[StarrKingGrad]

Originally Posted by Stranger

So if i read that correctly, the holographic principle states that we are all made of information, not energy and matter. very interesting, and makes me think of the Matrix. But sense we do consist of matter, and everything we are surrounded by is made of matter, doesn't that mean that the earth cannot be flat, because it is made of matter? but then again these are all based on assumptions and maybe I'm just interpreting the explanation wrong.

I asked my expert to clarify. He says that the holographic principle doesn't require that the universe be made only of information, but that the best theoretical reason supporting the holographic principle is that the information content of a black hole seems to be two dimensional. While it seems like a strange concept [personal note: it is a strange concept!], he says that Einstein's view that the force of gravity is really just the bending of space by matter is equally strange, but relativity seems to be true based on every experiment done to test it.

He also reiterated that there has been no experimental test of the holographic principle, so it is an intriguing hypothesis, not a statement of fact. The good doc suggested that you might want to listen to an introductory lecture on the subject by one of his colleagues at Laurence Berkeley Laboratory, Raphael Bousso, available here.

He added that although the entire universe may be flat, in the sense that it might be possible to describe our 3D universe using two dimensions of information, that does not mean that the Earth is flat as experienced by us. Finally, he says that he doesn't recommend reading the Bible as if it were a physics textbook.