Exploration and Generation: A Meaning of Life

In this lecture, we will explore a more profound and personal topic: the meaning of life.

We have mentioned that the universe has no reward function: it won’t give you extra points for doing something right—it only has cliffs you cannot step on, which are “hard constraints.” This is actually the best setup. If the universe had a reward function, clearly stating what you should do, everyone would “Goodhart” themselves to that thing, a multitude scrambling onto the same track, ultimately becoming uniform, and the entire system would become fragile.

Only by drawing cliffs and setting no rewards can the world exist in diverse and vibrant ways for a long time.

Hard constraints determine morality and ethics. So you might ask, “I’ve avoided all the cliffs, I’m a good person, and I’ve met my basic survival needs. Now there’s a vast blank space ahead of me, how should I proceed?”

Almost all of our ninety-nine previous lectures have been about instrumental rationality: how you can achieve a goal if you want to; what you should avoid if you want to prevent a certain outcome. From start to finish, we never discussed what you should want.

Because that is, by nature, each person’s subjective choice. The universe does not assign meaning to you; you should choose the meaning of your own life.

However, since you’ve listened all the way to this point, and our course only has this many subscribers, you must belong to a very small minority in society. To this small minority, I am willing to offer a suggestion—

Set the meaning of life as creating new possibilities.

Others have their ways of living, but I suggest you consider this kind of life.

Because I think this kind of life is the most interesting.

The Mark of an Ideal Life: Exploration and Generation #

What should an ideal life be like? At the very least, you hope to leave something behind. You don’t want the world to be the same whether you were in it or not.

Ancient Chinese spoke of the “three immortalities”—establishing virtue, achieving merit, and leaving behind wise words. Ordinary people also wish to leave behind children and property, perhaps a memory for the world. All these are valid. In my opinion, the essence of all these things is the same: you leave new possibilities for the world.

We can call this kind of life “exploration and generation”: exploration is discovering new possibilities; generation is making the possibility you’ve discovered stand firm and enabling more possibilities to grow from it.

The ‘Hard Currency’ from a Cosmic Perspective: New Possibilities #

So, why pursue “new possibilities”? Let’s first switch from the player’s perspective to that of the operator of “Earth Online.”

You quietly observe the game’s progress. What do you care about? Would you care how many gold coins a player has accumulated? Would you care who has higher combat power? Those are just ordinary occurrences.

What you care about is when, one day, a player combines several ordinary items to create a gameplay method you had never envisioned. You would find this player truly interesting, worth remembering! She made the game richer and more engaging.

Here’s a fundamental truth. We once mentioned computer scientist Stephen Wolfram—one of the smartest people in the world today—who proposed a concept called “computational irreducibility” [1]. This means that for sufficiently complex systems, there is no shortcut to prediction: to understand its state at the ten-thousandth step, you cannot calculate it directly with a formula; you can only honestly let it run to the ten-thousandth step.

This implies that even if you were the god who created this system, you could not foresee its future evolutionary path at the moment of its creation. You must wait patiently, observe its development, and it is bound to bring you surprises. Even the Creator has to keep up with the updates.

This is exciting news. We previously discussed that computational irreducibility is one of the fundamental reasons why the future is inherently unpredictable. It is precisely because it cannot be foreseen that “occurrence” itself holds value.

If there is a Creator, I believe that “wanting to see what will ultimately happen with this system” is the fundamental reason for creation. If there is no Creator, I also believe that “curiosity” is a particularly important meaning of this universe.

From a cosmic perspective, new possibilities are the only hard currency.

The Depth of Exploration: Reducible Pockets and Endless Science #

So you might say, “Every snowflake is unique, and the trajectory of each molecule in a gas cloud is extremely complex. Aren’t these also new possibilities?” But they don’t seem to have much “interest.” That’s right, what we pursue is not that kind of chaotic “newness.”

The best “newness” comes in the form of new ideas, new laws, new structures; more importantly, this “newness” must be able to stand firm.

This is a particularly marvelous characteristic of the universe. While it is globally unpredictable, embedded within it are individual laws that can be summarized and utilized—what Wolfram calls “pockets of computational reducibility.”

Newton didn’t need to know the trajectory of every air molecule to accurately calculate a cannonball’s path; thermodynamics doesn’t track any single particle yet perfectly masters the steam engine with just two laws.

Every law, every theorem, is a pocket fished out from the irreducible torrent, a brilliant compression of the world.

Irreducibility ensures the world won’t be exhausted by formulas, while reducible pockets ensure the world won’t devolve into noise.

Wolfram even proposed a more profound assertion: the number of such “pockets” is infinite [2][3].

This means—

First, scientific discovery is possible. Second, the endeavor of scientific discovery is endless.

You can always discover new laws of this world, and you will never exhaust them. The endeavor of exploration and generation always exists, always holds value.

The universe has left you with an inexhaustible “good work”—a meaningful endeavor.

The Universe’s Trend: Self-Generation and Evolution #

What’s even more remarkable is that the universe not only permits generation but actively engages in it itself, exhibiting an increasingly vibrant state.

In 2023, chemist Leroy Cronin from the University of Glasgow, UK, and physicist Sara Walker from Arizona State University, USA, among others, jointly proposed “Assembly Theory” [4] in Nature magazine. This theory provides a metric for “the causal depth of an object,” called the “assembly index”: the minimum number of steps required to construct that object from its basic components.

A piece of quartz has a very low assembly index; it can emerge spontaneously. An insulin molecule, a photolithography machine, or Dream of the Red Chamber have extremely high assembly indices—they cannot appear by chance; their existence itself is a causal history. The assembly index multiplied by the copy number indicates the degree to which a structure “stands firm” in the universe.

Using this metric to observe the various phenomena that have appeared on Earth over four billion years, you get a clear upward trend: autocatalytic cycles, cells, multicellularity, nervous systems, language, writing, science, computation—each increase in assembly index makes deeper structures replicable.

In short, increasingly advanced things are continuously appearing on Earth.

Also in 2023, mineralogist Robert Hazen and astrobiologist Michael Wong from the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington D.C., along with their team, jointly proposed a theory called the “Law of Increasing Functional Information” [5]. This law states that in any system with numerous configurations and subject to continuous functional selection—whether stars, minerals, or life—functionally significant information accumulates over time. They believe this is sufficient to be regarded as a natural law comparable to the Second Law of Thermodynamics.

One metric measures the depth of assembly, another measures functional information, and together they point to a trend: the universe is becoming richer, more interesting, and more worthy of exploration.

Scientists once widely believed that biological evolution had no direction because genetic mutations are random… Yet, at a macroscopic level, we indeed observe this trend. Although there is still some debate, perhaps everything is merely a statistical phenomenon arising from “adjacent possibilities”—we must nonetheless admit that some deep-seated law underlies all of this.

Perhaps we can anthropomorphize and say: this universe wants to become more interesting; it wants to generate new possibilities.

Three Requirements for Aligning with the ‘Way of Generation’ #

If the universe truly possesses such a “virtue” of generation, how then should we act to align with its “natural order”? What you do should ideally meet the following three requirements—

First, it must be “new.” This means it should not replicate what already exists but instead create something unprecedented.

Second, it respects “hard constraints.” That is, respecting all morality and ethics—morality is not a tax on exploration; it is the maintenance cost of the commons of possibilities.

Third, it must be inheritable by others. That is, others can, based on your achievements, open up even more new possibilities.

You cannot create a great destruction and say, “None of you have ever seen this scene, right? This is a new possibility!"—While it is indeed new, it is not inheritable; it eliminates adjacent possibilities. This is a serious act of evil, for it closes off futures that others could have otherwise had. Such “newness” is a negative entry in the ledger of generation.

Conversely, if you can make a scientific discovery that opens up a new possibility for the real world, allowing future generations to achieve even more unprecedented things based on your findings, that will be immensely valuable.

Only when something is novel, robust, valuable, and genuinely feasible can it be called “creating a new possibility.”

Seen this way, mere exploration is not enough. You cannot change hobbies every three months, merely scratching the surface without delving deep. You must also generate. To truly stand firm, one must undergo exploration → commitment → construction → formation of results → and then initiate the next cycle…

Practical Paths for Exploration and Generation #

So, what specific actions can be considered exploration and generation? Its scope is vast, beyond imagination—

First, engage in scientific research and delve deep into academia. When you discover a law, you essentially prefabricate a “pocket” for those who follow. However, you must record and disseminate it, allowing it to be replicated, to have a profound impact.

Second, create art. A truly new work of art is existential proof that “people can experience things this way.” Before Li Bai, no one knew poetry could be written that way; with Li Bai, Chinese people gained another way of expressing their emotions.

Third, create products and establish organizations. An organization itself is a second-order generator of possibilities: it doesn’t just create a single thing but is a machine capable of continuously producing new things.

Fourth, raise children and educate students. The highest goal of education is not to copy answers into another brain but to create another source of answers. Children are not a sequel to their parents; they are a new author added to the world.

You can also be a builder and a maintainer. Even if you don’t invent new ideas, by serving as a librarian, helping to preserve knowledge and pass it on to the next generation, you are likewise making new possibilities possible.

Going a step further, even if you just write about the pitfalls you’ve encountered and post it online, that’s also generation. A failed expedition team also brings back a map—the four characters “Road Closed” similarly save future generations from a potential dead end, thus preserving possibilities.

You see, this meaning of life is not limited by industry, talent, or age; it only concerns one core question: because of your existence, have the possibilities of the world increased or decreased?

Personal and Societal Rewards of Practicing the ‘Way of Generation’ #

I believe that practicing this meaning of life will bring you numerous benefits—

You will reap true happiness. We’ve discussed “Self-Determination Theory,” and we know that the pleasure brought by intrinsic motivation far surpasses that of extrinsic motivation, and discovering new possibilities is undoubtedly a powerful intrinsic motivator.

You will also gain “resonance.” There isn’t a competitive relationship between explorers, but rather one of resonance—it’s like everyone is exploring different parts of the same scenic area; I find something good and call you over to see it, and you find something good and call me over to see it. How wonderful is that?

You will reduce much suffering and entanglement. For instance, when you encounter misfortune or difficulty, you can think: “Oh, I haven’t experienced something like this yet! Let’s see how I handle it!”

You truly transform uncertainty into fuel for meaning. While others fear the world’s changes, you crave them—because change alone can nurture new things.

Creating new possibilities is the best anti-“involution” mechanism. When a multitude crowds towards the altar of “Moloch,” you would say: “I will not participate in that game with you; I will create a new game myself, open up a new territory. Who wishes to explore with me?”

You will accumulate reputation and capital. Whenever you enter a new field, “social capital” formed by weak ties and structural holes will automatically generate. Opening up a new possibility will lead to more adjacent possibilities, and your good fortune will be proportional to your exposed “surface area.”

Another added benefit is that you will not fear aging. “A certain position at a certain company” is a role assigned to you; whereas “a person who is exploring” is an action you can restart at any time. The physical space your body can reach may shrink with age, but the space your cognition can open up will not. We once mentioned that “exploration and exploitation” can keep your mindset eternally young.

Please note that all these benefits mentioned above are “byproducts.” You cannot directly pursue them, but you can obtain them by pursuing “the creation of new possibilities.”

And society, because of your existence, gains greater diversity. As everyone explores different directions, civilization transforms into an efficient parallel computer…

Eastern Wisdom: The ‘Dao’ in Harmony with ‘Generation’ #

I even think that the “Dao” spoken of by Laozi is the power of generation. “The Dao gives birth to one, one gives birth to two, two gives birth to three, and three gives birth to all things.” Isn’t this precisely an ever-increasing richness of adjacent possibilities? “To generate and not possess, to achieve and not cling, to lead and not dominate”—to foster without owning, to achieve without clinging, to guide without controlling—isn’t this the generative power that sets no reward function?

The common people say “Heaven has the virtue of fostering life,” and the Yi Zhuan states “The great virtue of Heaven and Earth is life.” Perhaps the Heavenly Way is not a goal, but a direction.

By choosing exploration and generation, you are not completing a task assigned by the universe—it assigns tasks to no one—but you are living in alignment with this direction.

The Ultimate Narrative: Becoming a Person of Exploration and Generation #

The very first lecture of this course proposed that “the first principle of this universe is narrative.” Now, in this final lecture, I wish to impart an ultimate narrative to you: you are a person of exploration and generation.

This is merely a suggestion. However, meaning provides narrative, and narrative bestows identity. Possessing this narrative, you will always clearly know what you are about.

When things go well, you won’t become conceited, because you know achievements are merely things you’ve generated, not your inherent self; when you fail, you won’t panic, because no exploration is ever wasted—at the very least, you’ve marked off a wrong path for future generations.

This course can also be regarded as my own act of exploration and generation. In the future, if you make discoveries in your own field, please do not hesitate to share them.

【A poem of praise】

The primordial chaos set no golden roster, Only dangerous cliffs demarcating the great wilderness. Heaven’s design permits no ultimate ending, Yet even specks of dust compute the vast expanse. A single word lays foundation for a thousand autumns, A single lamp shares its light across four fields. The eternal cosmos has no end to its writing, I rely on you to put pen to paper and continue with a new chapter.

(The End)

Citations

[1] Wolfram, Stephen. A New Kind of Science. Champaign, IL: Wolfram Media, 2002.

[2] Wolfram, Stephen. “Can AI Solve Science?” Stephen Wolfram Writings, March 5, 2024. https://writings.stephenwolfram.com/2024/03/can-ai-solve-science/.

[3] Wolfram, Stephen. “What Ultimately Is There? Metaphysics and the Ruliad.” Stephen Wolfram Writings, February 4, 2026. https://writings.stephenwolfram.com/2026/02/what-ultimately-is-there-metaphysics-and-the-ruliad/.

[4] Sharma, Abhishek, Dániel Czégel, Michael Lachmann, Christopher P. Kempes, Sara I. Walker, and Leroy Cronin. “Assembly Theory Explains and Quantifies Selection and Evolution.” Nature 622 (2023): 321–328.

[5] Wong, Michael L., Carol E. Cleland, Daniel Arend Jr., Stuart Bartlett, H. James Cleaves II, Heather Demarest, Anirudh Prabhu, Jonathan I. Lunine, and Robert M. Hazen. “On the Roles of Function and Selection in Evolving Systems.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 120, no. 43 (2023):e2310223120