Is reality multi-threaded?

Question

In computing, some problems are considered impossible to parallelize. My intuition tells me that reality acts in a completely parallel manner, but I am not a physicist.

I was wondering if any physicists could answer this question, or point me in the direction of related research (if any exists). As well, I would be interested in research about how systems develop that cannot be made parallel, if reality itself is inherently parallel.

Answer 1

Modern physics is based on the concept that physical processes are described by a field. A field associates every point in space with a set of properties. How those properties evolve with time depends on the properties of neighboring points and all the points evolve simultaneously in accordance with a field equation or, as you say, in parallel. To simulate a volume with a computer, therefore, parallel processing is a natural fit. Each processor is used to computer the goings on in a small volume of space called a zone. Keep in mind, though, the dependence on neighboring points to determine what happens. That means that at fixed time intervals, the each zone must receive information from neighboring zones about what the properties on the boundary are before the processors can predict what will happen over the next time interval. The whole process is called a "simulation".

Answer 2

Yes, nature is mind-bogglingly parallel.

Every speck of energy or matter is an independent entity, interacting with indescribable numbers of other independent physical entities. This deep, multilayered, parallel interaction is what creates 'reality'. Anytime I contemplate nature (which is pretty often) the complexity of natural interactions blows my head right off. :-)