The last two weeks I spent pondering on whether it’s possible that everything around us is in fact just an illusion. What if we live in a matrix?
Equipped with this ludicrous idea, I stumbled upon an interesting theory.
It deals with the notion that everything we call life, including ourselves, is in fact a piece of software running on the computers of the future.
Oxford philospher Nick Bostrom published a paper in 2003 in which he discusses his theory in much detail - let me try and summarise the key points of his thesis.
The underlying assumption here is that time travel may not be possible for any post human generation, purely because the laws of physics may not permit us to do so. So he introduces the possibility of running parallel computer simulation of our reality that are so identical, that it may be difficult for anyone experiencing it to distinguish.
Now that’s not surprising at all, seeing the advancement in gaming and 3D virtual reality headsets that we’ve developed just in the last five years. This simulation may then be used by future generations to go back in time and relive the memories of their ancestors - moment to moment.
I know this sounds crazy, but he gets to this conclusion in a few simple steps:
He starts by introducing the notion that there isn't anything magical about the wet stuff in our brains - that it merely processes information and therefore it's just a matter of time before they can be virtually simulated on a computer.
Computing power is being doubled year on year for a little less than a decade. So he introduces the idea that at some point in the near future, we will be in a position to simulate the processes of our minds on computers. Not only our minds, but with the right advancement we could even simulate entire planets, and universes. Within that framework, we could all co-exist with a conscious mind, that is able to write poetry, play symphonies and do maths. Not only does it create an identical experience, but it also creates the illusion that the person experiencing it, is in fact at the drivers seat navigating with sheer free will.
Should this be possible, then any futuristic 14 year old kid can simulate a universe on his computer in his parents’ garage - just like our children simulate SIMS Cities.
That means, that naturally simulated universes will outnumber real universes (after all, there are only a limited number of universes out there!). Therefore statistically speaking, we are much more likely to be living among the simulated universes, than we are among the real universes.
