The thermodynamics of a black hole
The holographic principle was derived from AdS/CFT duality, and it was initially proposed to solve the information paradox and seeks to describe the universe in a different manner to our current one. This duality that would be present in a holographic universe would be revolutionary for our model of physics.
Following this introduction and description, this section will analyse the evidence surrounding the theory, both for and against. It will then consider the scientific implications of the holographic principle, and how that would change our perception of reality.
4.1
Do we live in a holographic universe?
The question that has created ample discord within the physics community is: could the holographic principle be true? The concept of a holographic universe seems intimidating but, instead of thinking of the holographic principle as the description of our universe, it is better to picture it as a mathematical tool that resolves problems in physics that are too hard to investigate otherwise. It would be impossible to observe any duality between the surface and interior of a black hole, as we cannot obtain any information from inside the black hole. Due to the cosmic speed limit, we cannot measure anything past the event horizon, hence it would be impossible to detect if there was a connection between the surface and interior. Therefore, to know definitively if a duality exists, we need to test if our universe is holographic. The conjecture operates in a holographic universe, hence by finding proof that our universe is as such, we can conclude that the holographic principle exists. In this way the information paradox is resolved. The simplest method to test this theory is by analysing the shape of the universe. To our current knowledge, the universe is flat. It is neither dS nor AdS. However, a holographic universe would require an AdS structure, hence enabling negative curvature. Regardless of our theoretical predictions, in 2001 the WMAP spacecraft was launched to measure the microwave background fluctuations in the CMBR (cosmic microwave background radiation), the afterglow of the Big Bang. Measurements correlated to a flat universe within a 15% margin of error. However, in 2013 this margin of error was improved to 0.4% (Nasa, 2014). In 2010 the European Space Agency opened a gamma-ray observation laboratory. This facility could detect gamma-ray bursts, the most powerful emission of energy in the universe. By studying this data, scientists could determine if the fabric of reality becomes ‘pixelated’ at a minute scale. One of these recorded observations was a burst that travelled 300 million light-years. Unfortunately, the experimental data did not support AdS/CFT duality due to a lack of a holographic background sound (Seeker, 2011). This was not the first-time holographic noise was attempted to be measured, as earlier at Fermilab a similar experiment was conducted. Physicist Craig Hogan concluded that, while observing gravitational waves and measuring strange sounds, a quantum noise was present throughout the whole universe. He assumed that there was a limit to which the flat space-time at a tiny scale became pixels, like that on a computer. This quantum noise corresponded to a holographic background sound (Futurism, 2013).
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