Can we rewrite the laws of physics by focusing on what is impossible?
In short: Traditional physics describes how systems evolve over time, but Constructor Theory flips the script. By shifting the focus from trajectories to what can or cannot be physically constructed, Chiara Marletto is building a new framework that could redefine our understanding of information, thermodynamics, and even the nature of life itself.
Physicist Chiara Marletto, a Research Fellow at the University of Oxford, proposes that fundamental physics can be reformulated by asking which physical transformations are possible and which are impossible. This approach, known as Constructor Theory, moves away from the standard focus on trajectories and initial conditions. Instead, it seeks to identify the general principles that govern what can be achieved by a 'constructor'—a system capable of performing a task and remaining unchanged in the process.
This framework offers a powerful lens for addressing foundational questions across multiple disciplines. Marletto has applied these ideas to information theory, thermodynamics, and quantum biology. By defining a scale-independent understanding of work, heat, and irreversibility, the theory aims to provide a unified language that encompasses classical, quantum, and even post-quantum systems. It also provides a way to assess how essential features of living systems, such as self-reproduction and evolution, align with the fundamental laws of physics.
Beyond theoretical foundations, Constructor Theory holds significant practical promise. It provides tools to explore the next generation of information-processing devices, potentially moving beyond the capabilities of universal quantum computers. Furthermore, it offers new ways to design artificial intelligence and define witnesses of non-classicality in systems that do not necessarily obey quantum theory, such as gravity. Discussed in a 2021 conversation with Marcus du Sautoy, the theory represents a radical shift in how we might formulate the laws of nature to meet modern technological challenges.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Constructor Theory: A New Explanation of Fundamental Physics - Chiara Marletto and Marcus du Sautoy
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