On the nature of time and existence

Off topic
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Hello everyone,

Let me share with you the secrets of the universe, in the vein of @Deltakosh’s post about QM:

I had this with me since forever as well. Now you can read about it without having to go through the headache :wink:

So the questions are:
Why is there something rather than nothing? Or, why is there anything at all?
Why is there time? Or, why do changes happen?

When trying to answer those questions, you can get into an infinite regression of explanations. Thinking about it in the ways of Babylon.js is actually the key here, specifically in the terms of computer memory, just like in the post of @Deltakosh.

Let’s suppose we do live in a simulation. Now,

  • The simulated world exists as computer memory
  • Computer memory exists as an array of bits
  • An array of bits is a binary number
  • A binary number is really just a number

Now look at the (simulated) things around you — they all exists “in” this number. The underlying physical reality of this number (a memory module in a computer), is completely irrelevant. So of the things around you, you can say that they exist in N. You can now distinguish between two types of existence:

  1. Relative existence (object X exists in N)
  2. Absolute existence (N exists as a memory module)

But there is no reason to think anything exists absolutely at all! (and what would it even mean?) If the memory stick were to suddenly cease to exist, everything would still exist in N, so the concept of absolute existence is not necessary to explain anything. We exist in the same way numbers exist.

We can now understand time as well. Without understanding existence, it is a mystery why — or even if — anything ultimately changes at all. Given the immutable nature of numbers, there is no actual flow of time. This moment right now exists just as much as the moment one year ago (though you’ve of course never been there, it’s all in your head).

Well, that’s it. What implications do you guys see in this? I think it’s a nice that we will exist forever (or rather, that we exist), but I dread the thought of infinite variations of me in parallel universes being tortured or something :grimacing:

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Man! I loved reading that. This is mind blowing

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eternalism fan club :wink: Eternalism (philosophy of time) - Wikipedia
like illusionism fan club too … Illusionism (philosophy) - Wikipedia
I’m member of both

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All those "N"s got me thinking about String Theory which implies that there are 10 dimensions of space and one of time, with 6 of them being “micro-dimensions” - the strings defined by some kind of Calambi-Yau surface.

My effort from a while back :

Calabi-Yau loop manifold (n= 3)

Here is the full list : n=2 to 7 with images. I tried exporting N=5,6,7 from Blender but there issues with the resulting .babylon file (huge).

And a Tedtalk from Brian Greene about String Theory and those extra dimensions.

@Gijs : mind you I struggle to understand it all (any of it?) :grin:

Stay Safe All, gryff :slight_smile:

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