Universe as a cellular automaton

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of the universe being modeled as a cellular automaton, specifically with N-dimensional Planck-scale cells governed by a potentially simple set of rules. Participants explore the theoretical implications and existing literature on this idea.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants inquire about published papers that support the idea of the universe as a cellular automaton with N-dimensional Planck-scale cells and simple rules.
  • One participant expresses confusion about the concept and its implications, questioning how it could be understood.
  • A participant references a discussion on cellular automata as models of fundamental physical reality, citing Andrew Ilachinski's work and suggesting that the idea has been considered by various scholars.
  • Another participant acknowledges their unfamiliarity with the topic but indicates that the original post becomes clearer after reviewing related literature, specifically a Wikipedia article.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus; there is a mix of curiosity, confusion, and acknowledgment of the topic's complexity, with some expressing a lack of familiarity with the concept.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include varying levels of understanding among participants and the reliance on external references for clarification. The discussion does not resolve the complexities or implications of the cellular automaton model.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in theoretical physics, cellular automata, and the philosophical implications of modeling the universe may find this discussion relevant.

Terrr
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Have there been any published papers promoting an idea that the universe is a cellular automaton with N-dimensional Planck-scale cells with some unknown but hopefully not incredibly complex set of rules?
 
Space news on Phys.org
What? I don't even know how that would begin to make any sense.
 
Terrr said:
Have there been any published papers promoting an idea that the universe is a cellular automaton with N-dimensional Planck-scale cells with some unknown but hopefully not incredibly complex set of rules?

string theory?
 
I don’t pretend to understand this, but there is a discussion of your subject matter here:

CA As Models of the Fundamental Physical Reality.

As Andrew Ilachinski points out in his Cellular Automata, many scholars have raised the question of whether the universe is a cellular automaton.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellular_automaton
 
Ah ok, after reading that article the OP makes a lot more sense. Other than the wikipedia article I've never heard of this before, so I can't be of much help. Have you looked at the references on the wikipedia article Terrr?
 

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