Is space-time a memory?
What if space-time were made up of “memory cells” that record the entire history of the Universe? This is what a quantum physicist suggests on the front page of the British weekly “New Scientist.”
The fabric with its cosmic patterns, stretched across the front page of the June 21 edition of New Scientist, is distorted by the letters that make up the enigmatic headline: “Does space-time remember?”
To answer this question, or at least try to develop the idea behind it, the British science weekly has handed over the pen to Florian Neukart, a physicist and specialist in quantum computing at Leiden University, but also product director at Terra Quantum AG, a Swiss start-up that develops applications for quantum technology.
His work in this area of physics led him and his colleagues to put forward an astonishing hypothesis : space-time stores information and thus the entire history of our universe is contained there.
“To understand my idea,” explains Florian Neukart , “you must first know that I am starting from the principle that space-time is not a regular, continuous grid, as is the case in general relativity, but that on the contrary it is made up of small, discrete cells, forming an invisible network, at the deepest level of reality.” This representation is not entirely new. What is, however, is that these space-time cells would act as memory units, a bit like those of a computer, capable of recording, storing and restoring information.
“If space-time is truly a memory structure, it should be able to record information from any of the four fundamental forces of nature,” insists the specialist. While he doesn't allow potential detractors to speak, Florian Neukart nevertheless acknowledges that not everyone supports this idea. Some wonder how to test it, put it to the test. Others don't see what's new about it; it would simply be a variation on existing hypotheses from quantum theory, while others question the very idea of memory: what information would be recorded and how?
The author brushes aside these questions and invites the reader to delve a little deeper. This idea of memory cells constituting space-time could allow us to put forward a new hypothesis about what the mysterious dark matter is: “Could it be information, stored across space-time in a way that generates gravitational force?” wonders Florian Neukart. It is certain that neither he nor anyone else will be able to definitively settle this matter, but it testifies to the attraction of physicists to these questions, as fundamental as they are existential.
