The Seed Project

How Deutsch’s “It from Qubit” theory aligns with The Seed Project Hypothesis

A 2002 paper written by David Deutsch, physicist at the University of Oxford, often described as the “father of quantum computing”, posits a profound shift in how we understand the relationship between information, computation, and physics. Rather than information being an abstract concept derived from physical laws, Deutsch argues that quantum information (qubits) is fundamental to the fabric of reality itself. This perspective not only offers a new way to view the universe but also lays the groundwork for a more comprehensive theory of physical possibility and impossibility.

Click here to read the original paper: It from Qubit by David Deutsch

• Fundamental Nature of Reality as Information/Qubits:
  • Deutsch argues that the “world is made of qubits”. This aligns with the hypothesis’s premise that the physical universe is not “mere tool” but “the ultimate, continuously evolving expression of this primary consciousness (God), a dynamic and self-generating ‘subjective experience creation mechanism’”. If reality is fundamentally composed of qubits, then this quantum informational substrate could be the very medium through which the “primary consciousness” expresses itself and creates subjective experience.
  • The idea that “Every answer to a question about whether something that could be observed in nature is so or not, is in reality a Boolean observable” and that “Each Boolean observable is part of an entity, the qubit, that is fundamental to physical reality” provides a concrete, physical basis for the universe’s operational principles to manifest its “intrinsic systemic bias” or “fundamental drive” towards specific outcomes (like consciousness and love). These fundamental “Boolean observables” could be the “building blocks” of the information processing that underpins the inferred purpose.
• Reconciling Discrete and Continuous Aspects of Reality:
  • The hypothesis describes a “cosmic and biological evolution” that reveals an “emergent trajectory” and “complex systems… repeatedly give rise to self-organizing structures”. Deutsch emphasizes that qubits, unlike classical bits, “have both discrete and continuous aspects”. This unique characteristic of qubits allows for a continuous evolution even when observed outcomes are discrete, resolving Zeno’s paradox. This reconciliation is crucial for a hypothesis that describes both a continuous evolutionary trajectory of the universe and the emergence of discrete, “special” conscious awareness. The “collapse of these internal realities into subjective experience” described in the hypothesis could be seen as the “measurement” or “observation” of these continuous quantum evolutions, yielding discrete, defined experiences within the larger subjective reality.
• Universality and Simulation of Physical Systems:
  • Deutsch states that “quantum computational networks can simulate, with arbitrary accuracy, the behavior of arbitrary physical systems” , and that they can do so in a “strong sense of mimicking the physical events, locally and in arbitrary detail, that bring the outcome about”. This strong form of universality provides a potential mechanism for the ultimate consciousness to “continuously simulate and explore all possible universes via a quantum mechanical-like process.” If the physical universe is made of qubits, then a sufficiently powerful “cosmic calculation” (as described by the hypothesis) could indeed explore and manifest different realities. The “collapse” that yields our universe, with its “inherent bias towards the love path,” could be seen as the ultimate consciousness “determining” or “choosing” the optimal simulation outcome.
• Emergent Properties and Information Flow:
  • Deutsch argues that “Bits, Boolean variables, and classical computation are all emergent or approximate properties of qubits, manifested mainly when they undergo decoherence”. This concept of emergent properties aligns with the hypothesis’s idea that “special” consciousness is an “emergent capacity for complex, integrated, and self-aware subjective experience,” arising in “sufficiently developed and complex biological or (hypothetically) other natural substrates.” The “information processing” capacity noted by the hypothesis as a characteristic of complex systems could be understood as the classical-like information processing that emerges from the underlying quantum reality of qubits.

In essence, Deutsch’s “It from Qubit” provides a quantum-physical foundation for a universe where information is primary and dynamic, capable of supporting the kind of complex, evolving, and purpose-driven subjective experience envisioned by The Seed Project Hypothesis. The qubit, with its dual discrete and continuous nature, and the universality of quantum computation, offer a plausible physical substrate and mechanism for a cosmic-scale process that explores and manifests realities biased towards specific outcomes, such as the “love path” for subjective experience.