How Humans Have Tried to Explain, formalize, and understand the World Around Them Over Time.

 How Humans Have Tried to Explain, formalize, and understand the World Around Them Over Time.

"For much of human history, we were like the LLMs, figuring things out by matching patterns in our minds." -Stephen Wolfram

Humans have been trying to understand the world around them for centuries. We have used a variety of models to explain the natural world, including structural models, mathematical models, computational models, and multicomputational models. All these, in my view, contribute to what we can collectively call Intelligence and kind of paint an interesting picture of human intelligence, how it has evolved over time, why it's different from other forms we see in the world, and why our attempt to model out intelligence is going to be an interesting journey to watch.

Antiquity Structural models - It's all about what things are made of. They were developed in antiquity and are based on geometric elements. These models do not consider time explicitly and are based on static facts deduced by reasoning. We still use this kind of modeling in many disciplines even today.

1600s: Mathematical Models - the idea of modeling things with mathematical formulas. They were developed in the 1600s and use formulas and equations to describe the structure and behavior of systems.
This leap has played a crucial role in advancing human intelligence, allowing us to solve diverse problems and giving rise to numerous advancements in navigation, astronomy, engineering, architecture, and even medicine, which has inevitably led to longer lifespans.

1980s: Computational Models- developed in the 1980s, take modeling a step further by leveraging computers to simulate the behavior of complex systems. These models enable us to study the behavior of systems over time and explore various possible futures. Computers, which have become ubiquitous in modern life, stand as a testament to the transformative power of computational modeling.

2020s: Multicomputational Models - More recently, in the 21st century, multicomputational models have emerged. These models utilize multiple computational threads to simulate system behavior, offering the ability to study systems from various observer perspectives.
Multicomputational models have extended human intelligence beyond the confines of our individual minds, enabling us to understand and manipulate complex systems in groundbreaking ways.


Through the creation of models that have evolved from structural to multicomputational, humans have continuously refined their understanding of the world.
This journey mirrors the evolution of human intelligence, demonstrating its adaptability and capacity for growth. As we continue to develop new models, we will undoubtedly gain further insights into the universe and our place within it.

First Picture Credit and some Excerpts are from the Recent TED talk on How to Think Computationally About AI, the Universe, and Everything by Stephen Wolfram.