Computation is essentially a formal way of thinking about the world, similar to how logic and mathematics function. It enables us to formalize aspects of the world and, through successful formalization, allows computers to help us determine the consequences of these formalizations 00:45:30 to 00:45:58.
In simpler terms, computation is about using a set of rules to deduce outcomes, much like intelligence. It can be seen as a specialized form of computation that incorporates elements like computational boundedness and a single thread of experience 01:56:00 to 01:56:28.
Historically, the ability to perform complex computations was limited to experts, but efforts have been made to democratize access to computational tools, such as the development of Mathematica in 1988, which opened up computational capabilities to a broader audience 02:37:30 to 02:37:59.
Finally, within the computational universe, there are many types of computations that humans traditionally have not engaged with, likely because of the specific ways our brains are wired. This suggests that there are vast possibilities within computation that extend beyond human-centric tasks 00:59:30 to 00:59:59.
To summarize, computation is a powerful, formalized way of understanding and interacting with the world, with applications and implications that continue to expand as access to computational tools becomes more widespread and diverse.