Our universe may be a vast and complex hologram, one where all the information, which makes up our three-dimensional 'reality' is actually contained in a 2D surface on its boundaries, scientists say.
The idea of a holographic universe was first suggested in the 1990s.
Scientists investigating irregularities in the cosmic microwave background ('afterglow' of the Big Bang), have found substantial evidence supporting a holographic explanation of the universe.
The findings may further our understanding of the early universe and explain how space and time emerged.
"Imagine that everything you see, feel and hear in three dimensions (and your perception of time) in fact emanates from a flat two-dimensional field," said Kostas Skenderis, a professor at the University of Southampton in the UK.
"The idea is similar to that of ordinary holograms where a three-dimensional image is encoded in a two-dimensional surface, such as in the hologram on a credit card. However, this time, the entire universe is encoded!" Skenderis said.
Although not an example with holographic properties, it could be thought of as rather like watching a 3D film in a cinema.
We see the pictures as having height, width and crucially, depth - when in fact it all originates from a flat 2D screen.
The difference, in our 3D universe, is that we can touch objects and the 'projection' is 'real' from our perspective.
In recent decades, advances in telescopes and sensing equipment have allowed scientists to detect a vast amount of data hidden in the 'white noise' or microwaves (partly responsible for the random black and white dots you see on an un-tuned TV) left over from the moment the universe was created.
Using this information, the team were able to make complex comparisons between networks of features in the data and quantum field theory.
They found that some of the simplest quantum field theories could explain nearly all cosmological observations of the early universe.
"Holography is a huge leap forward in the way we think about the structure and creation of the universe," said Skenderis.
"Einstein's theory of general relativity explains almost everything large scale in the universe very well, but starts to unravel when examining its origins and mechanisms at quantum level," he said.
"Scientists have been working for decades to combine Einstein's theory of gravity and quantum theory. Some believe the concept of a holographic universe has the potential to reconcile the two," he added.
The study was published findings in the journal Physical Review Letters.
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