Science Career

Prof. Harold V. McIntosh has a peculiar science career. He got a bachelor's degree in Physics from the Colorado A&M College in 1949; a Mathematics M.Sc. from Cornell in 1952, and a Ph.D. in Quantum Chemistry from Uppsala University in 1972. He worked with Sheldon L. Glashow at Cornell. Both were some of the first American physicists to study the Theory of Groups.

Later in life he has worked in several institutions of higher learning in Mexico, having become some kind of a myth among younger students like me. Right now he is in charge of the Microcomputers Department at the Institute of Science of the Autonomous University of Puebla.

The many bright students that have had the fortune to work with this outstanding physicist, are very likely grateful that he chose to stay in Mexico.

Prof. McIntosh proved that Rule 110 is a Universal Computer. There is some kind of dispute about the credit that should be given to McIntosh and coworkers and Stephen Wolfram.

From Wikipedia:
"Matthew Cook presented his proof of the universality of Rule 110 at a Santa Fe Institute conference, held before the publication of NKS. Wolfram Research claimed that this presentation violated Cook's nondisclosure agreement with his employer, and obtained a court order excluding Cook's paper from the published conference proceedings. The existence of Cook's proof nevertheless became known. Interest in his proof stemmed not so much from its result as from its methods, specifically from the technical details of its construction^{[citation needed]}. The character of Cook's proof differs considerably from the discussion of Rule 110 in NKS. Cook has since written a paper setting out his complete proof.<sup>[3]"

I haven't followed this debate but we have this reference:

Rule 110 is Universal!


Written by Mac in 1991! Of course at that time Professor McIntosh was not sure. He writes:

"Glider collisions specific to the demonstration that rule 110 may be universal are described."


Obviously Mac, as his students affectionately call him, knew what he was doing ten years earlier, before Wolfram published his book.

In any case this could be a foundational discovery for the New Entropic Dynamics. The Picture of the Universe I am presenting in this series of notes in this blog. I hope Wolfram doesn't try to sent an injunction against this humble Mexican Professor, working from one of the poorest states of our country. Here in Guerrero, I feel like The Man that Fell to Earth.</sup>