Fredkin’s original digital-universe theory has “very serious impediments towards a classical digital universe

[GoodTaste]

Fredkin’s original digital-universe theory has “very serious impediments towards a classical digital universe being able to comprehend quantum mechanical phenomena”. But swap the classical computational rules of Fredkin’s digital physics for quantum rules, and a lot of those problems melt away. You can capture intrinsic features of a quantum Universe such as entanglement between two quantum states separated in space in a way that a theory built on classical ideas can’t.

Source: Nature

Does "towards" here mean "with respect to"? But even so I don't understand the exact meaning of "impediments" here. It seems to mean either "(Fredkin had serious) difficulties (in understanding a classical digital universe being able to comprehend quantum mechanical phenomena)" or (Fredkin's original model still had serious) flaws (if it wanted to be a classical digital universe being able to comprehend quantum mechanical phenomena). The latter appears to be more likely. I am not absolutely sure.

What does "impediments" mean there?

 

[probus]

Impediments is used there in its usual ordinary sense, so a dictionary definition is all you need.

I do think the Nature article has used towards to mean in respect to, but it's certainly an odd and unusual choice of word.

 

[jutfrank]

The latter.

 

[probus]

Welcome back @jutfrank. We missed you.