Into the Impossible With Brian Keating What is Time? Stephen Wolfram’s Groundbreaking New Theory [Ep. 468]
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Dec 2, 2024 
Stephen Wolfram, a pioneering computer scientist and CEO of Wolfram Research, explores the profound nature of time in this enlightening discussion. He asserts that time is the 'inevitable progress of computation,' introducing the concept of computational irreducibility, where complex behaviors emerge from simple rules. Wolfram delves into the interplay between time, space, and gravity, suggesting dark matter might represent space's structure. He also highlights how our cognitive limits shape our understanding of time and reality.
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Time as Computation
- Time is the progression of computation in the universe, driven by simple rules that can lead to complex behaviors.
- This concept, called computational irreducibility, suggests time has a rigid structure, and our perception of it is limited.
Computational Irreducibility
- Computational irreducibility means you can't predict a system's future state without following every computational step.
- This implies time has inherent meaning, as each step contributes something unique and unpredictable.
Absolute Time
- Like temperature, time has an absolute scale, linked to computational irreducibility.
- This suggests a universal time across different systems, independent of how it's measured.