Theories as configs

2023-12-09 permalink

Ignoring the outcomes and observing the nature of things in general that lead to the dicovery or the birth of the current state of configs.

Theories as configs is a point of view where theories are considered as configs from a configurational standpoint. In this point of view, theories such as classical mechanics and periodic law can be considered as configs. In other words, any fact can be considered as a config, but as a rule of thumb, we want to focus on some of the most fundamental facts and the facts that are fundamental to daily life.

From an evolutionary and or information theory perspective, we must have config from the beginning. If we consider, for example, the first life form that started walking on water, life must have added another config that is not water during its period of existence. We can also view the creation of a transistor as one such config being added to us to derive value from.

This pattern of configs can be observed in many areas of life, including from religion to behaviors of professors in business compared to that of businessmen or spending behavior of people from different castes in India when caste was prevalent.

One key aspect to realize here is that people's lives are dependent on these configs. If you propose a heliocentric universe for example, you are threatening the livelihoods of people living on the original configs and this can be detrimental to you and for them. Or a curated composition of chemical substances that act as poison to our bodies.

In this proposition, there are multiple ways to provide life, one of which I like the most is finding or rearranging configs that provide maximum value to prosperous people. Examples of this are the birth of the internet, google, satellites, the general theory of relativity, and so on.

Now some configs are testable and experienced by humans through machines and configs can not be tested or experienced because of limitations of the physical body. One such attempt at configs is string theory, in which people start a concept and then try to achieve it mathematically, for which they add additional dimensions (configs to the field). Neither the theory nor the dimensions can be tested at this point.

In conclusion, I think our lives depend on these configs, the ones we agree up on, the ones we know and the ones we are trying to uncover. Where we want to position ourselves in this configs landscape is up to us.

Glitches as progress

2023-01-10 permalink

For convenience, I am considering discoveries and accidents that reveal new information as glitches.

In my father's life, he delved into the world of RGB color mixing, waking up at 4 am to manage the logistics of his team for his second business. One day, an accidental mix of colors led to the creation of a rare, expensive color available only in Bombay at that time. This fortunate mistake brought him high profits temporarily, but eventually, competitors caught up by economically replicating the color.

Accidental instances leading to discoveries are prevalent across various fields. These unexpected revelations, often considered glitches, contribute to innovation. This blog post, however, focuses on the mindset and preconditions necessary to capture anomalies.

Drawing from personal experience, I once worked on a sensitive project at a bank. Inadvertently committing to an external GitHub repository, I rushed home out of fear. Few weeks later, I shared this news with our seniors during a dinner party. No one paid attention to it. 8 months later, I heard about a massive data break from the organization I worked for.

At that time, I hesitated to send an email, possibly influenced by being new to the country and financially dependent on the status quo. Reflecting on the situation, positioning oneself is crucial in executing the glitches you come across.