This cartoon explains why Elon Musk thinks we’re characters in a computer simulation

We might be characters in a computer simulation. It’s a serious argument.

Elon Musk thinks it’s almost certain that we are living in a computer simulation.

This cartoon is about laying down the logic of the simulation argument.

So even if our speed of technological advancement slows down, in 10,000 years we should be able to run simulations of ourselves.

Presumably we will understand all of it in 10,000 years and then recreate these processes in a computer simulation, much like how we can recreate the way a ball bounces.

So if we can build world simulators, we’ll probably simulate our past selves If we can simulate human worlds, then presumably future humans will run simulations of their ancestors — us!

What if the people in the simulations create their own simulation?

If we’ve run billions of ancestor simulations, surely a lot of them would reach the stage when they can create their own simulations.

So the simulation argument is: One of these things must be true That means we’ll end up using technology for pleasure and we don’t even care about simulating ancestors, we’ll end up killing ourselves, or we’re living in a simulation.

Musk thinks it’s almost certain we’re in a simulation.

Bostrom believes there is about a 20 percent chance that we’re in a simulation, but thinks it is subjective.

Source: This cartoon explains why Elon Musk thinks we’re characters in a computer simulation

Originally published at Cogly.