196 - Stephen Wolfram: The Fundamental Theory of the Universe

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3v8OhY7

Stephen Wolfram is the founder and CEO of Wolfram Research, and the creator of Mathematica, Wolfram|Alpha, and the Wolfram Language. He received his PhD in theoretical physics from Caltech when he was twenty years old. In addition to his work at the helm of Wolfram Research, he writes and researches widely across computer science, physics, mathematics, and more. This is Stephen’s second appearance on the show. In episode 102, he and Robinson discussed artificial intelligence, ChatGPT, and the philosophy of math. In this episode, however, they turn to the Ruliad—the entangled limited of computability—and Stephen’s search for the fundamental theory of physics. Along the way, they talk about the philosophy of science, abstract and concrete objects, and quantum mechanics.

A Project to Find the Fundamental Theory of Physics: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0917YZDNF?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_Z7EPANZC9JVQR0HP2E1D

The Concept of the Ruliad: https://writings.stephenwolfram.com/2021/11/the-concept-of-the-ruliad/#:~:text=November%2010%2C%202021-,The%20Entangled%20Limit%20of%20Everything,arisen%20from%20our%20Physics%20Project.

Stephen’s Website: https://www.stephenwolfram.com

Stephen’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/stephen_wolfram

Wolfram Research on YouTube: https://a.co/d/aADrGGh

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

03:44 How Did Stephen Wolfram Discover the Ruliad? 

34:22 The Axiomatic Revolution in Physics 

46:37 Is the Ruliad a Theory or an Object? 

1:10:01 How Big is the Space of Alien Minds? 

1:18:25 Is the Universe an Abstract Object? 

1:31:43 What Is Quantum Mechanics? 

Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com

Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University. Join him in conversations with philosophers, scientists, weightlifters, artists, and everyone in-between.