Science Do we live inside a computer simulation?

[Rtyh-12]

Yesterday I watched a documentary about whether God exists. There was some interesting stuff about a magnetic helmet which makes you feel as if someone's in an empty room with you, some very weird and complicated shape which is some kind of model for subatomic particles, the 'mind of God' inside the laws of physics etc. But the idea which caught my imagination most was: If God is a omnipotent, omniscient creature which can change the laws of physics at will, could He be a programmer like Martin? The idea might sound crazy, but read this.

Then, some other questions arise:

1. Will the creator of our world (a computer geek actually) ever reveal to us that we are just simulated?

2. If, in the future, we will be able to create such simulations ourselves, what would the ethics of doing so be? I mean, if you made them open-source and free to download from the internet, I'm quite sure that people would download them, then bash asteroids at the planet.

3. What would happen if the creator would turn the computer off?

4. Let's say that we will run such simulations one day ourselves, then people in these simulations run simulations themselves, the people in their simulations will run simulations themselves too and so on forever. What would happen to the "real" computer, which can be VEEEERRRYYYY powerful, but it must necessarily be finite. Would our world simply start to lag?

I can't wait to read your opinions about this.

 

[Wishbone]

[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solipsism"]Solipsism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame] ... very close ...

Embrace the reality...

 

[SiberianTiger]

 

[Artlav]

1. Will the creator of our world (a computer geek actually) ever reveal to us that we are just simulated?

Would you in his place? There are at least 1 billion opinions about it on this planet, not a definitive answer.

2. If, in the future, we will be able to create such simulations ourselves, what would the ethics of doing so be? I mean, if you made them open-source and free to download from the internet, I'm quite sure that people would download them, then bash asteroids at the planet.

Ethics change with technology. What would we be like when we would be able to create near-real time simulations of such precision is a matter of pure speculation.

3. What would happen if the creator would turn the computer off?

We would not know or notice it.

4. Let's say that we will run such simulations one day ourselves, then people in these simulations run simulations themselves, the people in their simulations will run simulations themselves too and so on forever. What would happen to the "real" computer, which can be VEEEERRRYYYY powerful, but it must necessarily be finite. Would our world simply start to lag?

From our point of view nothing change. The outside computer can take one billion years per our second, then compute a few our hours in a second, then spend another billion years computing the next second. We won't feel a thing.

 

[Rtyh-12]

We would not know or notice it.

Whoah. Now I can finally sleep:lol:

From our point of view nothing change. The outside computer can take one billion years per our second, then compute a few our hours in a second, then spend another billion years computing the next second. We won't feel a thing.

Again, I'm glad for it.

P.S.:Look at your signature:

Hacking the universe since 2008

I've just realized how good it fits this discussion!!

 

[Ghostrider]

You know, there's a good reason I sleep with a glow-in-the-dark frisbee close by.
Just in case...

 

[N_Molson]

 

[Rtyh-12]

What exactly has hailing the Probe to do with our subject? Wouldn't a "hail Martin" smilie be more appropriate?

 

[n72.75]

Is all I can say...

 

[statickid]

hailing the probe is on-topic in all situations! HAIL

 

[Ghostrider]

For all we know, Probe might be the login of our User.

 

[IgnoreThisBarrel]

I hope this computer has orbiter installed.

 

[RisingFury]

Someone's been watching Matrix too much...

 

[Columbia42]

If we're all simulations than couldn't Orbiter be the real world?

 

[Ghostrider]

Computational Universe is not a new theory. It dates back to the '60s. Konrad Zuse wrote a book on it.
The Matrix is a cool movie but the Wachovsky Bros didn't invent anything. Which is not to be held against them, The Terminator has nothing new either, and it's a cool movie too.

 

[IgnoreThisBarrel]

If we're all simulations than couldn't Orbiter be the real world?

Then I'm a mass-murderer.

Ahh! It's NASA! Better bury those UMmu!

 

[Rtyh-12]

The site I mentioned before says that one of the following sentences must be true (it also explains why, just read it):

1 Almost all civilisations at our level of development become extinct before becoming technologically mature.​

2 The fraction of technologically mature civilisations that are interested in creating ancestor simulations is almost zero.​

3 You are almost certainly living in a computer simulation.​

Ok, let's go on. We can assume that 1 is false, because we have been on the brink of a nuclear war and we didn't destroy ourselves. We can also assume that 2 is false, because people always liked to play God. We have developed highly successful computer games like Spore or Sims. If the first two sentences are false, then the third must be true, meaning that we indeed do live inside a computer simulation.

And Ghostrider, where did you get your glow-in-the-dark frisbee? Just in case...

 

[Ghostrider]

http://www.simulation-argument.com/computer.pdfAnd Ghostrider, where did you get your glow-in-the-dark frisbee? Just in case...

Pilfered it from the Game Grid. Wish I had been more lucky with the Light Cycle...

 

[Aeadar]

I hope this computer has orbiter installed.

Yes, but only basic add-ons.:lol:




:hail:

 

[Pinguinboy]

Someone's been watching Matrix too much...

I thought the same...