CH 10: NKS: Anti-Establishment as Establishment
In a time of cloning, genome mapping, and rovers on mars, it is not terribly surprising that there would be developments that will likely challenge our concepts and cultural artifacts as it relates to science. One of the most developed and awe-inspiring works comes from one man, the uber-scientist Stephen Wolfram. He has proposed a far more digital approach to science and one that would completely reposition all our sciences and even how we discover new truths if it proves correct, it is simply titled a New Kind of Science (NKS).
I wonder out loud how much NKS is motivated by the notion of viewing information in terms of the “fourth paradigm”. These are ideas put forth by notable computer scientist, Jim Gray. The “fourth paradigm” proposes that scientific breakthroughs of the future will be increasingly based on computational models as opposed to the more experimental models that have powered progress thus far.
A New Kind of Science is the idea that the behavior of very simple cellular automata can actually tell us all we need to know about the world around us. This science is only possible now because it requires the horsepower of the digital world to process and simulate the results that occur. The main thrust of his premise is that from very few and even very simple rules for any given system, incredibly complex, unexpected and marvelous results can occur. For example, all the flight patterns of all birds in all flocks everywhere are governed by three simple rules: Separation, Alignment and Cohesion. This example illustrates the idea that it takes very few initial conditions to create enormous complexity. The implication of these notions on complexity is to reconsider how we approach science and solve problems. We can use the digital world to run simulations for different scientific scenarios and actually in the process learn about different models of the universe and ways to even create life.
So regardless of how much of a restructuring occurs in science over NKS, I think it is safe to say revolutionary ideas and applications will result. Want proof? Check out Wolfram Alpha, in Chapter 54, it is the first “app” derived from NKS.
Got 256 Rules, here is the 110th One