The Structure of Time and Space | Stephen Wolfram

Stephen Wolfram argues that space is made of discrete "atoms," from which time, matter, and Einstein's equations all emerge. Do you think physics can be derived from a discrete computational substrate, or is continuous mathematics fundamental in a way computation cannot capture?

Comparing the statements of Stephen with those I read in several other quantum physics books that also talk about the origin of time and space, I think Stephen is on to something here, and it's an interesting direction to explore. That said, I also think he's stepping into one of the most common philosophical traps: The belief that reality is ontologically in the same category or "made up" from the tools we use to perceive and conceptualize it. Just because we use computation as a tool to model reality and make successful predictions about it, does not mean that the "substance" reality is made of is computation. As an example, take the idea that reality is made from objects that carry objective qualities of their own, like an electron with a spin, a position or an impulse. We perceive, or measure, these qualities and formed the belief that those objects do carry them, so qualities exist independent of the observer. Same principle, we "see" something and consequently belief it must actually have its own, independent existence out there. Today, thanks to quantum field theory and current research (including a nobel prize) we know that this is not the case.

Even if Universe is entirely computable, it does not mean that it is ontologically computational.

There may be mathematical hallucinations we're trapped in. As elegant and compelling as a mathematical idea may be, its beauty doesn't guarantee that it describes nature or objective reality. We don't see things as they are, we see things as we are, and therefore, I think we will be stuck for a long time.

Love you mate! We love you and respect. Bravo! Excellent.

Some individuals' intellectual capacity is mindboggling.

شكرا لك بروفسور🎉

Wolfram's experimental evidence: Trust me, bro

Stephen Wolfram’s model of how the universe works sounds very strange. It has the flavor of a computational simulation, even though it is presented as a fundamental physical theory.

Thank you for this video and finally hearing somebody say what I discovered myself about, well, everything, and what it exist of or what is the base! I use other terms or words, but in fact the same thought line! But nobody wants to listen or take me seriously, while it is so clear and obvious for all to see if open to it! (It is hard to put in words what's inside my head, but i do my best to put it here in a short version) Everything exist in the end of energy and matter is a constant interaction between energy waves. At the quantum level, quarks are energywaves, electrons are energywaves (not particles, but we are not able to observe it like that and never will, due to the nature of what we are, how we can observe and the scale difference) And, imagine that everything is a reaction (interaction) between energy waves and at a larger scale atoms, molecules, that can only logical react in one way in any particular circumstance, then our lives and everything that happens around us is a reaction, based on what happened just a moment before. Life is just a continuous flow of interactions/reactions of energy/matter. One of the conclusions in the end, is that everything is predetermined! Every moment is predetermined by the moment jus before, and thus, in the end, all is! Also our thoughts, feelings and behavior. Free will is an illusion and the most ironic part of it all is.... Everything a human thinks, feels, does, is born out of the longing for what we most desire....Control! Everything we do or think or feel, we do to try to get, keep and maintain control over ourselves and our surrounding! In what way is different for everybody, but that is all at the very base! So, All our energy and effort is put into something we can never achieve! The biggest question is now...Why does all this work this way? Also, because we are inside the Universe, we can never figure out what is on the outside, or why the Universe is, or what it is! Only maybe after dead (if somehow we have a thing like a soul that can than transcent into the surrounding (at what size and scale is unknown but scale is probably not in a way we can define it from our perspective)). So, we can think, ruminate, calculate all we want, but the definite outcome can never be reached. I hope I did not sound too grazy!🙏