Undergrad AI Discovers Alternate Physics - What Do You Think?

[Joseph M. Zias]

TL;DR

Recent article describes using AI to view classic pendulum experiment. Finds different variable to analyze the event.

There is a recent article, see below, where an AI equipped computer viewed a classic physics experiment with a double pendulum. The AI algorithm determined some different variables to describe the motion. One problem with this is the AI suggested 4.7 variables - that I don't understand - but nevertheless it is plausible that the analysis of physical events might be done differently. It was suggested that another galactic civilization might have a "new physics" as-it-were. What do you folks think of this?

https://www.sciencealert.com/ai-has...News&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=AppleNews

 

[anorlunda]

It sounds like a fun experiment. It is possible that the AI considers position, velocity, acceleration
, and jerk as four independent variables.

 

[fresh_42]

Summary: Recent article describes using AI to view classic pendulum experiment. Finds different variable to analyze the event.

One problem with this is the AI suggested 4.7 variables - that I don't understand - but nevertheless ...

I haven't read the paper (paywall: https://www.nature.com/articles/s43588-022-00281-6) and I'm not sure if it explains 4.7 at all, but my first thought was:

A double pendulum is chaos theory. Chaos theory uses fractals. Fractals have non-integer dimensions. A dimension can be interpreted as a degree of freedom, hence a free variable. Such an interpretation could have led to the catch phrase: 4.7 dimensions.