I'm by default skeptical of theories-explaining-everything. Nobody's "got it right" so far, and I don't expect anyone to 'get it right" now. But I expect good ideas to keep coming from people. So, to avoid getting pulled fully into someone's chains of logic whereby I'm pursuaded convincingly to believe that their conclusions are true, I look at neutral summaries, and then I look at the critics. Once I look at the critics, then I look more deeply into the advocacy. [whatever they're advocating to be true]. ===== I don't have a problem with the computable Universe concept, but I think it has things backwards. Computers were based upon us and to base the Universe upon computability, which is a human construction is ultimately basing the Universe upon our cognitive processes that CREATED computability. In short: a cycle that STILL starts and ends with us. I have a bias towards systems including the computability hypothesis, which is why I give them my harshest criticism: I _want_ them to be right so badly that I have to be CERTAIN that they're not wrong. == As I see concepts as starting and ending with us, with a lot of fascinating pragmatic stuff inbetween, for me I tend to utilize analogies-as-basis for things. Analogies are how we learn, how we explain things.. analogies in science (analogous systems) are powerful enough to make machines like computers, or systems like mathematics or philosophy. Analogies building upon analogies. Mathematics is a fascinating analogizing tool: it very nearly gets a life of its own from the most humble beginnings. Logic as well. yet I see both as powerful analogizing systems, leaving analogies, so far, the closest thing I can come to as a basis for the Universe. Of course I'm being very broad and generous with my definition of analogy but it's used that way commonly. Why do the body's cell accept virus "mimickers"? Because for the cell, the virus is an analogy (similar-to) the thing it's "expecting" yet it's different. I keep thinking someday I'll write a big thing about this. I keep hoping somebody else does or did instead though so I could just read their book and go, "YES! This guy gets it!" smile emoticon ==