Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas 155 | Stephen Wolfram on Computation, Hypergraphs, and Fundamental Physics
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Jul 12, 2021 
Stephen Wolfram, the visionary behind Wolfram Research and creator of Mathematica, discusses his exciting Wolfram Physics Project aimed at uncovering the universe's fundamental laws through hypergraphs. He explains how simple computational rules can lead to complex phenomena like quantum mechanics and general relativity. The conversation dives into the ties between consciousness and observers in physics, the nature of multi-way graphs, and the challenges of reconciling quantum mechanics with general relativity, all while inviting public engagement in this groundbreaking research.
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Project Origins
- Stephen Wolfram's current physics project builds upon his previous work on cellular automata.
- It leverages ideas, technologies, and intuitions from that work, particularly the concept of simple programs generating complex behavior.
From Grids to Networks
- Cellular automata use a fixed grid, unlike Wolfram's current project, which builds structures through rules.
- Wolfram's project models space as a network of connections between abstract points without fixed positions.
Computational Universe
- Wolfram's approach explores the computational universe, where simple programs can yield complex behaviors.
- This contrasts with the traditional physics approach of reverse-engineering explanations from observed phenomena.
