4 ms·
> A simulation, at least as we'd understand it, would mean some kind of set variables and set rules. It would be entirely deterministic Why would the simulatio
by avz 7y ago
> A simulation, at least as we'd understand it, would mean some kind of set variables and set rules. It would be entirely deterministic
Why would the simulation be entirely deterministic? The simulations humans run often are not, see e.g. Monte Carlo simulations [1]. Also, the laws of physics as we presently know them are not completely deterministic either [2].
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monte_Carlo_method https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monte_Carlo_method
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Measurement_in_quantum_mechanics https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Measurement_in_quantum_mechani...
- grenoire 7y agoMonte Carlo simulations' goal is to randomise the inputs, not the process. In this hypothetical simulation of life, it is the process that seems deterministic, and not the inputs. For Monte Carlo simulations, we want to be sure that we're not imparting the biases we have on the model into the execution of the process itself. As for quantum mechanics, it is only with out current understanding that we believe the process is non-deterministic. We'll see if that holds in a century.
- astrophysician 7y agoMonte Carlo can be used to simulate any stochastic part of a process, not just inputs.
- lanstin 7y agoMonte Carlo can also be used to estimate completely deterministic quantities - e.g. hyper volumes under high dimension curves where it’s too expensive to numerically integrate but you only need a few sig figs of accuracy.