Take all the metaphysical models of the universe that any human ever considers.
This N is huge. Approximate it with the number of strings generatable in a certain formal language over the lifetime of the human race. We’re probably talking about billions even if the human race ceases to exist tomorrow. (Imagine that 1⁄7 of the people have had a novel metaphysical idea, and you get 1B with just the people currently on earth today. If you think that’s a high estimate, remember that people get into weird states of consciousness (through fever, drugs, exertion, meditation, and other triggers), so random strings in that language are likely.)
You may want to define “metaphysical idea” (and thus that language) better. Some examples of what I mean by “metaphysical idea:”
That depends. Several metaphysical systems develop ontologies, with concepts such as “objects” and “properties”. Couple that with the subfield of Applied Metaphysics, which informs other areas of knowledge by providing systematic means to deal with those foundations. So it’s no surprise that one such application, several steps down the line, was the development of object-oriented programming with its “objects possessing properties” ordered in “ontologies” via inheritance, interfaces and the like.
This N is huge. Approximate it with the number of strings generatable in a certain formal language over the lifetime of the human race. We’re probably talking about billions even if the human race ceases to exist tomorrow. (Imagine that 1⁄7 of the people have had a novel metaphysical idea, and you get 1B with just the people currently on earth today. If you think that’s a high estimate, remember that people get into weird states of consciousness (through fever, drugs, exertion, meditation, and other triggers), so random strings in that language are likely.)
You may want to define “metaphysical idea” (and thus that language) better. Some examples of what I mean by “metaphysical idea:”
“Is my blood made of spiders?”;
“Things get hot because they contain phlogiston.”
Those aren’t metaphysical. Metaphysics is a well defined philosophical research field.
Well, it’s not defined as the study of bitstrings or programmes.
That depends. Several metaphysical systems develop ontologies, with concepts such as “objects” and “properties”. Couple that with the subfield of Applied Metaphysics, which informs other areas of knowledge by providing systematic means to deal with those foundations. So it’s no surprise that one such application, several steps down the line, was the development of object-oriented programming with its “objects possessing properties” ordered in “ontologies” via inheritance, interfaces and the like.
I was making a dig at Solomonoff induction. SIs essentially contain machine code.