A rulebased universe is much more compelling

[octelcogopod]

I guess I will forever battle this problem, but one thing is for sure, I'm getting closer to some kind of "solution." So here, I offer you my thesis.

A rulebased universe is much more compelling.

Let's say you start out the universe with nothing.
Then out of nowhere, for some unknown reason, one string appears, now the string has one rule, namely that it has to exist.
A string doesn't have the power to fade itself out of existence, so the rule that it has to exist, must exist.
Then, when the string exists, immediately after, several other rules come forth. The rules of shape, movement restrictions, energy it carries, etc are all formed by the existence of the string itself.
Remember that none of these rules existed before the string existed, the string itself created them because of its own existence.
Without any rules, the string would exist all places at once, it would have the shape of everything and have every possible shape ever.

If we follow this logic, we will see that everyhing in the universe is created by itself.
It would be up to the scientists to create the evolvment sheet and history, but I can give a theory I have.
First you have the rule of existence, then the rules of shape, movement and other things. Then another string emerges, maybe the first string duplicated itself, maybe the string appeared out of nowhere like the first string, who knows.
Regardless, we now hit another problem, because it seems as if the universe could only have emerged out of one single string, because if a second string emerged out of nowhere, there's no rules to say that it would "fit" or be able to bind with the first string.
If the first string duplicated itself, it would have created a string identical to iself and would automatically fit.

Anyway to summarize, the theory is that each and every possible rule in the universe, is created by itself, sort of forced upon itself by its own existence.
The real work of course, would lie in finding out what these rules are and why they emerged.

 

[Psi 5]

The only strings in the universe are here on earth, for teasing cats and physicists.

 

[jimmie]

First off, I can't believe I read the whole post: I do NOT like reading.

If we follow this logic,

I'm getting closer to some kind of "solution."

I guess I will forever battle this problem

Secondly, so long as an individual believes that it is "logical" to "follow" 'thought', that individual will forever battle a "problem", while drifting further away from the "solution"; which was to put 'thought' in its place, drawing upon it when needed, and enjoying observing things forever as they truly are.

Then out of nowhere, for some unknown reason, one string appears, now the string has one rule, namely that it has to exist.
A string doesn't have the power to fade itself out of existence, so the rule that it has to exist, must exist.
Then, when the string exists, immediately after, several other rules come forth. The rules of shape, movement restrictions, energy it carries, etc are all formed by the existence of the string itself.
Remember that none of these rules existed before the string existed, the string itself created them because of its own existence.

Third, perhaps the "string" you are referring to is actually your "self", and that the "rule" that it "has to exist, must exist" and that the "string itself created them because of its own existence" is an effort by your "self" to preserve itself by confirming its existence with "rules", that were invented, by your "self".

Finally, octelcogopod, I believe your thread entitled "Emergence", which is about "strings", is hanging by a thread.

Without any rules, the string would exist all places at once, it would have the shape of everything and have every possible shape ever.

However, there is hope.

 

[octelcogopod]

So nobody can even contemplate this?

 

[Jonny_trigonometry]

it's kind of like a game more than a problem. I do appreciate your effort though, I find it thought provoking, but I tend to agree with Jimmie and psi 5. I only disagree with you're 'problem' because it gets bigger the more i think about it. It's sort of the opposite of a reductionist approach to a problem where you start from a big scheme and you work out all the smaller parts. Eventually, the reductionist approach will provide some adequite solutions. This 'problem' has no end, and is a seed for greater problems. the limit is an infinite number of rules, and an infinite amount of shapes, movements, ways of interacting, etc. it becomes what you started with, everything you can imagine.

 

[moving finger]

The only strings in the universe are here on earth, for teasing cats and physicists.

there's also the old adage - give him enough string and he'll hang himself

MF