Is life just a computer program?

[Beetzart]

I am reading a book called 'The Never ending days of being dead' by Marcus Chown, a British Cosmologist, and he has a chapter looking at this hypothesis.  British physicist Stephen Wolfram has conjectured that the whole Universe is simply a consequence of a simple four line computer program that starts simple and gets ever more complex.  It is hard for me to get my head around and I'm not wholly convinced but I like the idea, in principle.  He started of using a system called Cellular Automaton and found that simple programs led to complex patterns that didn't repeat.

Anyway, an offshoot of his ideas has led to this website:   http://www.wolframalpha.com/

It is meant to be able to answer any questions, unlike google that relies on the questions that haven't been asked before.

[Zaf]

It doesnt seem any more far fetched than atoms and things if you really think about it

[Catbrian]

Sounds very interesting Beetzart.  I like the principle but not the computer analogy.  I wonder if Cellular Automation is part of quantum mechanics?.... All very intriguing but difficult to get your head around.  

[whiteadder]

Here is one way of looking at it.

If you accept the possibility that we or any other race or culture in the whole of space and time could create a computer program which is like a replica universe...

...then you conjecture that if they did this, they might create more than one...

...then you're already looking at 2:1 or more chances that we aren't in the original, authentic universe...

[Zaf]

There are just so many possibilities, there are times when I wonder if we are some sort of experiment and being watched by huge or very advanced beings to see what we do, some of the mystic faiths say that we are energy or spiritual bbeings having a human experience

[whiteadder]

That makes sense Zaf. If you were immortal, you might want to experience the ups and downs of being mortal. I love how a picture of the universe looks the same as a picture of a brain cell. I am sure something amazing is behind it all, we just will never know what, not in this lifetime anyway.

[Catbrian]

I like to think we are both energy and spiritual beings.  It's would feel nice if  our purpose was along the lines of immortal energy experiencing a mortal life....maybe with a little reincarnation thrown in

[Zaf]

I'm definitely thinking along those lines Cat, probably with a lot of reincarnation thrown in :)

[pinkphoenix]

I am reading a book called 'The Never ending days of being dead' by Marcus Chown, a British Cosmologist, and he has a chapter looking at this hypothesis.  British physicist Stephen Wolfram has conjectured that the whole Universe is simply a consequence of a simple four line computer program that starts simple and gets ever more complex.  It is hard for me to get my head around and I'm not wholly convinced but I like the idea, in principle.  He started of using a system called Cellular Automaton and found that simple programs led to complex patterns that didn't repeat.

Anyway, an offshoot of his ideas has led to this website:   http://www.wolframalpha.com/

It is meant to be able to answer any questions, unlike google that relies on the questions that haven't been asked before.

Would you recommend this book?

Emma xx

[Zaf]

Its got good reviews in Amazon, might get myself a secondhand copy :)

Z x

[whiteadder]

Emma, if you're interested in this sort of thing, I'd reccommend 'Is there life after death?' by Anthony Peake x

Same question Beetzart, is it worth a read?

[Zaf]

On similar lines I found Soul Survivor by Bruce and Andrea Leininger an interesting read

Z x

[Beetzart]

I would definitely recommend it!  Chown has a knack of describing hard stuff for people without PhDs in Astrophysics; this is the 3rd book of his I am on.

[Zaf]

Some of his titles look interesting, I'll have to keep an eye out for some secondhand copies

[pinkphoenix]

Thanks Zaf and Whiteadder, I'll definitely check them out!

Emma xx