of modern physics are given to demonstrate that without a powerful metaphysics the phenomena remain completely weird or strange. Conclusions There is an astonishing relation between reality and intellectual activity. Computer games creating increasingly complex virtual reality could serve as a paradigm for the above mentioned astonishing relation. The ontological basis for this relation may be found in the hylemorphism of Aristotle and in the creative power of God in the Judeo-Christian tradition. Within the Creative Computer Game Paradigm many issues in fundamental science become intelligible. It is worthwhile to consider as a working hypothesis: Imagine a creative intellect who is creator in the most strict meaning of the word of all reality. This talk was presented at the International Symposium on "Is evolution the smartest form of creation?" at Pedralbes, Barcelona, 2-1-2016

1. CSR: Culture, Science and Religion The Universe as a Computer Game page 1 2-1-2016
picture by:

2. CSR: Culture, Science and Religion The Universe as a Computer Game page 2 2-1-2016
Content
Introduction
Metaphysics in a Nutshell
Consequences for Physics
Discussion and Conclusions

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An actual question, NRC, 29-11-2015
Is the universe a
computer?
article in NRC (a
Dutch newspaper)
on 29-11-2015.

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The demon of Laplace (1794-1827)
We have to consider the actual state of the
universe as the effect of its previous state, and as
the cause of the state that will follow.
Imagine an intelligent being which, at a
certain time, would know all the forces at
work in nature, and the respective
location of all the beings that compose it.
If it were powerful enough to analyze these data,
it could embrace together in the same formula
the movements of the largest bodies of the
universe and those of the lightest atom. Nothing
would be uncertain for this intelligent being and
both the future and the past would be present to
its eyes.
A Philosophical Essay on Probabilities, 1814

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Game of Life (Conway 1970) I
Game of life: Cellular Automaton
Rules
1. Any live cell with fewer than two live
neighbours dies, as if by loneliness.
2. Any live cell with more than three live
neighbours dies, as if by
overcrowding.
3. Any live cell with two or three live
neighbours lives, unchanged, to the
next generation.
4. Any dead cell with exactly three live
neighbours comes to life.
/ Gosper Glider Gun

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Game of Life (Conway 1970) II
man (intelligent being) formulates rules of
the game
rules are set of commands in a code
on display: generation of pattern:
grow - extinction
static - dynamic
randomness - symmetry
in game of life: mind of man
→rules of the game
→objects of virtual reality on display
in real world: someone (intelligent being)?
→rules of the game
→objects of reality
random start
after 815 generations:
stable pattern

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designer → design → reality
designer, architect:
has an object, a building, in his
mind
design
designer or architect transforms
his idea into software;
with this he is able to visualize in
virtual reality
the realized building
the contractor together with the
workmen realize the building;
no material is created, only existing
material is transformed to end up
with the building.

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the young Paul Davies
Paul Davies was astonished as a
student:
predict the trajectory of a cannonball just
by brief calculation on a backside of the
envelope.

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the puzzling question
4 cases: Laplace Demon
Conway’s game of life
architect
cannon ball trajectory
the temporal evolution of physical reality can be explained by
intellectual activity (by a demon, a computer, an architect, a student).
The puzzling question:
Is that happy coincidence,
or is there an ontological basis?

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the dilemma of Hawking
- Happy coincidence or ontological basis?
- How can intellectual activity lead to something so
evidently material as our real world?
Even if there is only one possible
unified theory, it is just a set of
rules and equations. What is it
that breathes fire into the
equations and makes a universe
for them to describe?
Stephan Hawking, A brief history of time,
Bantam Books 1998.

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Content
Introduction
Metaphysics in a Nutshell
Consequences for Physics
Discussion and Conclusions

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69F7GhASOdM
The cave of Plato (Politeia, 380 B.C.)

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The cave of Plato (Politeia, 380 B.C.)
What we see are the shadows of the world of the ideas;
material reality originates from the immaterial

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the metaphysical analysis of Aristotle
material things: physically one, are metaphysically two:
-- the (philosophical) matter
-- the form which informs the matter
form of material objects, completely matter free,
is not an object of reality
philosophical matter, completely without information
is not an object of reality
matter and their forms are principles of beings
(not beings on its own)
there are beings without any matter (subsisting forms)
highest subsisting form,
First Cause is existing intellectual being, origin of all reality
matter: hyle (literally wood); form: morphe:
philosophy: hylemorphism

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the double aspect of reality
philospher material,
what thing is
made of?
information,
how thing is
determined?
what is real? dualism
Platon,
idealists
shadow idea idea weak
Democritus,
atomists
atoms pure
geometry
atoms weak
Aristotle,
realists
matter form,
information
the thing strong
materialists matter chance,
natural laws
matter weak
computer
scientist
hardware software software
implemented
in hardware
strong

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A modern analogue to matter and form
hardware - software
software is always implemented in some hardware,
for example: program file: on punch card
on memory-stick
on CD
on hard-disk
as code written on paper
hardware (switched-on) has always certain information, i.e. software
for example: tv monitor movie
news
tele-text
letters of novel
'snow' if only noise at input
Aristotelian language applied to the material reality:
information, the form, has to be implemented in some kind of hardware,
the matter, otherwise it is not real, it is only virtual, virtual reality.

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from virtual reality to actual reality
consider virtual reality:
rapidly changing colored pixels generated by a computer code
creativity of architect:
generates detailed drawings or instructions for constructor
necessary: to be implemented in concrete, stone or wood:
the creation of information:
is related to intellectual activity
Is there a creative intellect for all reality?
- implementing ideas in matter without need of
existing material;
- the “creative computer game paradigm”
philosophy has no complete answer:
in Judeo-Christian tradition: an answer is given

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The mystery of creation
with other words:
Heaven and earth have a beginning.
Heaven and earth are created.
There is a creator: God who is
transcending (standing outside)
heaven and earth.
Genesis, chapter 1, Jerusalem
Bible
1. In the beginning
God created heaven
and earth.

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Content
Introduction
Metaphysics in a Nutshell
Consequences for Physics
Discussion and Conclusions

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beyond mechanicism
The Laplace Demon:
an efficient data processor (Turing
machine) with code restricted to
classical mechanics
Lord Kelvin:
His statement regarding the relation between understanding and
mechanical models is a source of many Scheinprobleme, i.e.
pseudo-questions without cognitive content (Carnap).

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the hydrogen atom
hydrogen atom:
1 proton surrounded by 1 electron
circulating charge (the electron)
generates radiation
that would cause hydrogen not being stable
(this is evidently against experiment)
possible answer:
weirdness of Quantum Mechanics
(i.e. I don’t understand)
alternative approach
restrict yourself to known properties of the whole
- wavefunction,
- relevant equations of quantum mechanics (Schrödinger equation),
and expect results giving only the probability of a certain outcome.

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the electron in the hydrogen atom
Where is the electron?
- is a Scheinproblem;
- question is grammatical correct;
- can not be answered by physicist.
But, why is there no answer?
- lack of knowledge?
- insufficient measuring tools?
Answer: reality does not contain the information
- there is no localized electron;
- there are only probabilities to find an electron at a certain position.
Creative Computer Game Paradigm
- very close to neo-positivism of Mach, Jordan;
- material reality is not more -and also not less- than information
implemented in (philosophical) matter.

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Scheinprobleme in science
The following issues appear as Scheinprobleme in the
creative computer game paradigm
The ether wind
- Michelson Morey interferometer
weird character of quantum mechanics
- entanglement
- collapse of wavefunction
- assumption of hidden variables
Chance hypothesis in evolution
- there is no scientific method to proof or deny randomness;
- in subsequent higher structures additional information is provided
(new subroutines).

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Content
Introduction
Metaphysics in a Nutshell
Consequences for Physics
Discussion and Conclusions

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A challenging hypothesis
Laplace:
Imagine an intelligent being which, at a certain
time, would know all the forces at work in nature,
and the respective location of all the beings that
compose it.....
a challenging working hypothesis:
Imagine a creative intellect who is creator in the
most strict meaning of the word of all reality.
n.b. no proof is given for this hypothesis,
- but there is no scientific reason to exclude it;
- many fundamental issues in the foundation of
science appear in a new light.

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Some remarks of Einstein I
The eternal mystery of the world is
its comprehensibility... The fact
that it is comprehensible is a
miracle.“
Einstein, „Physics and Reality‟ 1936:
Within the Creative Computer Game
Paradigm:
- comprehensibility is not any more a
surprise.

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Some remarks of Einstein II
„Quantum mechanics is certainly imposing. But an inner
voice tells me that it is not yet the real thing. The theory
says a lot, but does not really bring us any closer to the
secret of the ‘Old One’. I, at any rate, am convinced that
He does not throw dice.“
Einstein: letter to Max Born 1926
In the Creative Computer Game Paradigm,
the software code is ordinary carried out, but
the outcome is open to the direct
intervention of the ‘Old One’.
- In ordinary life First Cause (providence) can
act without interfering with probabilistic
natural laws of QM;
- laws in physics are incomplete.

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Conclusions I
There is an astonishing relation between reality and
intellectual activity.
Computer games creating increasingly complex virtual
reality could serve as a paradigm for the above
mentioned astonishing relation.
The ontological basis for this relation may be found in
the hylemorphism of Aristotle and in the creative
power of God in the Judeo-Christian tradition.
Within the Creative Computer Game Paradigm many
issues in fundamental science become intelligible.

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Conclusions II
It is worthwhile to consider as a working hypothesis:
Imagine a creative intellect who is creator in the most
strict meaning of the word of all reality.

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