Is the Universe a Computer?

Sean at 10:15 pm, January 10th, 2008

Via the Zeitgeister, a fun panel discussion at the
Perimeter Institute between Seth Lloyd, Leonard
Susskind, Christopher Fuchs and Sir Tony Leggett,
moderated by Bob McDonald of CBC Radio’s Quirks
& Quarks program.

The topic is “The Physics of Information,” and as
anyone familiar with the participants might guess,
it’s a lively and provocative discussion.

A few of the panel members tried to pin down Seth
Lloyd on one of his favorite catchphrases, “The
universe is a computer.” I tackled this one myself
at one point, at least half-seriously. If the universe is
a computer, what is it computing? Its own evolution,
apparently, according to the laws of physics.

Tony Leggett got right to the heart of the matter,
however, by asking “What kind of process would not
count as a computer?” To which Lloyd merely answered,
“Yeah, good question.” (But he did have a good line —
“If the universe is a computer, why isn’t it running
Windows?” Insert your own “blue screen of death” joke
here.)

Full article and links here:

http://cosmicvariance.com/2008/01/10/is-the-universe-a-computer/