Why can mathematics and physics simulate natural phenomena so closely in thought experiments, calculations and computer programs?
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Experimental and modeler in physics here.
Fundamentally the reason we can’t do it is because it is too complex.
We can model the motion of TWO particles essentially perfectly. Once you get to three particles or more very small initial conditions can result in massively different final results. This is known as chaos.
When we model systems we run multiple ‘samples’ and look at the average to predict a final results. This takes significant computer ‘power’. We can run millions of samples… but not billions. This because the runs of millions might take a few days. Billions would be tens of years.
Now consider that one cubic centimeter has 10^19 particles….or ten billion billion particles. Such a simulation would take millions of years.
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