In other words: We live inside a computer that learns.
The big idea:BostromsSimulation Argumenthas been a hot topic in science circles lately.
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The fact it exists tells us how that worked out.
Whatever contrivance (law) caused that to happen set the stage for whatever was going to happen next.
The paper argues that the laws governing the universe are an evolutionary learning system.
Hows it work?Thats the tough part.
The researchers explain the universe as a learning system by invoking machine learning systems.
Its poetic, if you think about it.
Perhaps the universe didnt begin with a Big Bang, but a simple interaction between particles.
Whats it mean?If you ask me, the game is rigged.
A reversible but evolving system would randomly explore its immediate past frequently.
When we see an evolving system that displays periods of stability, it probablyevolves unidirectionally.
In one example, the expert could simply check the magnetic marks left on the hard disk.
In that way, the results of the program are reversible: a history of their execution exists.
Theres no intentional, internal record of the operations a CPU runs.
And that means physics is a moving target.
Of course, this is all speculation based on theoretical physics.
Surely the researchers dont literally mean the universe is a computer, right?
Per the paper:
We are examining whether the Universe is a learning computer.
Ultimately the team describes this work as baby steps toward a broader theory.
