Could Gravity Prove We Live in a Simulation?

What if gravity isn’t just a force but a sign that our universe runs like a giant computer? In a new study published in AIP Advances, physicist Melvin Vopson suggests gravity might be the universe’s way of staying organized—like a computer clearing clutter.

“This is another example of data compression and computational optimization in our universe, which supports the possibility of a simulated or computational universe,” he wrote.

Vopson’s idea ties into the “simulation theory,” which argues our reality could be an advanced digital creation—similar to The Matrix. Philosopher Nick Bostrom first popularized this idea, but proving it is tricky. If we are in a simulation, its creators likely hid the evidence.

Vopson builds on his earlier “second law of information dynamics,” which says systems stay the same or get messier over time. He argues gravity pulls matter together to reduce messiness, like a computer compressing files, reports futurism.com.

“My findings in this study fit with the thought that the universe might work like a giant computer, or our reality is a simulated construct,” Vopson said. “Just like computers try to save space and run more efficiently, the universe might be doing the same.”

“It’s a new way to think about gravity,” he added, “not just as a pull, but as something that happens when the universe is trying to stay organised.”

Vopson suggests space is made of tiny “cells” (like pixels) that store information—similar to how video games render digital worlds.

“The process is identical to how a digital computer game, virtual reality application, or other advanced simulation would be designed,” he said.

Gravity, he argues, helps the universe save processing power. Instead of tracking countless particles, it groups them—like zipping a large file.

“Put simply, it is far more computationally effective to track and compute the location and momentum of a single object in space, than numerous objects,” Vopson argued. “Therefore, it appears that the gravitational attraction is just another optimising mechanism in a computational process that has the role to compress information.”

Vopson has long supported simulation theory. In 2022, he claimed COVID-19’s genome showed decreasing entropy (supporting his second law). He’s also suggested information could be a “fifth form of matter.”

But mainstream science remains skeptical. As the saying goes: extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence—especially when rewriting reality itself.