Originally Posted by Disillusioned_1

From the wikipedia link on the string theory version of it, its some weirdness that the universe is really two-dimensional but because of phase constructive and destructive interference we actually perceive it as 3-dimensional.

This is what holograms do. The information for the hologram (typically) is stored on a 2-dimensional plate. When the plate is hit with lightwaves, the 2-dimensional information is perceived as being 3-dimensional. The main difference between a hologram and a photograph is that intensity, wavelength and phase information are all contained in a hologram and only intensity and wavelength are contained in a photograph. The phase information gives a hologram the appearance of being a 3-dimensional picture even though its not.

As to how the universe could be a hologram, some redefining would have to take place because holograms are phase information of something you can't touch (light), whereas actual matter is something you can touch. It probably still works as an analogy because physical matter all has a wavelength so is in some sense all waves just like light is.

I found the wikipedia article on string theory holography to be a bit baffling personally.

Originally Posted by Disillusioned_1

I found the wikipedia article on string theory holography to be a bit baffling personally.