For more than a quarter of a century since its release, 'The Matrix' has fueled modern fears that life is not all it seems. But according to a scientist, the classic movie's premise may not be completely science fiction. Melvin Vopson, an associate professor in physics at the University of Portsmouth, thinks gravity may be a sign that we're all living in a virtual simulation. Our universe is the'ultimate computer', Professor Vopson theorizes in a new paper. Gravity's pull – both on planet Earth and in outer space – is the universe trying to keep its vast amount of data organised, Professor Vopson claims.

In Star Trek: Discovery the answer appears to be yes, which means an old rule from The Original Series has suddenly been reversed. In the big Discovery mid-season finale "...But to Connect," David Cronenberg's Dr. Kovich returns to pass judgment over the sentient shipboard AI known as Zora (Annabelle Wallis). Here's how this episode references The Next Generation and also reaches back to one famous Original Series story about an AI gone berserk. Although much of the Discovery mid-season finale focuses on the actions the Federation will or won't take to retaliate against the unknown species that created the Dark Matter Anomaly, the bigger change is the fact that the status quo of the sentient starship computer, Zora, has taken an uplifting turn. Because Zora has achieved total sentience, Kovich is brought in to assess her.

"The Ultimate Computer" is the twenty-fourth episode of the second season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek. Written by D.C. Fontana (based on a story by Laurence N. Wolfe) and directed by John Meredyth Lucas, it was first broadcast on March 8, 1968.

IN THE BEGINNING THERE WAS 0. AND THEN THERE WAS 1. That 3-gigabyte genome sequence represents the prime coding information of a human body -- your life as numbers. Biology, that pulsating mass of plant and animal flesh, is conceived by science today as an information process. As computers keep shrinking, we can imagine our complex bodies being numerically condensed to the size of two tiny cells. These micro-memory devices are called the egg and sperm. They are packed with information. This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be missing content or contain faulty links. Contact wiredlabs@wired.com to report an issue. That life might be information, as biologists propose, is far more intuitive than the corresponding idea that hard matter is information as well. When we bang a knee against a table leg, it sure doesn't feel like we knocked into information.

Microsoft is set to unveil several new products at its fall event on Wednesday, but that hasn't stopped CEO Satya Nadella from dropping by Laguna Beach, California this Monday. At a WSJD Live interview with Wall Street Journal editor-in-chief Gerard Baker, Nadella delved into topics that concerns the company's future. But Nadella was still pretty excited about the use cases of AR, saying that Case Western Reserve University is already using AR in an anatomy class. He also envisions the technology could be useful in home improvement, offering a solution for those endless trips to the store and back. "Imagine if you could see what your home improvement project would look like and then press order," he said.