The Universe Is Made Of Mathematics

The Universe Is Made Of Mathematics

Sam Woolfe

Some may view Tegmark’s mathematical monism as an extreme and nonsensical position, due to the fact that we never perceive these mathematical objects, whereas we do perceive a physical world, full of physical objects. Based on our experience, it would seem that there is no evidence for the existence of mathematical objects, whereas there is unavoidable evidence for a physical world. However, in his paper ‘The Mathematical Universe’ in Foundations of Physics (2007), Tegmark argues that, “in those [worlds] complex enough to contain self-aware substructures [they] will subjectively perceive themselves as existing in a physically ‘real’ world.” So we shouldn’t be surprised to find that we perceive a physical world, because this perception is the inevitable result of a mathematical universe which is sufficiently complex. Ultimately, then, our perception of a physical world is due to the nature of our consciousness r, and not due to the true nature of the universe itself.

In a way this is similar to Plato’s belief that ordinary minds cannot perceive or even understand the true nature of things. The true nature of things, Plato claims, can be traced to what he calls Forms or Ideas, which are abstract, timeless, archetypal, non-physical entities. In order to go beyond the illusory appearance of things, we need to use reason to uncover their true nature, not visual or other perception. This, he argued, only those trained in philosophy could do.

Similarily, Tegmark argues that there are two possible ways to view reality; from inside the mathematical structure, and from outside it. We view it from within it, and so see a physical reality which exists in time. From the (purely hypothetical) external point of view, however, Tegmark thinks that there is only a mathematical structure which exists outside of time. Some might respond to this by saying that the idea of ‘outside of time’ and ‘timelessness’ is verging on the mystical.

Is reality fundamentally mathematical? Is our universe just one of many? And will we ever discover extraterrestrial life?

This week on Into the Impossible, I sit down with renowned physicist and machine learning expert Max Tegmark to discuss some of the most fundamental questions of our time! Tegmark has dedicated his career to uncovering the mathematical fabric of reality, proposing that our universe itself might be a vast mathematical structure and that we could be living in a multiverse of endless possibilities. His work goes beyond physics to tackle the transformative power and ethical challenges of artificial intelligence, an area where he believes humanity must tread carefully.

In the first part of this mind-bending interview, we discuss his mathematical universe hypothesis, the search for extraterrestrial life, and AI’s role in science. Tune in!

Key Takeaways:

00:00 Intro
00:34 The multiverse and mathematical structures
02:17 Theory of inflation and the multiverse
06:37 Levels of multiverses and mathematical structures
11:04 Quantum mechanics and classical mechanics
14:06 The relationship between theory and experiment
21:01 The search for extraterrestrial life
36:28 UFOs and military surveillance technology
40:32 Outro