One of the great challenges that physics faces is the unification, or rather, the reconciliation of quantum mechanics with gravity. The conflict between both fields of study has manifested itself on multiple occasions, but regardless of the differences, experts continue to work to find that valuable piece of the puzzle that still eludes us. The so-called holographic principle is part of the search, and in very relaxed terms it proposes that we exist as two-dimensional information at the edge of the universe , while the universe itself is an expression of that information … a 3D hologram, let’s say.
The world of physics was completely rocked when a young scientist named Stephen Hawking recognized that everything that falls into a black hole, including its information, is completely lost and impossible to recover. Quantum mechanics experts automatically saw this as a paradox , and to put it in a way … they disagreed with Hawking. One such expert is Leonard Susskind , and he said that Hawking was wrong because his conclusion violates one of the fundamental laws of the universe, which is the conservation of information .
Susskind wrote a book about his “battle” with Hawking, “The Black Hole War,” which is highly recommended for anyone who wants to know more about it. The differences between Hawking and Susskind (in addition to the subsequent debate) led to what is now known as the holographic principle , presented by physicist Gerard ‘t Hooft and Susskind himself, which the world seems to have interpreted as follows: The universe … It’s a hologram .
The holographic universe
But before we go on to the universe, let’s go back to the black holes. Through the holographic principle, ‘t Hooft and Susskind developed the idea that when an object falls into a black hole, the eventual horizon assumes the role of “photographic film” , keeping an exact copy of the object, and what fell into it is your three-dimensional image.
In other words, the object is in two places at the same time , but the most interesting thing is that the holographic principle does not apply exclusively to black holes, but also extends to the entire universe . Everything we touch, see and feel is a 3D projection of the information stored at the cosmological threshold. So … what is the real version? According to Susskind, it doesn’t matter. The mathematics indicates that both are equivalent , but it is a question that we cannot pass up.
The same is true of the following: What are the odds of it being true? The latest studies based on the analysis of microwave background radiation applied the holographic principle to predict non-uniformity (specific deviations) in that background, and their results were much more accurate than expected. Obviously, we are just scratching the surface here, and it will take extra years of study to confirm or deny the validity of the holographic principle. Until then … “computer, end of program?”
