I spent many years working on cellular-automata models of the universe. Inspired by Ed Fredkin's theory that the universe is a computer, I ended up doing an internship in his lab at MIT. Later, while working at Thinking Machines, I met Stephen Wolfram. Earlier this year Stephen and I spent a few hours talking about network models of cellular automata as well as the business potential of CA technologies -- for example, in the field of nanotech. This article provides a basic overview of the digital physics paradigm, as well as some examples of recent work and tidbits from Wolfram's recent "A New Kind of Science" conference in Boston.
Comments