Scientists Paolo and Joao introduced a fascinating idea: the universe may have evolved over time, just like living organisms. Instead of being created with fixed laws, they suggest that physics itself changed and adapted.
The universe is a vast, mysterious place filled with galaxies, stars, and planets. But how did it all begin? Scientists have long tried to answer this question, and two researchers, Paolo and Joao, introduced new ideas linking evolution, chaos, and physics to explain the emergence of the universe. Their work builds on existing theories and introduces a new way to think about time, matter, and cosmic evolution.
In this article, we’ll break down their complex ideas into simple terms, exploring how chaos transformed into order and how the universe might have come into existence.
The Role of Evolution and Chaos in the Laws of Physics
When we think of "evolution," we usually associate it with biology, where living things change and adapt over time. But Paolo and Joao extended the idea of evolution to physics itself. According to them, even the laws of physics can "evolve" in a way similar to how species evolve in nature.
They argue that:
- The laws of physics are not fixed; they can change, much like how a chemical reaction changes the structure of molecules.
- Time is not just a ticking clock but something that flows at a rate defined by the fundamental constants of nature.
- The constants of nature (such as the speed of light or gravitational force) act like conserved quantities in a chemical reaction.
This means that the universe did not start with a perfect set of rules—it developed them over time through a process similar to natural selection.
Understanding the Chaos at the Beginning of the Universe
At the very start, the universe was in complete chaos. Imagine a time when there was no space, no time, and no structure—just a random, unorganized mess. Scientists call this the "higgledy-piggledy" phase (a fancy way of saying everything was mixed up and unpredictable).
This chaotic phase is important because it set the stage for the formation of stable structures. Think of it like a boiling pot of soup where random movements eventually lead to patterns forming in the liquid.
How Order Emerged from Chaos: The Three Stages of the Universe’s Evolution
Paolo and Joao’s model suggests that the universe went through three key stages:
Stage 1: Total Chaos (The Undefined Beginning)
- At this stage, nothing had any clear structure. There were no physical laws, no time, and no space.
- It is impossible to model or explain this stage fully because everything was too random and undefined.
- This stage eventually transitioned into something more structured, though scientists don’t yet know exactly how.
Stage 2: The Birth of Structure (Time and Space Emerge)
- Slowly, the first structures began to appear:
- Space and time started taking shape.
- Matter and gravity became separate concepts.
- A framework for the laws of physics started to develop.
- This was still a chaotic time, but patterns were beginning to form. Random changes in the fundamental laws determined which structures would survive.
- The process was similar to biological evolution—random mutations happened, and only some of them led to stable results.
Stage 3: Stability and the Universe as We Know It
- Some of the random processes eventually settled down into stable, unchanging laws.
- The Hamiltonian (a mathematical description of the universe's energy and evolution) became nearly constant, meaning that further evolution slowed down.
- Matter was created and preserved, forming the building blocks of galaxies, stars, and planets.
- At this point, the universe had reached a state where space-time became symmetric and predictable, allowing life and complex structures to exist.
The Role of Randomness in the Universe’s Evolution
A key part of Paolo and Joao’s theory is randomness. They compare the process to natural selection in biology. In their model:
- Random changes in the fundamental laws of physics acted like genetic mutations.
- Some of these changes led to stable conditions, just like some mutations help organisms survive.
- Over time, successful changes stuck around, forming the stable universe we see today.
To describe this, they used a Markov chain, a mathematical model that tracks probabilities of different outcomes. In simple terms, the universe moved through different random states until it reached a stable state, where physical laws stopped changing.
Matter and Gravity: A Cosmic Separation
One of the most important parts of their theory is how matter and gravity interact. They proposed that:
- The production of matter depended on a fundamental separation between matter and gravity.
- The formula they developed (Equation V) shows that the creation of matter depended on specific interactions between these two forces.
- This means the very structure of our universe was shaped by a delicate balance between different forces.
This idea builds on older theories in physics but introduces a new way of thinking about how the universe evolved from randomness into the ordered cosmos we see today.
Implications of This Model: What Does It Mean for Science?
If Paolo and Joao’s theory is correct, it has profound implications for our understanding of the universe:
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The Laws of Physics Might Not Be Permanent
- Traditionally, we think of physics as governed by fixed laws, like gravity always working the same way.
- This model suggests that the laws themselves may have evolved over time, meaning the universe could have operated under different rules in the past.
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Time Is More Than Just a Clock
- Instead of being an absolute measure, time might be linked to fundamental changes in the universe’s constants.
- This could reshape how we think about time travel, black holes, and the expansion of the universe.
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The Universe's Evolution Is Similar to Biological Evolution
- If the universe evolved through selection processes, then studying how life evolves might give us clues about cosmic evolution.
- This could lead to new ways of understanding dark matter, energy, and even parallel universes.
Conclusion: A New Way to Think About the Universe
Paolo and Joao’s ideas give us a fresh perspective on how the universe might have formed. Their theory suggests that the cosmos went through a chaotic phase, slowly stabilized through a kind of natural selection, and eventually settled into the ordered universe we see today.
This model challenges the traditional view that the laws of physics were fixed from the beginning, proposing instead that they evolved over time. By combining chaos theory, evolution, and physics, their work opens new doors to understanding the very nature of reality.
If their ideas are correct, we might need to rethink everything we know about time, space, and the fundamental laws governing the universe. One thing is certain: the story of the cosmos is far from fully written, and future discoveries may reveal even more fascinating insights about how everything came to be.
Reference: Paolo M Bassani, Joao Magueijo, "How to make a Universe", arxiv, 2025. https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.00081
Technical terms
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Evolution in the laws of physics – The idea that even the basic rules of the universe might have changed over time, just like living things evolve.
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Time flow defined by chemical potential – Time isn’t just a clock ticking; it moves based on how certain physical constants behave, similar to how energy flows in a chemical reaction.
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Unimodular gravity – A special way of looking at gravity where time and space are treated differently to explain the universe’s expansion.
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Higgledy-piggledy phase – A chaotic period in the early universe when everything was mixed up, with no clear rules or structures.
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Matter production – The process of how the first particles and atoms were created in the universe.
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Poisson bracket – A mathematical tool that helps describe how different physical quantities change over time in physics.
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Hamiltonian – A function that describes the total energy of a system and helps predict how it will evolve.
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Markov chain – A mathematical model where things change randomly from one state to another, used here to explain how the universe settled into stable laws.
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Diffeomorphism invariance – A property of space-time that means the laws of physics stay the same no matter how you change your perspective or coordinates.
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Absorbing Markov chain – A system where randomness stops at a certain point, meaning the universe eventually settled into stable physical laws.