Second Coming the novel: Extending the Entertainment

Is the universe a computer?

In the novel, Paul Genet tells his story to the abbot of a monastery he seeks to join. After Paul finishes, the abbot asks Paul questions to further help decide whether to admit him or not. Here, Paul answers the hot question today in the information sciences. —Editor

Abbot: Is the universe a computer as scientists now claim?

Paul: Yes. A balanced universe is a quantum computer. Balance makes all calculations—past, present, and future—instantly. What does a balanced universe calculate? Relationships. It calculates how each part relates to every other part, and to the whole, so that everything, everywhere, is in balance with everything else from start to finish.¹ Think of balance as the program that runs the universe. Think of balance as a single line of code rendered symbolically as:

Ummm, do you see the paradox in this? A balanced quantum universe cannot calculate all relations at once. Why not? Calculation is a process, or time-dependent function. A balanced quantum universe is a holistic, non-local phenomenon. There is no time and no process. Balance simply is. Balance requires no computation. So, my initial response—that the universe is a quantum computer—is correct only from a classical, local perspective. From a holistic, non-local quantum perspective,² the answer is: No, the universe is not a computer.

Balance as the operating principle of the novel's universe

‘Second Coming’ protagonist, Paul Genet, answers questions about his universe:

What is time?

Why is there something rather than nothing?

Does life exist elsewhere in the universe?

Will there ever be a coherent theory of quantum gravity?

Are superstrings the theory of everything?

Is Schrödinger's cat both alive and dead in a balanced quantum universe?

Does God exist in the balanced universe of Paul Genet?

What is the true nature of existence?

What is the origin of language?

¹ Which is the same as saying there is no start or finish. Balance superdetermines all outcomes instantly. A balanced quantum universe is a circle, not a straight line. There is no past-present here-there. —Editor

2 Non-local in quantum physics means instant connections across the universe as if time and space did not exist. Scientific experiments since 1982 have verified non-local connections which Einstein called “spooky action at a distance.” Of course, instant connections are not spooky at all if you view all things as One through balance. —Editor