Stephen Wolfram:
"Finally We May Have a Path to the Fundamental Theory of Physics… and It’s Beautiful":
@fluffy @fribbledom and will be forever, I think. They've come up with a cool new type of automata, and there's a whole new class of pretty pictures and cool simulations to do with it, but you can find all the parallel behaviors between ordered systems you like, that doesn't mean it's anything but convergent evolution.
@weird_hell @fribbledom yeah I mean A New Kind Of Science was already a sign that he'd completely lost the plot
@fribbledom That man has played way too much Game of Life.
@fribbledom s/Beautiful/Bullshit/
@fribbledom i'm so confused. He discovered that iteratively applying a simple rule to a minimal directed graph can make a big directed graph with a consistent structure? like, no shit? and then if you arrange this directed graph in space, it looks like... a surface that takes up space? And this is supposed to have something to do with explaining fundamental physics?
@nindokag @fribbledom Yes, that's about it. Which, to be honest, is very similar to the way String Theory has run.
Remember that "making a model of reality" is the goal of observational science, not necessarily "knowing how it really works".
Our current models have unexplainable constants in them right now. If his model provides a way to derive those constants and a way to describe/predict actual real events in the universe, it's "better" without necessarily having to be "correct" 🙂
@fribbledom whaaaaa... (I'm not finished reading yet, but whaaaaaaa...)
@fribbledom Wait! There’s only one path? 🙃
Now, his approach is indeed exciting if it works. I don't feel like reading the actual technical papers though.
Wao !!!
Ça a l'air sérieux!
@fribbledom My electrodynamics professor in grad school went to grad school with Wolfram and would tell stories about him. Nothing awful, just amusing.
@fribbledom
https://youtu.be/VguG_y05Xe8
wolfram makes two nice points in this interview.
* he expects and enjoys haters (good because he accumulates many critics)
* cellular automata programs are a new kind of science in the same sense that using mathematics to help describe science was also a new kind of science.
@fribbledom its hard not be skeptical of universal theories.
usually in software they don't last long.
@fribbledom Do you think it's legit?
@fribbledom This guy has integrated some interesting insights, and some of them seem to overlap with what is going on regarding Quantum Gravity studies, specifically LQD - "Looped Quantum Gravity". Its fascinating as hell to me. Still trying to absorb it all.
Server run by the main developers of the project 
It is not focused on any particular niche interest - everyone is welcome as long as you follow our code of conduct!
@fribbledom so he's still on his "the universe is made of cellular automata" crank kick, huh?