Science

caraher

(6,362 posts)

16. This is all just goofy

Thu Oct 18, 2012, 03:38 PM

Oct 2012

Sure, you can use the mathematics and concepts of physics to explore all kinds of things, but that doesn't make said speculations serious science. These kinds of studies are done by very smart people but they're exercises no deeper than xkcd's weekly "What If?" series.

The first paper published along these lines that I read was Seth Lloyd's Physical Review Letters paper on the universe as a quantum computer. The most memorable line for me was where he asks, if the universe is a quantum computer, what is it computing? His proposed answer was its time evolution.

This is Douglas Adams territory here, folks, and Adams did it better.

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Is it real? Physicists propose method to determine if the universe is a simulation [View all] bananas Oct 2012 OP

But a universe consistent with a simulation, does not prove it is simulated Xipe Totec Oct 2012 #1

Your brain doesn't really hurt... Ilsa Oct 2012 #3

You win Xipe Totec Oct 2012 #5

well of course it seems plausible FirstLight Oct 2012 #2

That would be horible. darkangel218 Oct 2012 #6

And then there's the Castanza Conundrum ashling Oct 2012 #7

Umm, pay no attention to the man behind the curtain... 1620rock Oct 2012 #4

Let me guess... They plan to make a measurement on Dec 21st.... Thor_MN Oct 2012 #8

awesome idea! FirstLight Oct 2012 #10

The universe is a test bed aletier_v Oct 2012 #9

What if it's a reality-show, like in South Park? DetlefK Oct 2012 #11

The End is the Beginning and the Beginning is the End. DhhD Oct 2012 #18

Some where in between, is where we are now. DhhD Oct 2012 #19

The red pill or the blue pill. Javaman Oct 2012 #12

If the guys running the simulation don't want us to know... hunter Oct 2012 #13

I've called for the arch a few times, but it doesn't appear. Silent3 Oct 2012 #14

I doubt it NoOneMan Oct 2012 #15

This is all just goofy caraher Oct 2012 #16

IMHO, I agree. AverageJoe90 Oct 2012 #21

Somebody has been watching The Matrix too many times. Odin2005 Oct 2012 #17

Crazy for Coa Coa Puffs !!!!! skiptaylor Oct 2012 #20