https://news.ok.ubc.ca/2025/10/30/ubco-study-debunks-the-idea-that-the-universe-is-a-computer-simulation/ Skip to main content Skip to main navigation Skip to page-level navigation Go to the Disability Resource Centre Website Go to the DRC Booking Accommodation Portal Go to the Inclusive Technology Lab Website [ ] Search The University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia Okanagan campus UBC Search UBC Search UBC Okanagan News * Research * People + Student Profile + Faculty Profile + Alumni Spotlight * Campus Life + Campus News + Student Life + Teaching & Learning * Community Engagement * About the Collection + Stories for Media * UBCO Events * Search All Stories Home / 2025 / October / 30 / UBCO study debunks the idea that the universe is a computer simulation Campus Life, Campus News, Research, Science UBCO study debunks the idea that the universe is a computer simulation New study uses logic and physics to definitively answer one of science's biggest questions October 30, 2025 A red and blue pill sit side by side. In the film The Matrix, about a computer-simulated world, the red and blue pills symbolize a choice the hero must make between illusion and the truth of reality. Photo by ANIRUDH on Unsplash. 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. Dr. Mir Faizal, Adjunct Professor with UBC Okanagan's Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science, and his international colleagues, Drs. Lawrence M. Krauss, Arshid Shabir and Francesco Marino have shown that the fundamental nature of reality operates in a way that no computer could ever simulate. Their findings, published in the Journal of Holography Applications in Physics, go beyond simply suggesting that we're not living in a simulated world like The Matrix. They prove something far more profound: the universe is built on a type of understanding that exists beyond the reach of 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." 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 Godel'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 "Godelian 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." 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. Media Contact Patty Wellborn E-mail: patty.wellborn@ubc.ca Content type: Media Release More content from: Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, and Statistics, Irving K Barber Faculty of Science Related content Two researchers in a laboratory setting: doctoral student Tuan-Anh Nguyen on the left and Dr. Thu-Thuy Dang examining plant samples. They are conducting research on how tropical trees produce mitraphylline, a rare compound with potential anti-cancer properties at UBC Okanagan. Researchers reveal how plants make anti-tumour drugs Researchers at UBC Okanagan have uncovered how plants produce mitraphylline, [...] October 14, 2025 A large jaguar with golden fur and dark rosette spots stands alert in a sun-dappled forest. A thick black tracking collar encircles its neck. Its bright eyes look forward, ears pricked, as dappled sunlight filters through leafy branches above and dense green undergrowth surrounds its powerful body as it laps at a stream. Global study maps how wild dogs follow patterns, wild cats roam free Cats and dogs may share our homes, but their wild [...] September 29, 2025 Three students sit on top of a pickup truck, smiling and dressed in field gear, preparing for a research trip Hands-on wildfire research for students builds knowledge, connection and resilience UBC Okanagan undergrads get hands-on with wildfires, monitoring and Indigenous land stewardship practices September 23, 2025 Trending Stories * UBCO study debunks the idea that the universe is a computer simulation * Student-built tech transforms non-profit inventory systems * UBCO study finds sex ed fails 2SLGBTQIA+ students * Researchers reveal how plants make anti-tumour drugs * Masculinity debated in the digital age All Stories Contact Media Relations About UBC Okanagan UBC's Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning founded in partnership with local Indigenous peoples, the Syilx Okanagan Nation, in whose traditional, ancestral and unceded territory the campus resides. The most established and influential global rankings all consistently place UBC in the top three per cent of universities in the world, and among the top three Canadian universities. The Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world in British Columbia's stunning Okanagan Valley. For more visit ok.ubc.ca. Discover more about UBC Okanagan Find a Program Admissions Book a Tour UBCO Facts UBC Okanagan Campus News, University Relations Innovation Precinct Annexation 1 (IA1) 3505 Spectrum Court Kelowna, BC Canada V1V 2Z1 We respectfully acknowledge the Syilx Okanagan Nation and their peoples, in whose traditional, ancestral, unceded territory UBC Okanagan is situated. Search all stories Subscribe to receive news by email Visit UBC's Vancouver news room Global and Admin Messages News [Facebook-S] [X-Social-i] Okanagan Campus [Instagram-]TikTok icon [Facebook-S][X-Social-i]Linkedin icon [YouTube-So] UBC Okanagan News Okanagan Campus 3333 University Way Kelowna, BC Canada V1V 1V7 Find us on Back to top The University of British Columbia * Emergency Procedures | * Terms of Use | * Copyright | * Accessibility