The Simulation Hypothesis: An MIT Computer Scientist Shows Why AI, Quantum Physics and Eastern Mystics All Agree We Are In a Video Game
Rizwan Virk
Bayview Books (March 2019)
“Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.” Albert Einstein
Rizwan Virk cites an assertion by Philip K. Dick as a head note for the Introduction:”We are living in a computer-programmed reality, and the only clue we have to it is when some variable is changed, and some alteration in our reality occurs.”
Einstein’s memorable observation evokes several questions that include two as I began to work my way through this book: “Are we living in a cave today — born and raised there as were our parents and their parents — and all of us are chained to a wall so we can’t see outside, watching shadows reflected on the wall of the cave by some source of light?”
Here’s another: “What if the shadows we are watching include a film about a fictitious character, Truman Burbank, played by a real actor, Jim Carrey, whose name at birth was Truman Burbank?”
In the Introduction, Virk asks, “Will we eventually be able to produce a game with such high resolution that it will be indistinguishable from realty? And if so, could we already be inside a video game?” Perhaps one inspired by Plato’s allegory….He then observes, “The goal of what we call science is to understand the nature of reality. If we are in fact inside a video game, then science becomes a matter of ‘discovering’ the rules of this video game. I found that many renowned physicists believe a computer-generated simulated world would explain some of the strangest findings of quantum physics.”
His research in relevant areas of quantum physics suggests to him that we are indeed in some kind of simulated reality. This raises another question: “Why would we be in a probabilistic world where making a choice (or having an observation) collapses a probability wave to a single timeline or probability?”
This book was written in order to share what Virk learned from his efforts to gain what he characterizes as “a more comprehensive understanding of the natural universe than either our scientists, philosophers, or religious leaders have been able to give us up to this point.” I plan to re-read Rizwan Virk’s book because I am not as yet convinced either hypothesis is veritable, that the human race is — or isn’t — “in a video game.”
Perhaps Lily Tomlin was right when suggesting that “reality is a collective hunch.”
The analogy of living in a cave and only seeing only shadows appears to be a reference to Plato’s Cave, which is a fine analogy, even today. The hypothesis that we living in a video game seems like an update of Plato’s Cave, using the technology du jour. These kinds of ideas always blow your mind, and the best way to deal with them is with Occam’s Razor: The simplest explanation is usually the best one. The simplest explanation, in this case, is that we’re not living in a video game. Instead, reality is an entertainment we create for our own survival—and enjoyment.
Thank you for your comments. One bullseye after another. No news there. Ditto comments about fragile ideas. Too many people rip out seedlings to see how well they’re growing. As for reality, I agree with Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner that it’s a collective hunch. I hope you are thriving. Warmest regards to you, Marty.