This idea was first but forward by one of the best Theoretical Physicists alive today – Gerard ’t Hooft. One of the great things about this man (aside from the plethora of academic credentials) is that he has created a website which brings together resources which are designed to help people who want to pursue Physics as a challenge. This website can be found here and I cannot recommend it enough.
The core principle at the heart of this theory is that a 2D surface can contain all of the necessary information to project a three dimensional world. The idea is simply that all of the laws and phenomena we have come to accept as common place in our world today are encoded on a thin brane which projects a three dimensional “reality” to us.
The idea was actually first banded about in the 70s, but until string theory made some significant progression the idea seemed nothing but sci-fi. With the increased understanding of string theory the idea has become more and more viable as a picture of the world we live in.
These spooky flat spaces first arose in what is known as curved anti-de-sitter space; a scientific construct which allows scientists to consider quantum theory in a 2D setting incorporating gravity in a 3D setting (if you know anything about quantum theory, you probably know of the long and turbulent relationship it has had with gravity). In fact it turns out a lot of things that didn’t previously make sense actually start to look a whole more realistic when you flatten out the universe.
Whilst the progression is very exciting and truly gives soome food for thought, there are a number of known truths that don’t quite marry in with the theory yet: one of the most notable being quantum entanglement. What do you think? Is this a step to far or a step in the right direction?
Rationalising The Universe 
You know that this principle essentially points to the idea that we’re all just an illusion! And that is spooky 😯
Fun post! 🙂
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I know and it is even more disturbing that it is looking closer and closer to the truth! How am I going to get to sleep at this rate!?
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😀 Oh, nobody needs to lose sleep over this one, the hologram will hold good then, just as it is now. No one’s disappearing 😀
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Well indeed it certainly does question the need for something as human as sleeping! What a confusing world we find ourselves in
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It’s amazing what physics and maths has allowed us to explore about the universe..
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And how much of it to come! I always think it is going to be truly wonderful in 500 years, when some of the ideas we see as the forefront of Physics will be common classroom knowledge…. not that I will be there to see it unless some major scientific advances happen quickly!
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I have always had thought of this with the anti de sitter space, and would have posted something eventually…a case of parallel thought… But thanks to you…really well written..Cheers
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Thank you very much! Anti-desitter space is fascinating and it is an example that is becoming more and more mainstream. Look forward to your post!
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This has always been very enticing to me. Neil Bohrs has some very interesting work in this area (among others) as well, which your I’m sure aware of. Thanks for reminding me about it, time to brush up on that one.
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Always time to brush up on some of the greats of science
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