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How Did We Get Here? The Tangled History of the Second Law of Thermodynamics

Stephen Wolfram

But in 1798 Benjamin Thompson (Count Rumford) (1753–1814) measured the heat produced by the mechanical process of boring a cannon, and began to make the argument that, in contradiction to the caloric theory, there was actually some kind of correspondence between mechanical energy and amount of heat.

Energy 88
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The Concept of the Ruliad

Stephen Wolfram

And we can trace the argument for this to the Principle of Computational Equivalence. But it’s a fundamental claim that we’re making—that can be thought of as a matter of natural science—that in our universe only computation can occur, not hypercomputation. A very important claim about the ruliad is that it’s unique.

Physics 122
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A 50-Year Quest: My Personal Journey with the Second Law of Thermodynamics

Stephen Wolfram

In early 1984 I visited MIT to use the machine to try to do what amounted to natural science, systematically studying 2D cellular automata. I think Yves Pomeau already had a theoretical argument for this, but as far as I was concerned, it was (at least at first) just a “next thing to try”.

Physics 95
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The Physicalization of Metamathematics and Its Implications for the Foundations of Mathematics

Stephen Wolfram

And if we’re going to make a “general theory of mathematics” a first step is to do something like we’d typically do in natural science, and try to “drill down” to find a uniform underlying model—or at least representation—for all of them. and zero arguments: α[ ]. &#10005. &#10005. &#10005. or: &#10005.