The speaker discusses the concept of creating a computer using the game Magic the Gathering (MTG). He explains that the game's complexity allows it to function as a Turing machine, a theoretical model of computation. The speaker demonstrates this by constructing a specific deck of cards that can simulate a Turing machine within the game.
The deck uses a combination of cards that interact in a very specific way to create a system where the game state can be manipulated to represent a tape in a Turing machine. This tape can be read and written to by specific cards, allowing for computation-like operations. The speaker demonstrates this in a game against an opponent, showing that the game state can be manipulated to represent computations.
The speaker also mentions a paper by Dr. Alex Churchill and his colleagues, which outlines a similar construction. The speaker states that they have been communicating with Dr. Churchill for months about implementing this Turing machine within the game.
Despite the complexity of the construction, the deck is legal for tournament play, and theoretically, it could compute anything. The speaker concludes by expressing his love for the game and its potential for complex computation.
1. The speaker discusses the idea of turning a board game, specifically Magic the Gathering, into a computer.
2. Magic the Gathering is a complex trading card game that has developed over 20,000 different cards.
3. The speaker mentions that Magic the Gathering is so complex that you could potentially develop a computer inside of it.
4. The speaker introduces the concept of a Turing machine, a mathematical model of computation, and explains that it could theoretically perform any kind of computation.
5. The speaker explains that the game of Magic the Gathering could be used to implement a Turing machine, using the cards and their interactions to create a "computer".
6. The speaker describes a specific game of Magic the Gathering in which they use a deck of cards to create a Turing machine.
7. The speaker demonstrates how the Turing machine, implemented in a game of Magic the Gathering, can perform a computation, such as moving a "head" along a "tape" and changing the symbols on the tape according to a program.
8. The speaker explains that the Turing machine can be made to move left or right along the tape, changing the symbols on the tape and effectively performing a computation.
9. The speaker speculates that the Turing machine could eventually perform a mathematical computation, such as solving the equation "2 + 2 = 4".
10. The speaker concludes by stating that the game of Magic the Gathering, when implemented as a Turing machine, is theoretically as complex as a game can possibly be.