Re: NKS theory of physics. You're right, it's far from convincing. But it is intriguing speculation, and I think he adequately hedges it as such. Some fascinating partial results are that the natural restriction he introduces for graph automata to be deterministic are enough to induce special and general relativity. That's pretty eery!
Re models: now we're getting into epistemology. I don't think the aim you ascribe to scientists to "prove them (models) to actually be fundamentally connected with the manner in which reality functions" has much meaning when one is talking about, say, quantum field theory. How do I connect the mathematics of QFT with what is "really going on"? You can't. It just is.
> "Some fascinating partial results are that the natural restriction he introduces for graph automata to be deterministic are enough to induce special and general relativity. That's pretty eery!"
That sounds remarkable indeed; can you point to an online reference that has more info on this? thanks.
Re models: now we're getting into epistemology. I don't think the aim you ascribe to scientists to "prove them (models) to actually be fundamentally connected with the manner in which reality functions" has much meaning when one is talking about, say, quantum field theory. How do I connect the mathematics of QFT with what is "really going on"? You can't. It just is.