Programming the Universe: A Quantum Computer Scientist Takes on the Cosmos

by Seth Lloyd

In either scenario, though, it’s clear that energy and information (visible and invisible) are the two primary actors in the universal drama. The universe we see around us arises from the interplay between these two quantities, interplay governed by the first and second laws of thermodynamics. Energy is conserved. Information never decreases. It takes energy for a physical system to evolve from one state to another. That is, it takes energy to process information. The more energy that can be applied, the faster the physical transformation takes place and the faster the information is processed. The maximum rate at which a physical system can process information is proportional to its energy. The more energy, the faster the bits flip. Earth, air, fire, and water in the end are all made of energy, but the different forms they take are determined by information. To do anything requires energy. To specify what is done requires information. Energy and information are by nature (no pun intended) intertwined.