**URFE Comparison Table: Autaxys vs Others** | URFE Question | Conventional Physics (e.g., Standard Model + GR) | String Theory (Typical) | Loop Quantum Gravity (LQG) | Digital Physics (e.g., Wolfram) | Autaxys | | :--------------------------------------------- | :------------------------------------------------ | :--------------------- | :------------------------ | :------------------------------- | :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **4.1.4.1: Why is there something rather than nothing?** | No explanation; Big Bang singularity as a limit. | No clear explanation within standard string theory; often assumes a background spacetime. Multiverse scenarios might offer probabilistic explanations but face measure problems. | No definitive answer within standard LQG; some models posit a "bounce" from a prior state, but the origin of that state is unclear. | Might offer computational explanations (e.g., the universe as the output of a cellular automaton), but the origin of the rules and initial state remains a question. | Autaxys *is* the principle of "somethingness," of inherent generativity. "Nothingness," as absolute non-being, is incoherent if autaxys is fundamental. The universe exists because autaxys' nature is to generate. | | **4.2.1.1: Is spacetime fundamental or emergent?** | Fundamental (GR), though singularities suggest breakdown. Fixed background in QFT. | Often assumes a fixed background spacetime (perturbative string theory), though some non-perturbative approaches (e.g., AdS/CFT) suggest emergence from a lower-dimensional boundary. | Emergent from spin networks/foams, though recovering classical spacetime is a challenge. | Emergent from discrete computational rules, though demonstrating consistency with GR is a challenge. | Emergent from the relational structure and dynamics of autaxic process-patterns. Avoids the assumption of a fixed background. | | **4.2.2.1: Provide a complete description of gravity.** | GR (classical, geometric). Incompatible with QM. Requires quantization (graviton?) | Gravity emerges as a force mediated by the graviton (a closed string mode), but unification with other forces and consistent background independence remain challenges. | Gravity emerges from the dynamics of spin networks/foams, but recovering classical GR is a challenge. | Gravity must emerge from the discrete computational rules, but a consistent and compelling mechanism is lacking. | Gravity emerges from the way autaxic patterns influence the relational structure of spacetime. Offers a potential bridge between GR and QM by grounding both in autaxys. | | **4.5.2.1: Provide a model for subjective experience (consciousness).** | Consciousness is assumed to emerge from complex brain activity, but the "Hard Problem" of qualia remains unsolved. Reductionist/physicalist approaches struggle. | No standard string theory account of consciousness. Some speculative ideas exist, but they are not central to the framework. | No standard LQG account of consciousness. | No clear explanation for how subjective experience arises from computation, even if the universe is a CA. The "Hard Problem" persists in a computational universe. | Consciousness emerges from highly complex, integrated, self-referential patterns of autaxic activity. Offers a potential solution to the Hard Problem by grounding qualia in the intrinsic character of these patterns. | | **4.7.1.2: Define validation criteria (especially regarding apparent conflicts with established data).** | Prioritizes empirical consistency with existing data. Anomalies lead to model adjustments or new entities (e.g., dark matter), often preserving the existing paradigm. | Internal consistency and mathematical elegance are highly valued, sometimes at the expense of direct empirical testability. The "Landscape" problem can make it difficult to falsify specific predictions. | Internal consistency and background independence are prioritized. Empirical testability is a goal, but connecting to low-energy physics is a challenge. | Consistency with computational rules and the capacity to generate complex patterns are key. Empirical validation can be challenging due to computational irreducibility. | Values empirical adequacy but acknowledges that apparent conflicts with existing data might indicate limitations in current paradigms or the need for new experimental approaches, rather than immediate falsification. This aligns with the "Mathematical Tricks Postulate" and the recognition that established paradigms can have blind spots. | This table highlights some key areas where autaxys offers a potentially more unified, parsimonious, or conceptually coherent approach compared to other frameworks. It demonstrates autaxys' capacity to address fundamental questions about existence, the nature of spacetime and gravity, the emergence of consciousness, and the interpretation of anomalous scientific findings.