The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Or is it?

  • Thread starter martix
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In summary, the geeks here seem to be unsure of whether the universe is an infinite-state-machine or not. They also mention a site that discusses this topic in more detail.
  • #1
martix
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Everything started from a very far-fetched line from a game, that got me into researching some interesting stuff. And eventually I arrived at this age-old question. I mean can this even be true? And I'm not talking about some trivial stuff, but rather on a more fundamental and universal level.
So I just thought I'd ask the resident geeks here on their oppinion. :)
 
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  • #2
10 trillion neurons laid out on a parking lot won't do much good, but if you connect them all together to form a brain you might be onto something.

I could go on.
 
  • #3
martix said:
Everything started from a very far-fetched line from a game, that got me into researching some interesting stuff. And eventually I arrived at this age-old question. I mean can this even be true? And I'm not talking about some trivial stuff, but rather on a more fundamental and universal level.
So I just thought I'd ask the resident geeks here on their oppinion. :)
How, exactly, are *you* interpreting this? Certainly the whole can be greater than the sum of it's parts. I don't get what you're asking.
 
  • #4
Erm... I don't really know. I read some stuff that I probably didn't understand at all, but nonetheless...
I'm not even sure how to explain it. :) Maybe something of the sort: Can you store more information in a system of things that could ever be stored in the sum of each of these individually. Or something...
Well I was playing the game Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory and they said something about an infinite-state machine - I thought it was something interesting and went searching.
I also just found this site: http://consc.net/notes/analog.html
It has this question:
Basic question: is the universe an infinite-state-machine or a finite-state-machine? If the second, then it is WEAKER than a Turing machine, so these analog solutions are essentially weak theoretically. If the first, then is it true that it is STRONGER than a Turing machine? At the very least, it seems that it has different theorems of computational complexity.
 
  • #5
Everytime I've ever dug a whole, I've never been able to put all the parts back in without sum left over.
 

Related to The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Or is it?

1. What does the quote "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts" mean?

The quote means that the combined or total effect of something is greater than the individual parts that make it up. It suggests that there is a synergy or harmony between the parts that results in a greater outcome.

2. Is this quote true in all situations?

No, the quote is not true in all situations. It is a general concept that can apply to many things, but there may be cases where the sum of the parts is actually greater than the whole. For example, a group of people may have individual strengths that are not fully utilized when working together as a team.

3. How does this quote apply to science?

In science, this quote can be seen in the concept of emergent properties. These are properties that arise from the interactions of individual components, but are not present in any of the individual components alone. For example, the properties of water cannot be fully explained by looking at just the individual components of hydrogen and oxygen.

4. Can you give an example of how the whole is greater than the sum of its parts?

One example is the human brain. While each individual neuron is important, it is the complex network and interactions between them that allows for higher level functions such as memory, reasoning, and consciousness. These emergent properties cannot be fully explained by looking at the individual neurons alone.

5. Why is it important to understand this concept?

Understanding this concept can help us appreciate the complexity and interconnectedness of the world around us. It can also help us solve problems and create new technologies by considering how different parts work together to create a whole. Additionally, it can encourage us to value teamwork and collaboration, as the combination of individual strengths can lead to greater success.

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