I still remember the first time I stumbled upon the idea of a simulated reality. I was a young high school student, who admittedly spent too much time researching strange topics on the internet. Talking to my friends about the simulation theory made me question my sanity at the time.
Hearing brilliant individuals like Sam Altman, Elon Musk, and Neil deGrasse Tyson discuss simulated reality was a very welcomed sanity check.
The simulation theory has become a serious topic of investigation among physicists, astrophysicists, and philosophers. The subject is incredibly complex and can be explored in depth.
I thought it would be fun to try and distill the theory into as few points as possible.
Here are a series of simple propositions that can lead you to the seemingly logical conclusion that we are living inside a simulation:
- Over the past few decades, video games, CGI, graphics, etc. (simulations) have gotten exponentially better. Think about the first video game you played when you were a kid, and what is available now.
- Assuming humanity doesn’t destroy itself, technology will keep on advancing, and these simulations will continue to get better.
- Eventually, these simulations will get so good they will become indistinguishable from reality.
- Countless simulations will be running, leaving it statistically more likely that we’re in one of these simulations, rather than in “true” reality.
There you have it, a quick and clean explanation you can use next time your hot date asks you if the universe is a computer simulation.
The simulation theory is something that scientists and great thinkers will continue to ponder and explore. I find it fascinating listening to great minds discuss something so seemingly far-fetched and science-fiction like.
If this article has piqued your interest and you want to know more, I suggest watching the video below. The discussion is quite lengthy, but highly informative.
(Note: This post is merely a reflection of what goes on in my weird little head)
