Encoding Nature in Binary Does Not Make Nature Binary

Computers represent many observations of nature digitally, but the representation and the observed world are not the same thing. We choose which distinctions to preserve, how finely to measure, and what to discard. Binary is a rule of representation, not a complete declaration about the structure of nature.

When a temperature is stored with limited precision, several nearby physical states may map to the same number. That makes computation practical while creating a boundary. More bits can preserve finer distinctions, but sensor uncertainty remains a separate limitation.

The success of a digital model is demonstrated by what it enables us to do. The relevant question is whether enough information has been preserved for the decision at hand. Capturing every physical difference is often neither possible nor necessary.

This distinction does not reduce the power of computing for me. It helps explain why limited representations can still support useful work. A map can help us navigate without being identical to the territory.

Source: official reference.