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Full Idea
If we can train a system for prediction, it can essentially infer the structure of the world it's looking at by doing this prediction.
Gist of Idea
A system can infer the structure of the world by making predictions about it
Source
New Scientist writers (New Scientist articles [2013], 2015.12.12)
Book Ref
-: 'New Scientist magazine' [ 2013], p.29
A Reaction
[AI expert] This seems to be powerful support for the centrality of mathematical laws of nature in achieving understanding of the world. We may downplay the 'mere' ability to predict, but this idea says that the rewards of prediction are very great.