Today I was pondering about the universe, as I imagine a lot of people do. I remember from watching science documentaries and from primary school science that nothing can travel faster than the speed of light. What I don't understand is why not?
Again, pondering of the universe, I wondered what causes things like magnetism and gravity. Sure, you can give an explanation of how all the atoms face the same direction (can't really remember) but why would that force two objects together? So what about gravity, why do objects move into each other based on weight. Sure you can give an explanation but what dictates what does what. What about thrust. Why does thrust move objects. How do objects even move.

Sometimes I think of the universe as a computer program. And I know it sounds ridiculous but I would think it to be a plausible theory. I would imagine the reason you could not go faster that the speed of light is because it is the update frequency of the program. Or at least a constant boundary dictated by the program. This could be experimented on a laptop. Try emulating a 3 gigahertz computer (realtime) on a 2 gigahertz computer. Doesn't work. If you've ever heard of cellular automata then you would know how simple systems can lead to complex things. The writers of the universe program just dump neutrons and atoms and out come extremely complex things.
I know it sounds kind of insane to believe that the universe is a program but to me it sounds plausible (still wouldn't believe it though). I know most people would say it sounds absurd but if I made artificial life forms in a computer I'm sure they wouldn't know they were in a program.

I try not to think of stuff like this though because it makes me a little depressed and scared. I bet people that think of this stuff constantly end up committing suicide.

1. what causes things like magnetism and gravity. Sure, you can give an explanation of how all the atoms face the same direction (can't really remember) but why would that force two objects together? So what about gravity, why do objects move into each other based on weight.
2. Sure you can give an explanation but what dictates what does what.
3. Sometimes I think of the universe as a computer program. And I know it sounds ridiculous
4. I try not to think of stuff like this though because it makes me a little depressed and scared.
5. I bet people that think of this stuff constantly end up committing suicide.

1. You can look up the electromagnetic force, how it works, and how gravitons work online. What science knows about those things is out there. It's easy to find (but not easy to understand).
2. Nature dictates it. It is the way it is. Science is about learning what does what.
3. It doesn't sound ridiculous at all. I think that's a perfectly good way of thinking of it.
4. Really? That's weird. I love thinking about that stuff! It energizes me. Strange that it would have the opposite effect on anyone. I can easily imagine it boring people or frustrating them, but not depressing or scaring them.
5. You could consult a mental health specialist and tell him or her about this. I'll bet you could get past it.

1. You can look up the electromagnetic force, how it works, and how gravitons work online. What science knows about those things is out there. It's easy to find (but not easy to understand).
2. Nature dictates it. It is the way it is. Science is about learning what does what.
3. It doesn't sound ridiculous at all. I think that's a perfectly good way of thinking of it.
4. Really? That's weird. I love thinking about that stuff! It energizes me. Strange that it would have the opposite effect on anyone. I can easily imagine it boring people or frustrating them, but not depressing or scaring them.
5. You could consult a mental health specialist and tell him or her about this. I'll bet you could get past it.
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1. I don't mean what causes it I mean how it is dictated (in a sense).
2. It's easy just to say that but how does the universe know what each force does. What put these rules in place instead of another set of rules?
3. Thanks.
4. Ah it's just when you think about it to hard and you end up looking at yourself from a 3rd person view for a split second makes me shrivel and feel strange.
5. I don't mean that I want to commit suicide ;D I just mean that people who contemplate their own existence probably go insane after a decade or two.

But then again I fall back on myself into the theory of extra dimensions. Then it's all like: Oh so it doesn't matter if I don't understand the universe because it would be impossible to due to the dimension rule.
I have no idea of how forces like magnetism can spontaneously arise beginning, during and after a big bang. It's also weird to think that every thing you've ever done has already happened trillions of times in this universe (if you believe in the big bang theory). I think the theory is that after the big bang all the elements of the universe start imploding due to gravity. It then creates a singularity. The singularity messes up time due to the gravitational force and then time reverses and the singularity explodes instead of implodes. I think that's what Stephen Hawkings said. But then again I think time is meant to be dynamic instead of just forwards and backwards in one place.

I feel that as theoretical physics gets more and more sophisticated it starts getting more and more surreal without being backed up with mathematics. For instance: String theory. The theory that everything in the universe is made up of small vibrating strings. I don't believe it myself.

Correct me if I'm wrong on any of the big bang stuff. I haven't been watching much science stuff lately. It's also 2am.

I just mean that people who contemplate their own existence probably go insane after a decade or two.

What do you mean by "insane" exactly? I've been contemplating my own existence on a continual basis for some years now and I think it's only benefited me. And what precisely is it you find so depressing about contemplating your own existence?

Just some random [s]thoughts[/s] neural impulses, the computer program perspective would be sort of consistent with the quantization phenomena that are being observed at very small scales of distance/temperature/etc... it's like the alien beings that are running the universe decided to stop at some level of resolution and went "screw it, this is good enough" instead of going deeper and deeper. Maybe we are actually contemplating the limits of our universe's "programming".

Perhaps one day the aliens will upgrade their software, and a new Einstein will come along to get us up to speed...

You know you get people who live their whole life thinking the world is the only thing in the universe then to find their existence is but a small point. I know a clinically depressed person that goes on about this all the time. I would deem her as insane (not clinical of course).
I use the word depressing just because I can't find the word I'm looking for. It's only a split second feeling. So I guess depressing is not the right word.

to find their existence is but a small point.

That's not insanity, that's the truth - one I happen to find exhilarating, as a matter of fact.

Also, I would say that these are not weird thoughts, at all. I wouldn't be surprised if most people in this day and age think about this on occasion.

Just some random [s]thoughts[/s] neural impulses, the computer program perspective would be sort of consistent with the quantization phenomena that are being observed at very small scales of distance/temperature/etc... it's like the alien beings that are running the universe decided to stop at some level of resolution and went "screw it, this is good enough" instead of going deeper and deeper. Maybe we are actually contemplating the limits of our universe's "programming".

Perhaps one day the aliens will upgrade their software, and a new Einstein will come along to get us up to speed...

But if the universe were a program all forces and measurements such as temperature would be a completely artificial construct. And trying to explain it within quantum theory (because quantum physics would all be programmed and may have no real existence in the programs universe) would be illogical. Try and think of it as something beyond reality.
And I've just re-read what you wrote and found that my return statement has nothing to with it. I need to sleep.

[quote name='CryoGenesis' timestamp='1344651727' post='4968292']
to find their existence is but a small point.

That's not insanity, that's the truth - one I happen to find exhilarating, as a matter of fact.

Also, I would say that these are not weird thoughts, at all. I wouldn't be surprised if most people in this day and age think about this on occasion.
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I'm not saying that's insanity and I'm not saying that's my opinion. I'm saying that it's other peoples opinions. The person I am talking about is very un-intelligent so I guess it wouldn't surprise me that she is clinically depressed. And again I use the term insanity loosely, not clinically.