What if the universe itself computes in binary? Not as a metaphor, but as a literal, physical truth — every change, every quantum decision, every flicker of existence encoded as a “yes” or “no,” “0” or “1.” That’s the audacious proposition at the heart of Binary Foundations of Physical Reality, the latest paper from the VERSF Theoretical Physics Program. Through fifteen interconnected theorems, we demonstrate that binary structure is not a convenience of human mathematics — it is nature’s operating system. From the thermodynamic irreversibility of entropy to the collapse of a quantum state, from information theory to the logic gates of computation, every law of physics converges on the same architecture: the irreducible binary fold.
In this model, spacetime itself is woven from these folds — tiny, discrete quanta of irreversible change, each carrying a minimum entropy of k₍ᴮ₎ ln 2. Astonishingly, when these binary folds pack together in three-dimensional space, they reproduce one of physics’ greatest mysteries: the fine-structure constant, α ≈ 1/137.036 — the number that defines how light and matter interact. This time, α is not just measured but derived, emerging naturally from the geometry of helical fold packing near the critical percolation threshold of the vacuum. No adjustable parameters, no numerology — just pure binary logic expressed through the structure of space itself.
The implications are staggering. If true, reality is not continuous but digital at its deepest level; time is the record of binary choices; and the physical universe is a vast computation unfolding bit by bit. It suggests a cosmos that evolves by counting, a self-calculating reality where information and existence are one and the same. As Taylor writes, “The universe computes itself into existence, one bit at a time.”
When we say the universe computes in binary, it’s not the lifeless binary of machines. In the VERSF view, the bits of reality are not separate, silent counters — they know about each other. Each fold, each quantum of irreversible change, carries information not only about itself but about its relationship to every other fold through the underlying void.
This means the binary of existence is relational, not isolated. The zeros and ones of reality are not static values but dynamic opposites, constantly defined by their interaction. They resonate through the void substrate, influencing and echoing across space and time. That network of awareness gives rise to the coherence we call quantum entanglement, to the symmetries that govern particles, and to the very flow of information that holds the universe together.
In this sense, nature’s binary is alive. It’s not a cold digital code but a living computation — one where each bit feels the whole. The universe doesn’t just process information; it participates in it. Every quantum choice is part of a cosmic conversation, a dialogue of folds that builds the fabric of space, time, and meaning itself.