What We've Learned from NKS Chapter 11: The Notion of Computation

In this episode of "What We've Learned from NKS", Stephen Wolfram is counting down to the 20th anniversary of A New Kind of Science with [another] chapter retrospective. If you'd like to contribute to the discussion in future episodes, you can participate through this YouTube channel or through the official Twitch channel of Stephen Wolfram here:   / stephen_wolfram  

Read all of NKS here: https://www.wolframscience.com/nks/

00:00 Stream Begins
0:55 Stephen begins talking
3:49 Section 1: Computation as a Framework
4:43 Section 2: Computations in Cellular Automata
10:15 Section 3: The Phenomenon of Universality
14:41 Section 4: A Universal Cellular Automaton
20:57 Section 5: Emulating Other Systems with Cellular Automata
30:54 Section 6: Emulating Cellular Automata with Other Systems
41:17 Notes from Sections 1 - 7
51:13 Section 7: Implications of Universality
53:14 Section 8: The Rule 110 Cellular Automaton
59:43 Notes
1:02:36 Section 9: The Significance of Universality in Rule 110
1:03:14 Section 10: Class 4 Behavior and Universality
1:05:25 Section 11: The Threshold of Universality in Cellular Automata
1:19:10 Notes
1:22:56 Section 12: Universality in Turing Machines and Other Systems
1:31:53 Notes
1:40:32 Wrapping up Chapter 11
1:42:52 Are "all universal cellular automatons irreducible?" i.e is it impossible to jump ahead to know the answer of the computation?
1:43:58 What is the longest computation on any one rule?
1:45:07 What's the difference between computation that takes place in nature and computation in manmade machines?
1:47:20 This is fascinating, just as a concept. Computing systems being universal seems logical, what would it even mean if it wasn't. Or if a new computing system could emulate the regular ones but not the other way around?
1:49:13 Is there a relationship between computational universality and Penrose's triangle of mind, mathematics, and the physical world? In his world, a tiny part of each world encompasses all of the next world, bound into an impossible triangle. Are each of these worlds somehow a representation of computational universality?
1:50:58 Is there "anything" that a universal computer cannot do? Or is "everything" defined by that which can be computed by a universal computer?
1:51:13 ​Rule 110 can emulate rule 54 ​but can rule 54 emulate rule 110?
1:51:29 What would be required to prove the Universe is Turing complete?
1:55:36 Looking forward

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