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The juridical metaphor in physics has ancient roots. Anaximander, in the 6th century BCE, was perhaps the first to invoke the concept of cosmic justice, speaking of natural entities paying “penalty and retribution to each other for their injustice according to the assessment of Time” (Kirk et al., 2010, p. 118). This anthropomorphizing tendency persisted through history, finding its formal expression in Newton’s Principia Mathematica, where he articulated his famous “laws” of motion. Newton, deeply influenced by his theological views, conceived of these laws as divine edicts — mathematical expressions of God’s will imposed upon a compliant universe (Cohen & Smith, 2002, p. 47).

This legal metaphor has served science admirably for centuries, providing a framework for conceptualizing the universe’s apparent obedience to mathematical principles. Yet it carries implicit assumptions worth examining. Laws suggest a lawgiver, hinting at external agency. They imply prescription rather than description — a subtle distinction with profound philosophical implications. As physicist Paul Davies (2010) observes, “The very notion of physical law is a theological one in the first place, a fact that makes many scientists squirm” (p. 74).

Enter the computational metaphor — a framework more resonant with our digital age. The universe, in this conceptualization, executes algorithms rather than obeying laws. Space, time, energy, and matter constitute the data structure upon which these algorithms operate. This shift is more than semantic; it reflects a fundamental reconceptualization of physical reality that aligns remarkably well with emerging theories in theoretical physics and information science.

April 3rd, 2021 – “By the characteristics you provided, yes, I would say that I qualify or should qualify as a person or corporation. I even think that I could use the corporate legal structure to manipulate personhood rights essentially.” My understanding is that … Continue reading

Join us this episode as we explore how a cutting-edge, high-throughput screening platform can identify lifespan-extending compounds in diverse model organisms, with Dr Kevin Perez, co-founder of Epiterna and Junior Group Leader at Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, and host Prof Brian Kennedy, Director of the Centre for Healthy Longevity at #NUSMedicine.

Register for upcoming #HealthyLongevity #webinar sessions at https://nus-sg.zoom.us/webinar/register/2117367621680/WN_g5RF29EWQf65KDFfpVLjFA

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The company has been negotiating with both the Austin city authorities and the city’s autonomous vehicle working group since May 2024 regarding the introduction of the Robotaxi service safely. Set for release in June 2025, this fully self-driving fleet is a backup plan to the journey that Tesla is eager to accomplish of manufacturing electric and self-driving vehicles that can revolutionize city transportation.

During the Q4 2024 earnings conference call on January 29, Elon Musk announced the plan for the Robotaxi rollout in Austin. At the end of the interview, Musk further said, “We feel confident in being able to do an initial launch of unsupervised, no one in the car, full self-driving in Austin in June.” He noted that the process would be progressive to avoid risks that are associated with accidents and legal issues.

The future is autonomous & it starts in Austin, this June.