This post is very different from the random tutorials I’ve published before (mostly about WordPress). It’s more philosophical and maybe even mind-blowing.

The best programmers I’ve ever met are incredibly curious. They break things and learn how to fix them. Constantly. Same with scientists. The main difference, at least in Brazil, is that developers tend to earn more than scientists on average.

Long story short, I once wanted to be a scientist, a physicist. But I didn’t feel my math skills were strong enough (thanks, Oppenheimer). So I became a developer to pay the bills… and ended up enjoying it.

The actual coding? That’s fun.

Still, part of me never stopped staring at the universe. I often catch myself spotting patterns in everyday life, especially in nature.

It’s like my brain runs on developer mode: I see things as if they were frameworks or packages just waiting to be unpacked.
A seed? Feels like nature’s own NPM package, once installed, it becomes a flower, a tree, or something even more intricate.

I’m constantly trying to “decode” reality through that lens.
And sometimes, it even feels like the whole thing is structured... maybe even designed?

That’s what sparked this random article, written on a cold and boring day.
I was remembering one of the most “whoa” moments I’ve had while reading physics.

Mark this name: James Gates Jr.

Did a Physicist Find Error-Correcting Code in Reality?

Back in college, I read about this guy — theoretical physicist James Gates Jr. — who claimed to have found binary error-correcting codes hidden in the mathematics of string theory.

At the time, I barely knew how to code. But even then, it sounded wild.

I know, it sounds like clickbait. But it’s not.

Strings, Not Particles

I won’t dive deep into string theory here, that would take years and a lot more coffee. But here’s just enough context to follow along:

String theory suggests that the smallest building blocks of reality aren’t particles, but tiny vibrating strings.

Different vibrations = different particles.

It’s a beautiful, deeply mathematical framework that tries to unify gravity, electromagnetism, and nuclear forces. But when researchers dove deeper into supersymmetric string theory, something weird happened...

They found the same kind of codes we developers use to prevent data loss or transmission errors.

Let me be clear: this isn’t pseudoscience or a conspiracy theory. This is high-level math, developed by some of the brightest minds in the world. It deserves, at the very least, our curiosity.

Who Is James Gates Jr.?

Dr. Gates was studying representations of supersymmetry, a principle that (simplified) connects force particles (bosons) and matter particles (fermions).

To visualize these relationships, he used graphical tools called Adinkras.

And while working with these structures, he discovered something surprising:

We discovered that these equations contain codes — actual, literal error-correcting codes. The same ones used in computers to detect and fix errors in digital data.

Specifically, he found:

Doubly-even self-dual binary linear block codes

Wait… What Are Those?

At the time, I didn’t understand any of this. Now, after almost 10 years in development, I feel more at home with these concepts. Here’s a basic breakdown:

• Binary: Made of 0s and 1s
• Linear: The XOR of any two valid codewords is another valid codeword
• Self-dual: The code equals its own dual (like a mirror image)
• Doubly-even: All codewords have a number of 1s divisible by 4

These principles are core to digital integrity, and show up in:

• ECC memory
• Satellite data transmission
• DVDs
• RAID storage systems

And now, apparently... the math of the universe.

Is the Universe Debugging Itself?

This finding raises a fascinating question:

Is the universe capable of self-correction?

Dr. Gates isn’t saying we’re living in a simulation... but he’s also not saying we’re not.

Finding built-in error-correction logic within physical equations is eerie.

It’s like discovering a try/catch block in raw spacetime.

“If we’re seeing code in the equations of physics,” Dr. Gates said, “maybe there’s a deeper layer to reality. Maybe reality is structured — or computed.”

Honestly? That idea made my brain itch in the best way.

I Built a JS Demo

Because I’m a curious dev (read: obsessive), I wanted to understand how these codes worked. I ended up spending way more time than I should’ve tinkering with C++ and compiling assembly, seriously, I should’ve been out there living life, for God’s sake.

Eventually, I built a small JS demo to visualize how digital integrity is preserved.

You can check out the full demo and source code in my GitHub repository.

It’s basic, but seeing the patterns come alive gave me chills.

Final Thoughts

This stuff is not trivial. It’s complex. It’s deep. And it’s philosophical.

As someone who studied physics for six semesters, I can say I still don’t have the full math chops to understand it all.

And as a web developer? Well, binary code and self-dual logic aren’t exactly part of my day job.

But if you’re curious like me, here’s what you’d need to dive deeper:

• Linear Algebra – for understanding vector spaces and matrices
• Introduction to Coding Theory – binary linear codes, self-duality
• Basic Quantum Mechanics – wave functions, observables
• Intro to Supersymmetry – even at a conceptual level
• Mathematics of String Theory – only after building the foundation

It’s not easy, it requires both technical depth and mental flexibility. But the implications?

They’re worth exploring.

Because if the universe is built on code, maybe learning this is our way of reading the source.

We usually debug our code.

But what if the universe is debugging itself?

What if physics is full of hidden logic designed to self-correct?

What if developers and physicists are solving similar problems, just on different scales?

Maybe we’re not just building things inside the system.
Maybe we’re studying the system... from the inside.

Just don’t dive too deep without coming up for air. Stare too long into the abyss, it might stare back.

Remember to breathe. Pay your bills. Enjoy your food. Travel. Laugh with people you love.
Live fully, simulation or not, it’s a beautiful one.

But yeah... this is wild. I need some coffee and to go be blissfully dumb for a while.

References

• Relating Doubly-Even Error-Correcting Codes, Graphs, and Supersymmetry (arXiv)
• Uncovering the Codes for Reality – interview with James Gates Jr. (On Being)
• Through the Wormhole – Are We Living in a Simulation? (YouTube)
• Error-Correcting Codes — Wikipedia
• Physicist James Gates claims that you can find computer code in the equations that we use to describe our universe in string theory.