Our Lives, Controlled From Some Guy’s Couch

Until I talked to Nick Bostrom, a philosopher at Oxford University, it never occurred to me that our universe might be somebody else’s hobby. I hadn’t imagined that the omniscient, omnipotent creator of the heavens and earth could be an advanced version of a guy who spends his weekends building model railroads or overseeing video-game worlds like the Sims.But now it seems quite possible. In fact, if you accept a pretty reasonable assumption of Dr. Bostrom’s, it is almost a mathematical certainty that we are living in someone else’s computer simulation.

www.nytimes.com...

I know the theory of living in a computer simulation or the matrix has been discussed before here on ATS but it now seems the idea is being scientifically looked at.

Can this ever be scientifically proven? Or is this just another way to describe the metaphysical?

It's a philosophical concept that has been around for hundreds of years in one form or another. That the universe is a computer simulation or someones dream. I don't think it could ever be tested, at least not until we are as advanced as the guy on the couch.

This is a possibilty. However, the questions remains.....

How did the guy on the couch come to be? Is he too, someone else's 'video game' or hobby?

Originally posted by CSkys
This is a possibilty. However, the questions remains.....

How did the guy on the couch come to be? Is he too, someone else's 'video game' or hobby?

That was addressed in the article.

Of course, it’s tough to guess what the designer would be like. He or she might have a body made of flesh or plastic, but the designer might also be a virtual being living inside the computer of a still more advanced form of intelligence. There could be layer upon layer of simulations until you finally reached the architect of the first simulation — the Prime Designer, let’s call him or her (or it).

Its the age old question of who created God.

Read 'the science of Discworld I, II, and III'

It proves that roundworld or 'earth' and the universe was created by an experimental attempt to split the 'thaum' (the smallest known unit of magic) by Ponder Stibbons and hex.

(seriously, though. it has some great scientific research in them too. The story is very funny aswell.)

Surely if we were part of a computer program then something huge would have happened to prove it?

A glitch, a crash or a big dirty Windows error plastered in the sky.

I prefer to believe that we are in complete control of our environment and life. No 'almighty creator. or 'overseer'. Just us.

Originally posted by Zanzibar
Surely if we were part of a computer program then something huge would have happened to prove it?

A glitch, a crash or a big dirty Windows error plastered in the sky.

I prefer to believe that we are in complete control of our environment and life. No 'almighty creator. or 'overseer'. Just us.

It's impossible to be 'just us' because then who created us? Something can't create itself beacause it doesn't exist.Do you see where im coming from? Therefore there must be someone or something that created us.

Originally posted by Lukekilla4
It's impossible to be 'just us' because then who created us? Something can't create itself beacause it doesn't exist.Do you see where im coming from? Therefore there must be someone or something that created us.

It is entirely possible, actually. To assume that something must have created it is not answering the question.

If God/Allah/Dave created the Universe, then where did he come from, as you said "Something can't create itself beacause it doesn't exist"?

You theory/faith disproves itself. At least in that regard.

Depending on what the physicists have been smoking this week, you can take your pick from a variety of theories.

The universe, or at least the one we inhabit, could have been created by quantum fluctuation from another Universe.

There could be literally an infinite amount of Universes, all existing like bubbles in foam. Some pop into existence from interactions between other bubbles, some eventually collapse into nothing.

Quite a few theories knocking about concerning the nature of reality. Try reading some instead of some crummy 2000 year old story book, which incidentally, is a plagiarised collection of works from other cultures preceding the Hebrews.