Do not contact your SimAdmin, he can’t help you.
You’ve no doubt heard the theory that our reality, all of ours reality, may actually be a simulation running in some cosmically vast computer system created by monumentally intelligent beings.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulation_hypothesis
A guy named Nick Bostrom originally dreamed this up and so far, no one has figured out how to refute the premise. (Nick was the guy who also proposed the Great Filter theory where humanity is either on the good side or the bad side of the cosmic crap shoot.)
This simulation theory states that, given our understanding of computer simulation and the logarithmic nature of its advancement, the probability that we, ourselves, are artifacts existing within a simulation is not zero. That is, it is possible that we are all just fabrications of some uber-alien intelligence having coded our reality in his basement.
Bullshit.
And here’s my theory as to why:
• The computer simulations, you know, games, that are currently being created are far more engaging and empowering than the shit-show we have going as our current existence. And these virtual reality games are only going to get more and more amazing. No future “us” would build an imaginary world of such despicable, detestable agony and hatred and call it an artificial world of entertainment and wonder. Our reality is a hellish existence for billions of humans — why would anyone want to simulate that?
• Or maybe our reality is not a game, it’s a scientific simulation experiment. If this is the case then there are numerous reasons why our “universe” and all its fake physical laws and fabricated history are beyond extreme for an experiment.
- If our simulators wanted to recreate our universe as we experience it they would have to have simulated 13.5 billion years of universe generation spawned by some imaginary spark (the Big Bang and all the assumptions that accompany how this reality operates). That lengthy process would take far too long for any superior race to put up with. Even at a time ratio of one of their seconds to a year of ours (they have vastly more powerful computers) it would still take over 150,000 of their days to recreate our current situation.
- Why all this bizarre evolutionary complexity? Why go through five separate extinction events, the evolution of reptiles, then dinosaurs, then mammals and finally, only within the last two million years, create a creature that “might” evolve to build a complex society? Just jump to the chase, already.
- If they fully fabricated a “fake” starting point, that is, dream up all this fabricated evidence to give us humans the false sense of deep history, again, why so fricking deep and convoluted. And why so much misery and evil in their scenario(s)? (We assume we’re just one of billions of simulations.)
- If we are just one of billions, why? For what purpose would any superior race build a computer system just to fabricate a false sense of this frankly mundane scenario? I’m gonna create a billion ant farms with differing sand, water, food, physics just to watch the fake ants live and die. That is how our vastly superior ancestors/predecessors spend their time? If that’s their past time, and they wanted to do it right, they’d seed the ant farms and let them evolve — but again, that would take forever.
- Computing is not cheap. A system to simulate our current reality would be costly — energy wise — to run for this long. And if you’re running billions of these… Well, you’re gonna run out of star-power pretty damn fast.
I personally like the first premise the best. If you’re gonna build a simulated universe, give everyone super powers, or the chance to discover or grow them. And for godsake, don’t bring anyone into the game who’s crippled, or sick or too stupid to play it well. “Yeah, I’m gonna create The Sims, and make everyone work for their food, suffer constant disease and depravity and then die bitter and without hope — that’s the game I’m gonna build.”
Nonsense. We’re here living the ugly reality that it is, no simulation, no fabrication by some lofty intellect. Plain old nothing-special life. No superpowers possible.
Anonymole - apocryphal agitators 
How have you been? I was worried a little, seeing only reblogs as of late.
I’m with you – I don’t think we’re in a simulation. However, it is quite an interesting concept. I will play the devil’s advocate.
(bullet no.1)You ask why would anyone want to simulate this terrible nightmare we’re in. Have you seen the games that are out there? The end of the world games, the zombie games, the shooters? Think about how the characters in those games feel – you might have fun running away from zombies from the comfort of your own home. It’s them that are starving, and cold, and chased by zombies. It’s meant to be fun for the player and not the character.
(bullet no. 2, point 1)The Big Bang, etc. Well, have you been there? Have you seen it? I haven’t. We wouldn’t have to experience it for it to be true – just upload our brains with those “facts,” and boom, books are written, studies are concluded, etc. So, maybe no time was wasted. The game was just programmed to be that way. You know how in games you read what happened that led to where you are now? Yup. Just like that.
(bullet no.2, point 2)Why do we test things on different animals before we move to humans? Because we care less when an animal dies or grows a third eye than when the same happens to humans.
(bullet no. 2, point 3)People say that liers give you a whole lot of unnecessary details to make their lies more probable. Same with this simulation – If we had more questions about the past, we might be questioning things that shouldn’t be questioned (if we didn’t do enough of that already).
(bullet no 2, point 4)There are different definitions of entertainment. Some kids like directing flies and other small insects. Some like observing fish swim in a tank. We are full of drama, which has got to be entertaining.
(bullet no.2 point 5)Your brain isn’t smart enough to comprehend their computing powers. It’s not even in our realm of comprehension, remember?
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All good, valid points. Thanks for taking the time to contest my assumptions, Goldie.
Still, becoming as advanced as we have to assume our simulation masters are, and debasing themselves with such pathetic examples of evolution and random scenario generation, you have to wonder why the hell bother? What a stupid pastime. Don’t you guys have something better to do than create crappy world simulations?
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Some like watching others squirm, I guess. Thank you for providing some good discussion material.
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Sam, I was thinking along the same lines as you except not half as intelligently. I’m thinking that if this were a simulation, then the creators would at least have similar experiences and histories because there really isn’t an original thought to be had. All of our own fictional creations–books, games, music, arts, movies etc etc etc etc–have a basis in our reality. Heck, even fantastic creatures like aliens and monsters have nothing original about them when you look at electron microscope (I think that’s what it is?) images of insects, for example. I saw a toy of some character or other who looked like an alien dinosaur with a little monster thing coming out of its mouth instead of a tongue. Well, in real life that would be called an isopod. Which is actually more horrifying than anything we could invent. Long post short, if we are a simulation, then we must be pretty darn similar to the creators and they have some sort of interest in seeing familiar scenarios play out, the same way we do.
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That sounds very reasonable indeed.
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Even if the always spurious simulation theory were found to be true, would it make any difference? We know we are alive because we’re conscious of our experiences, both physical and mental. It is this very consciousness that decodes the onslaught of sensory input we receive and creates images, sounds, etc. so that “the world” appears to us as a cohesive collection of interlocking phenomena instead of a chaotic jumble of sensory signals. In a sense, computers do the exact same thing with bits and bytes, ones and zeroes. Whether the Universe is an actual physical entity or the product of some advanced program is irrelevant. Either way, our experience will continue just as it always has and will be just as devoid of meaning or function.
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This is just another example of a pointless thought experiment (another distraction to take away the pain of existence.)
I mentioned this to George, my reason to post this was that I questioned the intelligentsia who proposed this theory and their failure to question why an advanced race would ever build such a simulation.
Here they are, excrutiatingly advanced, and yet they’re gonna build a simulation that features a fucked up world like this one? Why the hell bother?
And if our fake existence is just one of billions of simulations, again, why? Why build such a pointless experiment?
The only rationale for such a virtual universe experiment I could come up with was boredom. Or some stupid bet. “Bet I can grow a totally lame species that will destroy itself within a millions years of its enlightenment.” “Oh yeah, prove it.”
Still, a pointless investigation into a meaningless proposition.
Just about time for a put-up or shut-up on the state of our future, as futile as it might be.
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Jesus Anony, don’t ruin Bostrom’s hypothesis. Let him have his fun. Are we simulations? I think the idea here is that we cannot prove otherwise. (Kinda like finding proof of God.) What would be the point of such a simulation powered by event horizons of black holes? That’s the funny part…there is no point other to observe! LOL! I don’t spend much time worrying whether we’re real or not, whether we’re simulations by a higher intelligence (although I’m convinced PH is…) I’ve settled on: I feel, I exist. I’m hungry, I’m here. And boy this need to procreate just does not go away.
So however much time you have left in your simulation, enjoy every artificial last breath.
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This post was triggered by a youtube video of various enlightened technorati running through the premise.
I thought about the theory and my immediate reaction was, that’s some fucked up simulation to create this massive bag o’ crap — on purpose.
The speakers admitted the inability to refute the theory but my thoughts were, why the fuck would some advanced race build a simulation in the first place. And even if they did, what would be the reason for building THIS simulation?
Yeah, our cosmic programmers *could* build this, but, why the fuck would they?
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Why do anything? LOL! There’s a great movie based on this premise which…if I remember, I’ll forward you the name of the movie to watch. It is, actually, worth watching.
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Worked on a film one time, till the money guys got arrested. The opening shot was a street corner in a small town, the camera pulls out, and out, and out, past the clouds, there’s our planet, out and out and out until galaxies and out until our universe is another spark coming off a grinding wheel where a farmer is sharpening an axe. That CG animation is the only reason I signed on. Perspective deflation. I thought why not? Consider our perspective to a dust mite’s.
About that power thing. I thought the Krell worked that out.
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I’ve never really liked computer games (not my thing), but the thing we’re currently living seems like a lousy computer game.
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Lame yeah? What, no diamond swords or bouncy mushrooms?
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Lemme see what I can do.
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The Logic with Anger in your piece is well put forth. Convincing it is my son, says Yoda. Beyond stupid would the creators of such a game be. What’s the point? Denying reality is well denying reality which leads to no world at all. How silly is that. No grandeur, no learning, nothing real just a mirage. And perhaps worse of all such a scenario diminishes the suffering of million of real people who live in devastating poverty – the world’s poor. Better to face the reality and work to make it a better world for all. To save even a single life from devastating need outshines any and all such silly games.
Not to criticize the mental play of the idea itself. We all need to play and wonder. It is who we are as a species.
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I think you’ve done an excellent job of pulling the plug on Bostrom’s Simulation Hypothesis.
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