For centuries, gravity has been understood through the lens of classical physics, beginning with Newton’s idea that objects pull on each other and later refined by Einstein’s theory that mass bends space and time. Yet, despite these advances, a fundamental question remains unanswered: why do objects with mass attract each other at all? A bold new study may offer an answer, not from traditional physics, but from the world of information and computing.
Dr. Melvin Vopson from the University of Portsmouth suggests that gravity might not be a basic force of nature, but something that happens because of how information behaves in the universe. His study, published in the scientific journal AIP Advances, presents the idea that gravity is a result of reducing informational disorder, much like how computer systems try to store data efficiently. “Gravity is not a fundamental force, but rather a manifestation of data compression in a discrete space-time fabric,” said Dr. Vopson.
The results are eye-opening. By using ideas from information theory—a field that studies how data is measured and transmitted in systems like computers and communication networks—Dr. Vopson shows that gravity might be caused by a natural drive to simplify and organize information. When particles are scattered randomly, the system holds more informational disorder. But when these particles come together, the system becomes more ordered. In simpler terms, gravity could be nature’s way of organizing its data storage more neatly.
This idea depends on a key assumption: that space and time are not smooth and continuous, but instead made of tiny building blocks, similar to the pixels on a screen. Each of these building blocks, or ‘cells’, holds a piece of information. As matter moves, it changes the information stored in these cells. According to the rules of information dynamics—the study of how information changes and behaves in different systems—the system will try to lower its informational disorder by moving particles together. “It is far more computationally effective to track and compute the location and momentum—that is, the position and movement—of a single object in space than of multiple objects,” Dr. Vopson explained.
To help explain this, the study uses a simple example with a two-dimensional grid. Imagine placing four particles randomly on this grid. Over time, they move toward each other and combine into one object in the center, lowering the amount of disorder in the information system. This example matches what we see in the universe, where scattered matter naturally forms stars, planets, and galaxies.
What this means is that gravity might not be pulling objects together in the way we usually think. Instead, particles are rearranging themselves to reduce disorder in the information stored across space. If this is correct, it also supports a broader idea: that the universe may behave like a computer running code. In this model, gravity is not a mystery but a built-in rule that helps the system run more smoothly. As Dr. Vopson put it, “Gravity is just another optimization mechanism in a computational process that plays a role in reducing the computational power and compressing information.”
Dr. Vopson’s theory also connects classical physics—the traditional understanding of motion, forces, and energy—with modern ideas in a fresh way, showing how they might both stem from the same informational principles. He even manages to re-create Newton’s law of gravity using only these information-based rules, suggesting that what we call gravity could be the result of deeper informational processes.
This new approach doesn’t throw away everything we know from science, but instead adds a new layer to it. As more researchers explore how computing—the use of algorithms and logical systems—and information theory relate to the laws of nature, this direction could lead us to a better understanding of reality—one where physics and information are tightly linked.
Journal Reference
Vopson M.M. “Is gravity evidence of a computational universe?” AIP Advances, 2025; 15(4): 045035. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0264945
About the Author
Dr. Melvin Vopson is a physicist and senior lecturer at the University of Portsmouth in the United Kingdom. With a background in both experimental and theoretical physics, his research spans material science, thermodynamics, and information theory. Dr. Vopson is best known for introducing the concept of the mass–energy–information equivalence principle, a framework suggesting that information has a physical presence comparable to mass and energy. His recent work explores how information principles might explain fundamental forces, such as gravity, offering new insights into the nature of reality. He has also contributed to studies on the second law of information dynamics, further linking data behavior with physical systems. In addition to his academic research, Dr. Vopson has worked in industry and is known for his ability to bridge abstract theoretical concepts with real-world implications. He is a vocal advocate for viewing the universe through the lens of computation and information.
