Are we standing on the brink of a new scientific revolution that will radically change our views on space, time, and gravity?

In most circumstances, the theories of Einstein and Newton adequately describe gravity, but on cosmological scales, big questions arise, particularly surrounding the nature of dark matter and dark energy.

These questions are ushering in a revolution in theoretical physics – a completely new view on spacetime and gravity. Research in string theory and black hole physics, involving key concepts of quantum information theory, reveals a deep connection between the structure of spacetime and the origin of gravity.

This research suggests that gravity is not a fundamental force of nature, but rather an emergent phenomenon, similar to how temperature is an emergent phenomenon that arises from the movement of particles. That is, gravity is a side-effect, not a cause, of what happens in the universe.

In his October 4 public lecture at Perimeter Institute, Erik Verlinde (University of Amsterdam) explored the core ideas behind this research, and examined the implications of this fast-emerging revolution in our understanding of the universe. Watch the full talk above.