Mathematics: The only true universal language

February 16, 2009 | Source: New Scientist Physics & Math

“Maybe in the far future… post-human intelligence will develop hypercomputers with the processing power to simulate living things — even entire worlds,” says Martin Rees, professor of cosmology and astrophysics at the University of Cambridge.

“Perhaps advanced beings could even simulate a ‘universe’ that goes far beyond mere patterns on a chequer-board and the best movie special effects. Their simulated universe could be as complex as the one we perceive ourselves to be in. This raises a disconcerting thought: perhaps that is what our universe really is.

“It is fascinating to speculate whether hyper-intelligent aliens already exist in some remote part of our cosmos. If so, would their brains ‘package’ reality in a mathematical language that would be comprehensible to us or our descendents?”