#89 – Stephen Wolfram: Cellular Automata, Computation, and Physics
Lex Fridman Podcast
Computational Equivalence and Irreducibility
The principle of computational equivalence highlights that some systems exhibit computational irreducibility, meaning that the only way to determine their outcomes is by tracing each step. In contrast to traditional science's approach of computational reducibility, where equations are solved to predict outcomes, computational irreducibility implies that jumping ahead to predict outcomes may not be feasible. This principle asserts that no system, even human brains, can bypass the step-by-step computation process of understanding. It implies that all computations, whether done by a complex organism or a simple cellular automaton, are fundamentally equivalent in sophistication. Thus, the concept of computational reducibility is both humbling and thought-provoking, as it suggests that all systems, regardless of complexity, are intrinsically the same in terms of computational processes.
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