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Category: computing – Page 57

How Symmetry Shapes the Universe: A Peek into Persistent Symmetry Breaking.

Imagine a world where certain symmetries—like the balance between left and right or up and down—are spontaneously disrupted, but this disruption persists regardless of temperature. Scientists are exploring this fascinating behavior in a special type of mathematical framework known as biconical vector models. These models examine how symmetries behave under specific conditions, especially in a universe with two spatial dimensions and one time dimension (2+1 dimensions).

This study takes a closer look at these models and reveals exciting new insights about symmetry breaking in a way that respects established physical principles. Here’s what the researchers discovered:

1. Symmetry Breaking Basics: The study confirms that symmetry can break persistently when these models are designed to include both continuous and discrete symmetry features (described by the mathematical groups O(N)×Z₂). This breaking shifts from one type of symmetry (O(N)×Z₂) to another (O(N)) as temperature rises, but only under certain conditions.

2. Precision at Zero Temperature: By using advanced computational methods, the team accurately described how these models behave when the temperature is absolute zero. Their findings are valid for a wide range of systems, provided the number of components, N, is 2 or greater.

3. Finite-Temperature Effects: As the temperature increases, the discrete symmetry (Z₂) remains the only one to break, ensuring that the laws of physics, specifically the Hohenberg-Mermin-Wagner theorem, are respected. This theorem essentially states that continuous symmetries cannot break spontaneously in 2D systems at finite temperatures.

4. A Critical Threshold: The researchers calculated that this unusual symmetry-breaking phenomenon can only be observed when N (the number of components in the system) exceeds a critical value, approximately 15.

Continue reading “Heat Destroys All Order. Except for in This One Special Case” | >

In the fascinating intersection of quantum computing and the human experience of time, lies a groundbreaking theory that challenges our conventional narratives: the D-Theory of Time. This theory proposes a revolutionary perspective on time not as fundamental but as an emergent phenomenon arising from the quantum mechanical fabric of the universe.

#TemporalMechanics #DTheory #QuantumComputing #QuantumAI

“In a sense, Nature has been continually computing the ‘next state’ of the Universe for billions of years; all we have to do — and actually all we can do — is ‘hitch a ride’ on this huge ongoing [quantum] computation.” — Tommaso Toffoli

In my new book Temporal Mechanics: D-Theory as a Critical Upgrade to Our Understanding of the Nature of Time (2025), I defend the D-Theory of Time, predicated or reversible quantum computing at large, which represents a novel framework that challenges our conventional understanding of time and computing. Here, we explore the foundational principles of D-Theory, its implications for reversible quantum computing, and how it could potentially revolutionize our approach to computing, information processing, and our understanding of the universe.

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Even so, many wonder: If the universe is at bottom deterministic (via stable laws of physics), how do these quantum-like phenomena arise, and could they show up in something as large and complex as the human brain?

Quantum-Prime Computing is a new theoretical framework offering a surprising twist: it posits that prime numbers — often celebrated as the “building blocks” of integers — can give rise to “quantum-like” behavior in a purely mathematical or classical environment. The kicker? This might not only shift how we view computation but also hint at new ways to understand the brain and the nature of consciousness.

Below, we explore why prime numbers are so special, how they can host quantum-like states, and what that might mean for free will, consciousness, and the future of computational science.

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Theoretical physicists predict the existence of exotic “paraparticles” that defy classification and could have quantum computing applications.

By Davide Castelvecchi & Nature magazine

Theoretical physicists have proposed the existence of a new type of particle that doesn’t fit into the conventional classifications of fermions and bosons. Their ‘paraparticle’, described in Nature on January 8, is not the first to be suggested, but the detailed mathematical model characterizing it could lead to experiments in which it is created using a quantum computer. The research also suggests that undiscovered elementary paraparticles might exist in nature.

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Smaller than a strawberry seed, this tiny signal amplifier was produced by the European Space Agency to fill a missing link in current technology, helping to make future radar-observing and telecommunications space missions feasible.

“This integrated circuit is a low noise amplifier, measuring just 1.8 by 0.9 mm across,” explains ESA microwave engineer David Cuadrado-Calle. “Delivering state of the art performance, the low noise amplifier’s task is to boost very faint signals to usable levels.”

It could in the future be employed for both radar-based missions—where the faint signals are the radar echoes received by the instrument after they bounce off Earth’s surface and travel back to the satellite—and telecommunications —where the communication signals coming from Earth are amplified by the satellite and sent back to Earth for broadband access or broadcasting services.

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A dry material makes a great fire starter, and a soft material lends itself to a sweater. Batteries require materials that can store lots of energy, and microchips need components that can turn the flow of electricity on and off.

Each material’s properties are a result of what’s happening internally. The structure of a material’s atomic scaffolding can take many forms and is often a complex combination of competing patterns. This atomic and electronic landscape determines how a material will interact with the rest of the world, including other materials, electric and magnetic fields, and light.

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory, as part of a multi-institutional team of universities and national laboratories, are investigating a material with a highly unusual structure—one that changes dramatically when exposed to an ultrafast pulse of light from a laser.

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Dan dennett on patterns and ontology.

I want to look at what Dennett has to say about patterns because 1) I introduced the term in my previous discussion, In Search of Dennett’s Free-Floating Rationales [1], and 2) it is interesting for what it says about his philosophy generally.

You’ll recall that, in that earlier discussion, I pointed out talk of “free-floating rationales” (FFRs) was authorized by the presence of a certain state of affairs, a certain pattern of relationships among, in Dennett’s particular example, an adult bird, (vulnerable) chicks, and a predator. Does postulating talk of FFRs add anything to the pattern? Does it make anything more predictable? No. Those FFRs are entirely redundant upon the pattern that authorizes them. By Occam’s Razor, they’re unnecessary.

With that, let’s take a quick look at Dennett’s treatment of the role of patterns in his philosophy. First I quote some passages from Dennett, with a bit of commentary, and then I make a few remarks on my somewhat different treatment of patterns. In a third post I’ll be talking about the computational capacities of the mind/brain.

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