A physicist investigates whether sand and other physical materials can learn
Summary
Theoretical physicist Jennifer Schwarz, a professor at Syracuse University, explores the hypothesis that learning and information processing are not limited to biological brains but can occur in physical systems like sand, cells, and tissues. Her research at the intersection of physics and biology investigates how collections of simple components — from grains of sand to cellular networks — can exhibit memory, adaptation, and learning-like behaviors through their physical interactions and structural changes. The article examines her unconventional approach, her farm-based laboratory of natural phenomena, and the broader implications for understanding intelligence, computation, and the nature of learning itself.
Source
bskyA physicist investigates whether sand and other physical materials can learnsyracuse.eduKey quotes
· 3 pulledThe place offers a crash course in natural phenomena. It shows me how small, individual parts interact to create complex behaviors.
We tend to think of learning as something that happens in brains, but what if it's a more fundamental property of matter?
If sand can learn, then the boundaries between the living and non-living start to blur in fascinating ways.
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