Another example of the bizarre relationship between math and physics

It has long been known that math seems to do an unusually good job of describing the physical world. Here is an example of a theory of physics being used to solve an abstract math problem.

It turns out that random matrix theory (RMT) methods used for predicting quantum energy levels of classically chaotic systems also predict all of the moments of the Riemann zeta function. This suggests a mysterious connection between prime numbers and quantum physics.

This is a summary of the findings from the University of Bristol Dept. of Mathematics page.

Tegmark's Parallel Universes article

This article on parallel universes is linked on a few sites I have previously listed, however I believe it is worthy of a direct link. Tegmark provides a good, uncomplicated overview of the different types, or levels, of possible parallel universes. Some or all of them may actually exist.

The first three levels of parallel universe are completely distinct from our universe, and get progressively strange (for lack of a better description) comparison to the universe we are in. For instance, level one is essentially just regions of our present universe that are beyond our light horizon. It is estimated that the region of our universe we can actually see is only a very small portion of the whole, however the actual size and shape of our universe is not established. Level two parallel universes represent other post-inflation bubbles; in other words other universes that may have resulted from the big bang and subsequent inflation. In these universes the fundamental physics would be the same but the constants would be different. Finally, the level three universes would have different fundamental physics.

Level four universes can be considered somewhat distinct from the first three, in that if the parallel universes of quantum mechanics exist they overlap and interact in a way the other levels do not. These universes would all share the laws of quantum mechanics.

The Theory of Nothing E-Book

Russell Standish is a frequent contributor to the Everything List, and recently put together a book that covered many of the most popular topics of discussion on the Everything List.

This book is an excellent overview of cutting edge ideas and theories pertaining to theories of everything (or nothing).

The Theory of Nothing

What is reality

Good site covering the "big questions" concerning the nature of reality.

What is reality?

Quantum physics, in an easy to understand summary

Series of posts from overcomingbias.com

Shut up and calculate

Tegmark advocates "an extreme 'shut-up-and-calculate' approach to physics, where our external physical reality is assumed to be purely mathematical."

School for futurists

Singularity University

Ray Kurzweil: Reinventing Humanity

The Author of The Singularity is Near provides an article published in the March-April 2006 edition of Futurist Magazine that summarizes the predictions from his book regarding the near term future of human and technological evolution.

Does a Rock Implement Every Finite-State Automaton?

Does a Rock Implement Every Finite-State Automaton?

Can there really be a theory of everything?

Why there can't be a theory of everything