Religion and Ethics Forum

Religion and Ethics Discussion => Philosophy, in all its guises. => Topic started by: Sriram on April 13, 2023, 11:50:38 AM

Title: Life is probably a simulation!
Post by: Sriram on April 13, 2023, 11:50:38 AM
Hi everyone,

A nice (8 minutes) video about how Life could be a simulation....

https://www.bbc.com/reel/playlist/existential-crisis?vpid=p0ff9hl8

Cheers.

Sriram
Title: Re: Life is probably a simulation!
Post by: Outrider on April 13, 2023, 12:24:35 PM
Seems unlikely (https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/physicists-confirm-that-were-not-living-in-a-computer-simulation/)

O.
Title: Re: Life is probably a simulation!
Post by: Sriram on April 14, 2023, 07:12:33 AM

https://builtin.com/hardware/simulation-theory

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulation_hypothesis


Title: Re: Life is probably a simulation!
Post by: Sebastian Toe on April 14, 2023, 07:54:30 AM
https://builtin.com/hardware/simulation-theory

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulation_hypothesis
Oh good, more food for the information-obsessed?
Title: Re: Life is probably a simulation!
Post by: Outrider on April 14, 2023, 09:42:38 AM
https://builtin.com/hardware/simulation-theory

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulation_hypothesis

Neither of those does anything to counter the demonstrable incapacity of a computational system to be able to run the simulation required.

O.
Title: Re: Life is probably a simulation!
Post by: Udayana on April 14, 2023, 11:42:04 AM
Seems unlikely (https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/physicists-confirm-that-were-not-living-in-a-computer-simulation/)

O.

From your link: "Therefore, according to Ringel and Kovrizhin, classical computers most certainly aren’t controlling our universe."

But we don't know what kind of "computers" might be used. So, similar to being agnostic, I don't believe we can ultimately say - especially if there may be any number of levels of simulation.

And, not sure what difference it makes whether we are in a simulation or not - I don't believe we are. Simulations are only created to acquire information - what would the simulation be investigating?
 
Title: Re: Life is probably a simulation!
Post by: jeremyp on April 14, 2023, 12:38:10 PM
What does it matter? Our reality is our reality. It makes no difference if it is embedded in somebody else's computer, made by a god or just is. How would any of us behave differently if we knew reality was the memory of a computer rather than perturbations in quantum fields?
Title: Re: Life is probably a simulation!
Post by: Udayana on April 14, 2023, 01:23:21 PM
What does it matter? Our reality is our reality. It makes no difference if it is embedded in somebody else's computer, made by a god or just is. How would any of us behave differently if we knew reality was the memory of a computer rather than perturbations in quantum fields?

It could make a difference if our consciousness is actually mostly located in the next "level" up - then we might be able to get hold of a "red pill" and take on the machines directly rather than spend our lives vainly battling Agent Smith.
 
Title: Re: Life is probably a simulation!
Post by: Sriram on April 14, 2023, 04:38:57 PM



I think trying to understand if we are living in a simulation is a far more worthwhile quest and more relevant than trying to understand infinite bits of information about distant galaxies and exo planets and other such.
Title: Re: Life is probably a simulation!
Post by: Nearly Sane on April 14, 2023, 04:57:34 PM


I think trying to understand if we are living in a simulation is a far more worthwhile quest and more relevant than trying to understand infinite bits of information about distant galaxies and exo planets and other such.
Why?
Title: Re: Life is probably a simulation!
Post by: Sebastian Toe on April 14, 2023, 08:27:15 PM


I think trying to understand if we are living in a simulation is a far more worthwhile quest
...the quest for that understanding, would only be worthwhile if it is cost effective?
Title: Re: Life is probably a simulation!
Post by: Sriram on April 15, 2023, 06:13:26 AM
Why?


What do you mean 'why'?  Because the idea of life being a simulation is directly related to our life and death.  It provides a deeper meaning and purpose to life....similar to the idea of a God and other traditional philosophies. 

Searching for more and more information about distant galaxies and stuff like that, doesn't provide any direct meaning or purpose to our lives. It is just a waste of resources.






Title: Re: Life is probably a simulation!
Post by: Udayana on April 15, 2023, 11:34:14 AM

What do you mean 'why'?  Because the idea of life being a simulation is directly related to our life and death.  It provides a deeper meaning and purpose to life....similar to the idea of a God and other traditional philosophies. 

Searching for more and more information about distant galaxies and stuff like that, doesn't provide any direct meaning or purpose to our lives. It is just a waste of resources.

How can being a simulation possibly add "a deeper meaning and purpose" to life?

Why bother to simulate distant galaxies if they have no purpose in the simulation? Maybe the simulation is about galaxies and you are just a consequence of a bug in the programming?

Why care about resources if the universe is only a simulation?
Title: Re: Life is probably a simulation!
Post by: Sebastian Toe on April 15, 2023, 01:38:49 PM

What do you mean 'why'?  Because the idea of life being a simulation is directly related to our life and death.  It provides a deeper meaning and purpose to life....similar to the idea of a God and other traditional philosophies. 

Searching for more and more information about distant galaxies and stuff like that, doesn't provide any direct meaning or purpose to our lives. It is just a waste of resources.

Correction....simulated resources!
Title: Re: Life is probably a simulation!
Post by: jeremyp on April 15, 2023, 08:32:06 PM
It could make a difference if our consciousness is actually mostly located in the next "level" up - then we might be able to get hold of a "red pill" and take on the machines directly rather than spend our lives vainly battling Agent Smith.

That sounds an awful lot like Christianity.
Title: Re: Life is probably a simulation!
Post by: Sriram on April 16, 2023, 05:17:38 AM
Neither of those does anything to counter the demonstrable incapacity of a computational system to be able to run the simulation required.

O.




Talking of computational capabilities isn't meaningful when we don't even know who is creating our simulated world, how and why......
Title: Re: Life is probably a simulation!
Post by: Sebastian Toe on April 16, 2023, 08:20:37 AM



Talking of computational capabilities isn't meaningful when we don't even know who is creating our simulated world, how and why......
....so how do you start to find that out?
Title: Re: Life is probably a simulation!
Post by: Udayana on April 16, 2023, 12:18:49 PM
That sounds an awful lot like Christianity.

Yes, in The Matrix Neo is an obvious stand-in for Jesus. But, the metaphysics, a form of idealism, goes a long way further back.