This article reviews the history of digital computation, and investigates just how far the concept of computation can be taken. In particular, I address the question of whether the universe itself is in fact a giant computer, and if so, just what kind of computer it is. I will show that the universe can be regarded as a giant quantum computer. The quantum computational model of the universe explains a variety of observed phenomena not encompassed by the ordinary laws of physics. In particular, the model shows that the the quantum computational universe automatically gives rise to a mix of randomness and order, and to both simple and complex systems.
CITATION STYLE
Lloyd, S. (2012). The universe as quantum computer. In A Computable Universe: Understanding and Exploring Nature as Computation (pp. 567–582). World Scientific Publishing Co. https://doi.org/10.1142/9789814374309_0029
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