A long article by @overbye on AI and fundamental physics. It features the new @nsf AI institute in fundamental physics. It’s an fascinating topic that I’ve wrestled with personally, and my thoughts are more nuanced than I can squeeze into a pithy quote
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/23/science/artificial-intelligence-ai-physics-theory.html …
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Many of the greatest scientific theories, like general relativity, were not data-driven, and are way beyond reach of present-day computing and AI. It's unclear how much today's computers would be an asset in the formation of such elegant and deeply creative ideas.
They were driven by data via phenomenological laws, as well as by simplicity and consistency. They were constructed by symbolic manipulation and search. Computers can do all of that.
