AI-powered
podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
#89 – Stephen Wolfram: Cellular Automata, Computation, and Physics
Lex Fridman Podcast
What Kind of Computation Would Create the Fundamental Laws of Physics?
The emergence of the fundamental laws of physics may stem from specific computational frameworks that underpin our understanding of space and time. Current computational models, particularly cellular automata, reveal how simple rules can generate complex structures. However, there is skepticism regarding whether these models sufficiently capture the richness of physical laws. The notion of a computational basis is crucial for identifying our universe's corresponding programs. A significant point is that, although universal computation can simulate various systems, it may not provide a natural description of the physical universe. An exploration into more complex structures, such as graphs and networks, is necessary to understand the underlying nature of space and time. The debate over whether space is discrete or continuous persists, echoing early quantum mechanics speculation. Despite a continuous perception in modern physics, reality may reflect a discrete structure, similar to how fluid behavior emerges from the interaction of molecules. This leads to the inquiry into whether the underlying structure of space and time is fundamentally computational, potentially related or unrelated to traditional models like Turing machines. Considering the nature of real numbers and the implications of infinity in computations further complicates the discussion, suggesting that our mathematical models might not fully align with the computational basis of physical phenomena.
00:00
Transcript
Episode notes
Get the Snipd
podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered
Discover
highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any
moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share
& Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered
podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover
highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode