The bits that make up the Universe

摘要

What is the Universe made of? A growing number of scientists suspect that information plays a fundamental role in answering this question. Some even go as far as to suggest that information-based concepts may eventually fuse with or replace traditional notions such as particles, fields and forces. The Universe may literally be made of information, they say, an idea neatly encapsulated in physicist John Wheeler's slogan: "It from bit". Others rather less boldly suggest that taking a point of view based on information theory may yield insights into existing theories such as statistical mechanics and quantum mechanics.