Is Life a Video Game?
By: Matthew John Partridge
Tags: Simulation Hypothesis, Simulation, Matrix, Simulation Theory, Reality

Simulation Theory

What is it?

“The simulation hypothesis or simulation theory is the proposal that all of reality, including the Earth and the rest of the universe, could in fact be an artificial simulation, such as a computer simulation.

Some versions rely on the development of a simulated reality, a proposed technology that would be able to convince its inhabitants that the simulation was “real”. The simulation hypothesis bears a close resemblance to various other skeptical scenarios from throughout the history of philosophy.”

The Matrix

The Matrix, which first popularised the term “Simulation Theory” back in 1999, was the birth of theorists and out-the-box thinkers.

The concept also has deep roots in Western philosophical traditions, such as Plato’s Allegory of the Cave.

Recently, at a conference in 2016, Elon Musk stated that “The odds that we are in base reality is one in billions.” However, scientists say odds are even that we’re living in a simulation.

The coin flip depends a great deal on science we may uncover in the near future, they say.

“The 50/50 probability is rounded from a calculation whose outcome is more like 50.22222 to 49.77778. Scientific American cites the landmark 2003 paper “Are We Living in a Computer Simulation?” by philosopher Nick Bostrom. It’s worth reading Bostrom’s brief abstract in full:”

I argue that at least one of the following propositions is true: (1) the human species is very likely to become extinct before reaching a ‘posthuman’ stage; (2) any posthuman civilization is extremely unlikely to run a significant number of simulations of its evolutionary history (or variations thereof); (3) we are almost certainly living in a computer simulation. It follows that the belief that there is a significant chance that we shall one day become posthumans who run ancestor‐simulations is false, unless we are currently living in a simulation.

Not everyone is convinced.

During a 2016 debate at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, Harvard University physicist Lisa Randall said the odds that the simulation hypothesis is correct are “effectively zero.”

Lisa further states that “there is no evidence that our world isn’t the array of stars and galaxies that it appears to be.” Her argument is that she doesn’t understand why advanced beings would “bother” simiulating Homo sapienes. “Why simulate us? I mean, there are so many things to be simulating,” she said. “I don’t know why this higher species would want to bother with us.”

“It is possible that I am dreaming right now and that all of my perceptions are false.” — René Descartes

Religion has created the idea that there is a greater being; a God or creator who lives outside of us. This God, whoever he may be to you, is the one who rules us all. He has been here since the beginning and will be here until the very end. The concept of a creator has given those hope and faith that there is something bigger than themselves that rules, judges and saves.

Richard Terrile is a Voyager scientist who discovered several moons of Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. He works for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He is a supporter of the simulation hypothesis, the idea that our reality is a computer-generated virtual reality created by unknown programmers.

If the simulation hypothesis is correct, Terrile says, then “there’s a creator, an architect — someone who designed the world.” It’s an ancient idea recast in terms of “mathematics and science rather than just faith.”

Sylvester James Gates, a physicist at the University of Maryland thinks that the similarity between the simulation hypothesis and religious belief should be taken as a warning that we’re off track.

Science has taken us “away from this idea that we are puppets” controlled by an unseen entity. The simulation hypothesis, he said, “starts to look like a religion,” with a programmer substituting for God.

“If we are living in a simulation, then the cosmos that we are observing is just a tiny piece of the totality of physical existence… While the world we see is in some sense ‘real,’ it is not located at the fundamental level of reality.” — Nick Bostrom

What if we did confirm that we were living in a simulation?

Would this knowledge disrupt our lives by destroying our sense of purpose?

How would people react when they discover that our existence, thoughts and emotions are nothing more than ones and zero’s?

Harvard astronomer Abraham Loeb says “the knowledge could even trigger social unrest.” Knowing that our thoughts and deeds aren’t our own could “relieve us from being accountable for our actions,” he says. “There is nothing more damaging to our social order than this notion.”

Nick Bostrom insists that he takes the simulation hypothesis seriously. “For me, it’s not just an intellectual game,” he says. “It’s an attempt to orient myself in the world, as best I can understand it.”

Questioning our very existence is the key to curiosity which will allow us to expand beyond our current understanding. Those like Nick Bostrom should be championed for their ability to challenge the social normal, cultural norm and the very foundation of our existence.

Without these individuals, we would never be able to develop science, technology and knowledge to greater heights and feats. It requires courage to question reality with scientific principles and mathematical formulas.

Without a doubt, the Simulation Theory is plausible. We could very well be living within a computer generated simulation. Will we ever truly know? I’m not so sure, but I will never stop asking questions and seeking answers.

Do you want the unpleasant truth or do you prefer the bliss of ignorance?