Are we living in a Simulation?

[species5478]

If life is a simulation, then what is it modeled after?

[TheCalliton]

no way this is a simulation, im too damn weird for some suits to invent

[Balagor]

Or we could be "someones" or "somethings" dream.

If/when this creature wakes up..................puff............we´re gone.................................. :blink: :sick:

[morbiusinct]

yes. we are a perfect simulation of the multiverse. some people in the real one are posting replies to this topic right...arrrgh

[Keanumoreira]

Keanu: I'm not sure if you are serious or not. It's hard to tell. But I will tell you this. For quite some time now I have begun to believe that since we are doing so much to damage to our planet, Earth, we, i.e. humans are merely viruses on the planet. We are just bigger, stronger viruses than the ones that exist in our own bodies, but we are slowly killing our host planet as we continue to multiply and destroy and infect it.

 

Oh no, I'm serious, whenever I post something in the debates section it's always serious, but I see what you mean. I myself do not believe we live in a sim, however, I do believe that it's possible considering how lifelike modern day games can be. But even though I believe our life is real, I am asking seriously if life itself is a sim if you know what I mean.

[Keanumoreira]

no way this is a simulation, im too damn weird for some suits to invent

 

Exactly, it is lifelike. Perhaps computers in our "Creators" world is that much advanced.

 

I'm speaking hypothetically of course, personally, I don't believe in the sim theory, only that it could happen.

[RobCoPublicReassurance]

I'm afraid I don't understand. Does it matter if we are in a simulation? We couldn't escape from it, because we are part of the simulation. We could only prove we were in a simulation if the simulation allowed us to. Even if we were "predestined" to do things because we were "programmed" to, it wouldn't matter because we would always feel like we were making the choices that lead us to that destiny. Even doing something completely out of character for your personality would still be within the bounds of your "programming", because it would mean that your personality is one of those that would do something strange just to prove they could escape their destiny.

[CommanderCrazy]

Well, if all this is a simulation, who is in control then?............................

 

Me...

 

>.>

<.<

 

As for the debate, I dont think I can add anything.

I still cant understand whether you are being serious, or using a metaphor here.

[Vagrant0]

If we are... The system running it all would have to be far more complex than the thing being simulated. Think about the networking, the physics engine, the rendering, the loading, all the environmental stuff... Both on this planet as well of that being simulated on other places just for the sake of maintaining an illusion. Even if 40% of it is all in handling our perceptions, 40% is being handled by our local wetware, there's still that other 20% which has to be both persistent and consistent. The universe is just too vast to be simulated, and quite frankly, any force which might be able to even come close would probably be fully capable of just building a planet somewhere that did the same sorts of things without all of that active data handling in a central source. And that leads back on an older debate, and touches on a few other themes which have all been looked at before.

 

So essentially, it all depends on what you consider a simulation in being, and what you believe the purpose of that simulation is. But, depending on how you answer, it can have religious implications... Which makes it all an even bigger ball of wax.

 

Even if wrong, it's probably best to just assume that this is not a simulation, that the life and world you are living now is all there is and ever will be, or at the very least, that's what the ones running the show want you to believe.

Edited August 23, 2010 by Vagrant0

[Lisnpuppy]

Actually I have heard a good bit on this topic recently. There was a show on the Science Channel here in the U.S. called Through the Wormhole which discussed various topics from Black Holes to Is there a God..which is where this was introduced. I forget the name of the scientist....he was on the show...not a quack as this is a pretty serious program. He basically said that he thought there was a pretty fair chance that life was a simulation based on higher level programming and how some states of particle in quantum mechanics behave. With the exponential growth of computing power (which he also discussed) and humans ability to make programing he reasoned it was just as possible as anything else that we were indeed...a programed simulation.

 

Just look in my lifetime, I was born in 1971 and I clearly remember playing Pong. Video games were like..WOW then and now there are HOLY SHITTAKE MUSHROOMS!. I remember downloading programs from a cassette tape player and the beginning internet being the one with the phone handle on the equipment. Now look at the internet and video games like the ones we play here...or some other advanced one like the Sims or like things.

 

Now I am not saying I agree or not here folks...I am playing devil's advocate.....but if the rate of computer technology is growing at this exponential rate...gaining speed...then its possible "simulations" and their AI can become very..real. I mean...philosophically speaking...what is life does come into question as Vagrant says. So if you are interested I would maybe go on the Science Channel online and check out the shows. It will lead you to other things and ideas I am sure. Keep an open mind..we may not find we are a simulation but thinking about these things could lead to some amazing possibilities. Even if we are simulations...personally I don't think it takes anything away from what I feel about myself or the universe. Though if the Almighty Programmers can hear me, I have some design flaws I'd like to discuss. :)