The Matrix Can Be Tested: Do We Live in Computer Sim?

Could we, in fact, be living simply in a computer simulation? A research project at the University of Washington went a step beyond the Matrix and looked at the possibility of us not only living in a simulated world created around us on Earth, but a simulated universe run by our descendants.

A team of researchers claims to have come up with a test to determine whether such an assumption could be true. They based their work on a claims published in 2003, which state that at least one of three possibilities would be true:

1) The human species is likely to go extinct before reaching a “posthuman” stage. 2) Any posthuman civilization is very unlikely to run a significant number of simulations of its evolutionary history. 3) We are almost certainly living in a computer simulation.

Nick Bostrom, who published those beliefs, also argued that "there is a significant chance that we will one day become posthumans who run ancestor simulations is false, unless we are currently living in a simulation."

The UW researchers said that we ultimately would have to be able to simulate the relationship between energy and momentum in special relativity at a scale of the universe to "understand the constraints on physical processes that would indicate we are living in a computer model." The problem is that we are not even close to be able to simulate the universe. The largest supercomputers could only simulate nature "on the scale of one 100-trillionth of a meter, a little larger than the nucleus of an atom", the researchers said. Eventually we would have to simulate a "large enough chunk" of the universe to figure out whether we live in a simulation or not.

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  • crewton
    The easiest way is to try to bend a spoon with your mind.
    Reply
  • J3d1M1nD7r1cKs
    ...What kind of article is this? I mean what the hockey sticks? (Toms)?

    I'm not alluding to being propagandist, but Toms, what the heck is going on?
    Where's the quality control?

    Reply
  • J3d1M1nD7r1cKs
    This is beyond garbage.
    No, really?! This article.... what.. the.. heck.. Some guy saw a kid science project and decided this was news for Toms? Where is the merit of this..... article?

    ?!?!?!!????
    Reply
  • computernerdforlife
    A hint of paranoia?

    And yes, I do understand the importance of simulations like these.
    Reply
  • rocknrollz
    Don't want to sound too off on this, but how does one really know whether or not we are a sim? No matter how much you try and think about it the possibility is always there.

    This thinking in my opinion should not be considered foolish, but I do believe that it should be taken very lightly and not too ver thought.
    Reply
  • acadia11
    What you talking about Willis?
    Reply
  • killerclick
    J3d1M1nD7r1cKsThis is beyond garbage. No, really?! This article.... what.. the.. heck.. Some guy saw a kid science project and decided this was news for Toms? Where is the merit of this..... article? ?!?!?!!????
    It's a respectable hypothesis. If humanity is (or will be) able to create convincing simulations, statistically it's extremely likely we're already living inside one. Not that it's likely to have any practical applications, but that's philosophy for you.
    Reply
  • richarduk
    Ctrl + Alt + Del
    Reply
  • unksol
    The sheer stupidity of this. Along with the article on phones are body parts..... I know Toms "reporters" are just paid to plagiarize others but these are extra stupid.
    Reply
  • sacre
    Relax folks, there are scientists that have tons of more information about the natural occurring universe then any of us combined and yet they still believe in something more, from a controller of laws to a simulated universe to holographic information.

    Then you with your google knowledge about the universe goes "Psh morons they don't know jack, this is a joke".

    This article was posted on a lot of "science" websites because yes - it is a possibility. It even made it to TV because of the whole "black hole displays an objects information on its event horizon" as if it is a holographic universe.

    There are trillions of possibilities as to why this all exists.. I mean christ, it exists.. From absolutely nothing to existence, where did all the energy come from to allow the big bang to exist?

    Don't sit back, cross your arms and think you're better than everyone by going "Foolish, this is garbage" Because you're only fooling yourself.

    There is so much mysterious shit that we will never understand.
    Reply