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19737 | A system can infer the structure of the world by making predictions about it [New Sci.] |
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. | |
From: New Scientist writers (New Scientist articles [2013], 2015.12.12) | |
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. |