The Universe: Reality or Simulation?

Professor Catherine Heymans

“Mum, do you think we could be inside a computer game?”  My kids love delaying bedtime by asking me tricky questions, and this particular existential crisis left me utterly lost for words.  To try and find an answer, I've been throwing all the physics I know at the problem.  As the Astronomer Royal for Scotland, I'm used to creating giant maps of the Universe that transport us 10 billion years back in time.  But what if all the ancient light that I've spent my entire career collecting is just a series of computer impulses in an elaborate simulation of my own reality?  I know how to simulate an entire Universe of galaxies: have I been naive to think a future scientist couldn’t create a complete virtual world much closer home?

Tonight I'm going to share the journey I've taken to understand how one day we might simulate our own lives.  We'll look at the laws of physics that govern the Universe and delve into the inner workings of your computer and artificial intelligence.  I'll ask why philosophers feel so challenged by the concept of living in a predetermined virtual world, when it's clear that interactions on the smallest and largest scales in our Universe can be mathematically defined. By exploring the intersections of physics, astronomy, and philosophy, I'll be inviting you to reconsider what is ‘real’.

Professor Catherine Heymans is a British astrophysicist and the Astronomer Royal for Scotland.  From an LDAS point of view she grew up in Hitchin and was educated at Hitchin Girls' School.  She studies the dark side of the universe ‐ dark matter and dark energy.  As an observational cosmologist she employs the largest telescopes in the world to chart invisible dark matter and test a variety of theories.  Dark matter and dark energy probably make up 95 per cent of the universe, they but cannot be explained with the current understanding of theoretical physics.  Thus, Professor Heymans investigates one of the biggest questions of modern‐day science.

£2 for members and £3 for visitors.

This is a virtual meeting held via Zoom, please purchase your ticket in advance via MemberMojo to receive the Zoom link. For guests, please contact us and we can arrange payment and the Zoom link.