4 ms·

Isn't that what I was saying? Since they have a speed limit you have to keep track of all gravity waves associated with all particles of the universe throughou

Isn't that what I was saying? Since they have a speed limit you have to keep track of all gravity waves associated with all particles of the universe throughout all time and space. So all particles still interact with all other particles, all the time, it's just that they do it with a time delay. If there wasn't a speed limit it would be much simpler because all gravity interactions would be instantaneous and you wouldn't have to keep track of gravity waves.

depressedpanda 3y ago
If light acted instantaneously you would have to calculate the effect of it's rays everywhere all at once, which I think is quite expensive given how vast space is. However, since the speed of light is miniscule compared to the size of the universe you can ignore all but the most local interactions, and just schedule a computation sometime in the future when you know that the light vector will interact with something. While instant calculations would perhaps make for a simpler system conceptually, the speed limit and locality principle ensures that less processing power is needed (at the cost of a lot of memory).
wheelerof4te 3y ago
As someone already mentioned, you would have to account for all the interactions with light -> everywhere at once. With a effective speed limit to space-time, you can "localize" the computation to the spaces where light has reached. And who knows, maybe light can't travel forever, it might just disappear after crossing some distance we still haven't measured (how we'd do that, who knows). Giving yet another evidence to the "grand simulation" theory. "The universe" is just a group of simulated worlds connected by interacting photon particles (light).
- someplaceguy 3y ago
  Right, that's what I meant when I said that the advantage of a speed limit is locality. It allows you to compute the next state of a point in spacetime based only on the points around it. But my point was that this also makes the universe more complex than an alternative fictional universe where information can be accessed instantaneously across any distance (which still allows for distributed computation, if synchronization or lazy computation is possible).
  - wheelerof4te 3y ago
    Possible alternative, but what would be a factor of locality in such an universe? And how would the universe store the infinite "light matter" in it's "memory", since light particle beam being instant means that it has no limits to where it can reach, and will grow depending on distance traveled (which is infinite)? Some processes that are outside of scope we can sense seems like a too cheap explanation.
- cmpalmer52 3y ago
  A universe is a computer that simulates a universe.
  - wheelerof4te 3y ago
    We actually don't know and can't really know what simulates the universe. But we can deduce from various cues that it is being "simulated". The Double slit experiment is one, experience of deja-vu another, dreams that partly manifest in reality after some time, the apparent speed limit of light, out of body experiences, the fact we are the only local top intelligent lifeform in this part of galaxy, etc... All signs of processes and memory "bugging out". Except the last one, that one seems to be by design.
    - xorbax 3y ago
      You're conflating a lot of things that ought not be conflated Where are mesoscale "bugs" of cells or the like? Or is it only on the level of quantum effects and errors of the brain, wherein you're overlaying quantum jargon onto another iconprehensibly complex function?
tshaddox 3y ago
What’s unique about gravity with what you’re talking about? The Coloumb force also applies between every pair of electrically charged particles, right? And with the same inverse-square function of distance?
- someplaceguy 3y ago
  > What’s unique about gravity with what you’re talking about? Nothing, it was just the most obvious example (to me).

depressedpanda 3y ago

If light acted instantaneously you would have to calculate the effect of it's rays everywhere all at once, which I think is quite expensive given how vast space is. However, since the speed of light is miniscule compared to the size of the universe you can ignore all but the most local interactions, and just schedule a computation sometime in the future when you know that the light vector will interact with something. While instant calculations would perhaps make for a simpler system conceptually, the speed limit and locality principle ensures that less processing power is needed (at the cost of a lot of memory).

wheelerof4te 3y ago

As someone already mentioned, you would have to account for all the interactions with light -> everywhere at once. With a effective speed limit to space-time, you can "localize" the computation to the spaces where light has reached. And who knows, maybe light can't travel forever, it might just disappear after crossing some distance we still haven't measured (how we'd do that, who knows). Giving yet another evidence to the "grand simulation" theory. "The universe" is just a group of simulated worlds connected by interacting photon particles (light).

someplaceguy 3y ago
Right, that's what I meant when I said that the advantage of a speed limit is locality. It allows you to compute the next state of a point in spacetime based only on the points around it. But my point was that this also makes the universe more complex than an alternative fictional universe where information can be accessed instantaneously across any distance (which still allows for distributed computation, if synchronization or lazy computation is possible).
- wheelerof4te 3y ago
  Possible alternative, but what would be a factor of locality in such an universe? And how would the universe store the infinite "light matter" in it's "memory", since light particle beam being instant means that it has no limits to where it can reach, and will grow depending on distance traveled (which is infinite)? Some processes that are outside of scope we can sense seems like a too cheap explanation.
cmpalmer52 3y ago
A universe is a computer that simulates a universe.
- wheelerof4te 3y ago
  We actually don't know and can't really know what simulates the universe. But we can deduce from various cues that it is being "simulated". The Double slit experiment is one, experience of deja-vu another, dreams that partly manifest in reality after some time, the apparent speed limit of light, out of body experiences, the fact we are the only local top intelligent lifeform in this part of galaxy, etc... All signs of processes and memory "bugging out". Except the last one, that one seems to be by design.
  - xorbax 3y ago
    You're conflating a lot of things that ought not be conflated Where are mesoscale "bugs" of cells or the like? Or is it only on the level of quantum effects and errors of the brain, wherein you're overlaying quantum jargon onto another iconprehensibly complex function?

tshaddox 3y ago

What’s unique about gravity with what you’re talking about? The Coloumb force also applies between every pair of electrically charged particles, right? And with the same inverse-square function of distance?

someplaceguy 3y ago
> What’s unique about gravity with what you’re talking about? Nothing, it was just the most obvious example (to me).