VFTWT S01E10: The Simulation Hypothesis
Air Date: 2021.11.14
Welcome to the public show notes for
- VFTWT season 1, episode 10
- Conspiracy Theories, episode 3
Introduction:
Welcome to Views From the World Tree. This week, we swallow the red pill and take a look at the surprisingly plausible theory that we all live in a computer simulation.
Personal News:
Steven:
- Netflix My List
Adam:
- Puppy Training, housebreaking, crate training
- Started playing World of Warcraft again, just catching up on quests/storyline, not raiding right now.
- Pikmin Bloom (new mobile game from Niantic)
Current Events:
Steven:
- Rivian ( electric truck company) owner now worth 2.2 billion USD after a two day surge in stock value. Famous from “Long Way Up” – first successful e-truck
Adam:
- Unity has acquired digitial FX studio Weta Digital for $1.6 billion. I’m excited for this, and I see it as a huge win for creators to be able to integrate Weta’s digital FX and assets as part of their Unity development pipelines.
Main Topic: The Simulation Hypothesis
Firstly, there are two versions of this hypothesis.
- NPC Version: Entities are entirely within the simulation and do not exist outside it.
- e.g., Off to be The Wizard, Ship in a Bottle
- RPG Version: Entities do exist in the “real” world, but are not cognizant of it; as far as they know their existence is limited to their simulated avatar
- e.g., The Matrix
The idea has been around for longer, but the term was coined by Oxford professor Nick Bostrom in 2003
People who think it is likely
- Elon Musk – on a podcast with Joe Rogan, said “If you assume any rate of improvement at all, games will eventually be indistinguishable from reality” before concluding “that it’s most likely we’re in a simulation.” He also stated in a 2016 interview that “there’s a one in billions chance we’re in base reality”.
- Neil deGrasse Tyson – said in an NBC News interview that the hypothesis is correct, giving “better than 50-50 odds” and adding: “I wish I could summon a strong argument against it, but I can find none.”
Pop-Culture that has explored this theme
- Star Trek TNG – Story arc from Elementary Dear Data, through Ship in a Bottle
- The Matrix
- Off to be the Wizard
If any civilization can ever get to the point where they are technologically able to create a virtual world indistinguishable from reality, then it has likely already happened.
This theory is so fascinating because it transcends any one field, unlike most conspiracy theories. The Simulation Hypothesis stretches across philosophy, physics, technology, theology, etc., and experts across these fields are all weighing in on the topic.
Is it even possible to determine whether we are in a simulation or not?
Most say that the hypothesis cannot be definitively disproved
Many physicists think that if we do live in a simulation it would help explain some of the strange and seemingly arbitrary rules of physics
Mindfulness Moment:
Chi focusing…. Big in Dao, Zen Buddhism, and many other eastern religions.
Next Episode Sneak Peek:
As most of the United States gets ready to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, join us for a discussion on the agriculture industry and supply chain as we take a look at how food reaches our table.