Re:The Universe as a Computer
by RetroTechie on Friday April 26, 2024 @11:19AM
(#40170516)
> The controversial question (and one that cannot be dismissed easily) is whether the universe is in some broader sense "mathematical"
A similar question: does time evolve in discrete steps, or is it continuous?
The passage of time can only be established by comparing with physical phenomena that evolve over time. Even if that comparison would suggest "discrete steps", that doesn't exclude the possibility of time evolving continuously, but instrument / experiment too 'crude' to see between steps.
Right up there with "are we living in a simulation?", and "does $DEITY exist?". As long as you can't break into a deeper layer (assuming that exists!), it's undecidable, and a philosophical rather than a scientific question, imho.
A similar question: does time evolve in discrete steps, or is it continuous?
The passage of time can only be established by comparing with physical phenomena that evolve over time. Even if that comparison would suggest "discrete steps", that doesn't exclude the possibility of time evolving continuously, but instrument / experiment too 'crude' to see between steps.
Right up there with "are we living in a simulation?", and "does $DEITY exist?". As long as you can't break into a deeper layer (assuming that exists!), it's undecidable, and a philosophical rather than a scientific question, imho.