Are we living in a computer simulation? – The fastest way to adopt an existential crisis :)

Today we live in a world abundant of high-resolution games. We’ve evolved from playing 2D games to 3D games, and now are entering the fourth dimension of games as virtual reality will transform the way we engage with our games forever. Just look at the graphic evolution of the game Lara Croft, as our technology advanced, so did the quality of design and resolution for our games.

 

Technology will continue to advance, and at an exponential rate. This then begs the question, what are its limits? In the future, would it be possible to create games or even virtual worlds that impersonate the reality of our world and to a point where it may be indistinguishable? More importantly, could it have already occurred?

 

This is called the simulation hypothesis.

 

5 assumptions can be made about this hypothesis according to Nick Bostrom and Kurhesagt, and if they hold true, may prove that our lives are in fact simulations.

 

Assumption one, it is possible to simulate consciousness. Science is nowhere near discovering what consciousness in its physical form may be. But if generating consciousness was possible, and it was simulated in the form of a brain, every interaction between synapses (a junction between two nerve cells in which impulses pass by) considered as one operation, would run at approximately 10²⁰ operations to generate one second of human consciousness. Also, we need to create enough humans to simulate all of human history so let’s simulate two hundred billion humans with an average lifespan of 50 years. Doing the maths, ((one year = 30 million seconds) x 50 years x 200 billion humans x 10²⁰ operations) = we would require a computer that can generate a million, trillion, trillion, trillion operations per second. According to Kurgesagt, that is more operations than there are stars in the observable universe. A computer like this, in reality, may be impossible.

 

Assumption two, technological progress will not stop anytime soon. If technological signs of progress continue to advance exponentially the way we are experiencing it today, then the potential for unlimited computing power may exist in the future. This unlimited computing power may take a similar form proposed by Robert Bradbury called the Matrioshka brain. It is made up of billions of parts orbiting a star feeding on its radiation. A computer of this scale would have enough power to simulate many thousands, if not millions of humanities, at the same time.

 

Assumption three, advanced civilisations are not self-destructive.  This touches on the Fermi paradox put forth by physicist Enrico Fermi. Despite the high probability of Earth-like planets being around which are billions of years older than that of earth, there are no advanced civilisations that are observable in space. This may be due to great filters or life filters. Great filters are barriers that highly advanced civilisations must overcome, for examples nuclear war, asteroids, limited resources, climate change and black hole generators. Therefore, if there were advanced civilisations before us, and due to the lack of presence in our observable universe, it may be that these civilisations were unable to bypass these great filters. If this were the case and life is inherently self-destructive, simulations will be unlikely.

 

Assumption four, advanced civilisations want to run simulations. For whatever reason that humans may not understand, these advanced civilisations must want to run simulations. For fun or for science we would not know as we are not in their positions. However, if these were the case, and assumptions one, two and three are true, the chances we are living in a simulation are not impossible.

 

Assumption five, if there are multiple simulations, you are probably inside a simulation. If all the previous assumptions hold true, there is a high possibility many simulations exist. With unlimited computing power and the want to run simulations, it would be practical and much more convenient to run millions of them simultaneously. If billion simulated universes exist, then there would probably be trillions of simulated conscious beings. This would mean that the vast majority of all conscious beings would be simulated.

 

In the end, these are all assumptions. We do not have the means currently to prove that we are living in a simulated environment. However, even if we were to exist in a simulated universe, there is little we can actually do to change anything. It is inevitable. So, I guess the message here is to live out an interesting enough life that will intrigue advanced beings in order to prevent them from turning off the power switch to our simulated universe. 🙂

Debbie Kim

 

References

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlTKTTt47WE
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3d9i_0Ty7Cg