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We are living in a simulation

bobhikes

Nondetermined
Premium Member
Well ther ya go you just disproved simulation theory as merely an extention of the analog version tha came previously.... God. Or southern baptist computer worshipers.
For me, the world is to complex and ever changing to be a simulation. Think of the most complex simulation we have created and compare it to our reality, it wont be even close. The only way possible is if the programers are constantly writing new code or the code self writes.
 

David T

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
Oh God why? Why does he do this? It just confuses people. Is that what he wants?
Well as far as i can tell deepak gets warm fuzzy feelings, and writes to a particular sector of culture, that is overly confused themselves. thats why i tend to stick to Muir. I appreciate the scent of mountain and forest air in his writings. Chopras writings are stale urbane nonsense.
 

David T

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
For me, the world is to complex and ever changing to be a simulation. Think of the most complex simulation we have created and compare it to our reality, it wont be even close. The only way possible is if the programers are constantly writing new code or the code self writes.
Which btw you just tossed in another reason, and pointed out why simulation theory is wrong headed. Recursion and self referentialism. The seeds that grow into mental illness.

Ever notice how most theories never connect us to the wilderness or just the act to breathe!!!
 

The Reverend Bob

Fart Machine and Beastmaster
Well as far as i can tell deepak gets warm fuzzy feelings, and writes to a particular sector of culture, that is overly confused themselves. thats why i tend to stick to Muir. I appreciate the scent of mountain and forest air in his writings. Chopras writings are stale urbane nonsense.
I am more into Thoreau
 

Twilight Hue

Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
I always start thinking about this with firm fact - atom is 99.99....% empty space but still....
We don't even know if it's empty space.
It only looks that way because there's a threshold to our technology that prevents us from looking further in.
 

Stevicus

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
Nick Bostrom in a 2003 paper hypothesised:

At least one of the following propositions is true: (1) the human species is very likely to go extinct before reaching a “posthuman” stage; (2) any posthuman civilization is extremely unlikely to run a significant number of simulations of their evolutionary history (or variations thereof); (3) we are almost certainly living in a computer simulation.

The implication is that we certainly are living in a simulation created by post humans. The paper can be read here.

https://www.simulation-argument.com/simulation.pdf

Elon Musk and many others support the idea. Musk essentially says:

"There's a one in billions chance [we're in] base reality... I think it's one in billions. We should hope that's true because otherwise if civilization stops advancing, that could be due to some calamitous event that erases civilization, so maybe we should be hopeful this is a simulation. Otherwise, we will create simulations that are indistinguishable from reality or civilization will cease to exist. Those are the two options."
...

But the fantastic idea that Elon Musk wants us to believe is based on an assumption that consciousness is computation.

There are, in my opinion, pragmatic people who think that the idea is trash. One such opinion is linked below:

Elon Musk Is Wrong. We Aren't Living in a Simulation

...

What do the RFers say about this? Especially the super scientists @LegionOnomaMoi, @Polymath257, @sayak83 , and others.

{sits with a big bag of fried chicken}

Well, as to whether or not "reality" is just some sort of simulation, I don't really know. Either we live in a simulation or we don't. If we don't live in a simulation, what are we living in?

The interesting thing about The Matrix is that the "reality" created was near-perfect, but not completely so. It was implied that it was due to human imperfections that no simulation could ever be perfect. But it was close enough and satisfactory for their purposes, even though there's an expected "anomaly" every 100 years. There were also those who had the power to hack into the system and perform actions which would be otherwise impossible in the "real" world.

The other side of it is that, outside of the Matrix, it was a pretty crappy existence.

If this is a simulation, then it appears that we're in a rather large universe, yet purposely confined to an infinitesimal part of it. If this were a video game, we'd be stuck on World 1-1.
 

David T

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
I am more into Thoreau
Well Muir had a dogged ear version of walden pond for sure. I think being so directly in the same landscape here on the oregon coast effects my being drawn to Muir. Maybe if i grew up in Concord i would be of a different opinion. At some point we may be dissussing something like pre recorded folk tunes which most folks arent even aware of!!! I cant argue with your preference at all.
 

Twilight Hue

Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
Well, as to whether or not "reality" is just some sort of simulation, I don't really know. Either we live in a simulation or we don't. If we don't live in a simulation, what are we living in?

The interesting thing about The Matrix is that the "reality" created was near-perfect, but not completely so. It was implied that it was due to human imperfections that no simulation could ever be perfect. But it was close enough and satisfactory for their purposes, even though there's an expected "anomaly" every 100 years. There were also those who had the power to hack into the system and perform actions which would be otherwise impossible in the "real" world.

The other side of it is that, outside of the Matrix, it was a pretty crappy existence.

If this is a simulation, then it appears that we're in a rather large universe, yet purposely confined to an infinitesimal part of it. If this were a video game, we'd be stuck on World 1-1.
Even if any type of evidence came about that we're in some type of simulation it wouldn't matter because simulation is a form of reality hence the reality of being in a simulation.
 

Nimos

Well-Known Member
What do the RFers say about this? Especially the super scientists @LegionOnomaMoi, @Polymath257, @sayak83 , and others.
{sits with a big bag of fried chicken}

I have to say I find this very unlikely due to several reasons, first of all it doesn't really explain anything.

The first problem you run into, which will eventually as far as I see it, bring everything down is who or how did the first simulation get started?

Next the issue is regarding computer power which seems to be based on a wrong assumption. Which have to do with there only being one reality, that is those who created the first simulation. Therefore computer power doesn't work as it is outlined in the paper, but is most likely an exponential factor of unimaginable proportions. The reason for this is that the computer power needed will have to be calculated solely based on the original creators capacity of running all simulations they created, including all the simulations that those simulations created until potential infinity.

So if the original creators created 50 simulations, which each also create 50 simulations each, would require the original creators to having to run 2500 simulations at the same time, as these are the only ones with actually energy and computer power that is not an illusion/simulation.

The paper assumes that we would be running ancestor simulations and therefore its also likely to assume that these simulations look like the Universe we live in or at least with the same complexity. So having to calculate the total amount of computer processing power needed for simply running 2500 simulation, where infinity is "maximum", would be considered fairly few simulations, but the power required astronomical even for that.

If each of these simulations are controlled individual by the "simulation" that created them and being unaware of where in the chain of simulation we are, it would also mean that the chance of our simulation being terminated would be extremely high, unless we are at the top of chain.

Furthermore you have to look at the complexity of the simulation it self, even though we can not observe everything in details at a given point in time, all the variables that controls our Universe would need to be updated or calculated down to every single detail or we would find errors in it. So the argument that it is not necessary to keep track of unobserved things or matters, would only reduce the amount of computer power needed slightly. But when so much is already needed it would be surprising why the simulation would not run this constantly.

So to me at least, it seems fairly unreasonable for this to be correct and also makes no attempt to explain how the first humans created their first simulation. Last what on Earth is "posthuman stage"? :)
 
Last edited:

Stevicus

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
Even if any type of evidence came about that we're in some type of simulation it wouldn't matter because simulation is a form of reality hence the reality of being in a simulation.

Well, just like the song goes "...life is but a dream." So, I guess all we can do is row, row, row our boats gently down the stream.
 

atanu

Member
Premium Member
Nick Bostrom in a 2003 paper hypothesised:

At least one of the following propositions is true: (1) the human species is very likely to go extinct before reaching a “posthuman” stage; (2) any posthuman civilization is extremely unlikely to run a significant number of simulations of their evolutionary history (or variations thereof); (3) we are almost certainly living in a computer simulation.

The implication is that we certainly are living in a simulation created by post humans. The paper can be read here.

https://www.simulation-argument.com/simulation.pdf

Elon Musk and many others support the idea. Musk essentially says:

"There's a one in billions chance [we're in] base reality... I think it's one in billions. We should hope that's true because otherwise if civilization stops advancing, that could be due to some calamitous event that erases civilization, so maybe we should be hopeful this is a simulation. Otherwise, we will create simulations that are indistinguishable from reality or civilization will cease to exist. Those are the two options."
...

But the fantastic idea that Elon Musk wants us to believe is based on an assumption that consciousness is computation.

There are, in my opinion, pragmatic people who think that the idea is trash. One such opinion is linked below:

Elon Musk Is Wrong. We Aren't Living in a Simulation

...

What do the RFers say about this? Especially the super scientists @LegionOnomaMoi, @Polymath257, @sayak83 , and others.

{sits with a big bag of fried chicken}

After reading Nick Bostrom’s paper once, I feel that we got to invite @Willamena, @Sunstone and @Skwim and other philosophers to this thread. I hope they oblige.
 

atanu

Member
Premium Member
I have to say I find this very unlikely due to several reasons, first of all it doesn't really explain anything.

The first problem you run into, which will eventually as far as I see it, bring everything down is who or how did the first simulation get started?

Next the issue is regarding computer power which seems to be based on a wrong assumption. Which have to do with there only being one reality, that is those who created the first simulation. Therefore computer power doesn't work as it is outlined in the paper, but is most likely an exponential factor of unimaginable proportions. The reason for this is that the computer power needed will have to be calculated solely based on the original creators capacity of running all simulations they created, including all the simulations that those simulations created until potential infinity.

So if the original creators created 50 simulations, which each also create 50 simulations each, would require the original creators to having to run 2500 simulations at the same time, as these are the only ones with actually energy and computer power that is not an illusion/simulation.

The paper assumes that we would be running ancestor simulations and therefore its also likely to assume that these simulations look like the Universe we live in or at least with the same complexity. So having to calculate the total amount of computer processing power needed for simply running 2500 simulation, where infinity is "maximum", would be considered fairly few simulations, but the power required astronomical even for that.

If each of these simulations are controlled individual by the "simulation" that created them and being unaware of where in the chain of simulation we are, it would also mean that the chance of our simulation being terminated would be extremely high, unless we are at the top of chain.

Furthermore you have to look at the complexity of the simulation it self, even though we can not observe everything in details at a given point in time, all the variables that controls our Universe would need to be updated or calculated down to every single detail or we would find errors in it. So the argument that it is not necessary to keep track of unobserved things or matters, would only reduce the amount of computer power needed slightly. But when so much is already needed it would be surprising why the simulation would not run this constantly.

So to me at least, it seems fairly unreasonable for this to be correct and also makes no attempt to explain how the first humans created their first simulation. Last what on Earth is "posthuman stage"? :)

Posthuman stage, imo, is godly stage and there may be many layers of posthumans, leading down to a base level of posthuman/s.

I think that the paper is just stupendous (or crazy).
 

atanu

Member
Premium Member
Even if any type of evidence came about that we're in some type of simulation it wouldn't matter because simulation is a form of reality hence the reality of being in a simulation.

That would not be the base reality. That would not be Nibbana.
 

sayak83

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
Nick Bostrom in a 2003 paper hypothesised:

At least one of the following propositions is true: (1) the human species is very likely to go extinct before reaching a “posthuman” stage; (2) any posthuman civilization is extremely unlikely to run a significant number of simulations of their evolutionary history (or variations thereof); (3) we are almost certainly living in a computer simulation.

The implication is that we certainly are living in a simulation created by post humans. The paper can be read here.

https://www.simulation-argument.com/simulation.pdf

Elon Musk and many others support the idea. Musk essentially says:

"There's a one in billions chance [we're in] base reality... I think it's one in billions. We should hope that's true because otherwise if civilization stops advancing, that could be due to some calamitous event that erases civilization, so maybe we should be hopeful this is a simulation. Otherwise, we will create simulations that are indistinguishable from reality or civilization will cease to exist. Those are the two options."
...

But the fantastic idea that Elon Musk wants us to believe is based on an assumption that consciousness is computation.

There are, in my opinion, pragmatic people who think that the idea is trash. One such opinion is linked below:

Elon Musk Is Wrong. We Aren't Living in a Simulation

...

What do the RFers say about this? Especially the super scientists @LegionOnomaMoi, @Polymath257, @sayak83 , and others.

{sits with a big bag of fried chicken}
What does it mean to live in a simulation? What is it that is supposed to live in a simulation?
 

Nimos

Well-Known Member
Posthuman stage, imo, is godly stage and there may be many layers of posthumans, leading down to a base level of posthuman/s.

I think that the paper is just stupendous (or crazy).
To me I think the paper means that posthumans are some humans in the future or some later stage of human evolution, that is no longer humans or something. It doesn't really make sense. it would have been a good idea if it had explained what exactly were meant by it, I think. :)
 

Twilight Hue

Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
That would not be the base reality. That would not be Nibbana.
There really isn't anything artificial to speak of. There isn't a fake reality and a real reality, they're both realities in their own right for which the experiences can be regarded as multifaceted.
 
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