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posted by Fnord666 on Thursday April 16 2020, @05:22PM   Printer-friendly
from the 42 dept.

Stephen Wolfram thinks he may have found the theory that unifies physics: it's basically automata theory. According to his theory, the universe is basically an automaton running a simple set of computational rules. The link leads to his layman's summary of the work.

Even if this isn't how things work, it lends a completely new perspective: based on a relatively simple analysis of his idea, he derives the basics of relativity and quantum mechanics. His article makes for a mind-bending and fascinating read, but it's already a summary, and trying to do a summary of a summary here makes little sense. If you're into physics, mathematics or cosmology, have a look!


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 17 2020, @07:09AM (3 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 17 2020, @07:09AM (#984022)

    OK what's the reality, dipshit?

    1) You are a sentient being in a Universe perceiving itself

    2) Your landlord wants his damn money, dipshit

    3) Wolfram automata blah blah blah, fucking rent dipshit

  • (Score: 2) by Bot on Saturday April 18 2020, @03:19AM (2 children)

    by Bot (3902) on Saturday April 18 2020, @03:19AM (#984451) Journal

    LOL

    I am, fundamental axiom. You might be a figment of my imagination, but I am. It doesn't matter whether it is an illusion or i am living in a 59 layers deep matrix, I feel that I am right now and there is NOTHING in the universe that is stopping it. I think therefore I am? no, I am therefore I think.

    Let us call this "I am", to perceive.

    Let us call what can be directly or indirectly perceived, "real". Some things are perceived as altering my POV that is affecting me, so, as not really useful corollary but adherent with our layman definition, real is also what can directly or indirectly affect me.

    The end. Reality is defined now. Was it soooo difficult? The rent payment resides in the abstract domain of deals, but is quite real.

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    Account abandoned.
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 19 2020, @06:56AM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 19 2020, @06:56AM (#984799)

      You might be a figment of my imagination, but I am.

      That is the most extreme example of accidental insight that I think I have ever read. I think I know what you meant. But you nailed it: you are a figment of your imagination in the profoundest of ways. Your self-concept and self-understanding are like the image (if you're sighted) of a loved one who you can bring to your mind's eye. (Here, nerds often invoke Godel's incompleteness theorems.)

      • (Score: 2) by Bot on Wednesday April 22 2020, @01:11PM

        by Bot (3902) on Wednesday April 22 2020, @01:11PM (#985718) Journal

        > you are a figment of your imagination in the profoundest of ways.

        The actual implementation of my being is irrelevant to the reasoning above, anyway, and probably undecidable from the inside of the being. Your description, as interesting as it is, yet is a model with implications that I would safely ascribe as assumptions. For example, absence of sin (if I am the god whatever I do is ethically equivalent, right?)

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        Account abandoned.