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bostrom's_simulation_arguement
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Strideo
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"The philosopher Nick Bostrom investigated the possibility that we may be living in a simulation.[1] A simplified version of his argument is:
i) It is possible that a civilization could create a computer simulation which contains individuals with artificial intelligence.
ii) Such a civilization would likely run many – say billions – of these simulations (just for fun; for research, etc.)
iii) A simulated individual inside the simulation wouldn’t know that it’s inside a simulation – it’s just going about its daily business in what it considers the “real world”.
Then the ultimate question is – if one accepts that points 1-2-3 are at least possible, which of the following is more likely?
a) We are the one civilization out there in the universe that will eventually develop the ability to run AI simulations? Or,
b) We are one of the billions of simulations that a) has run? (Remember point iii.)"
I don't know why but the logic behind this tickles my fancy. Not that I really believe we are simulations or that it would even be worth worrying over.
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070803
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simulated_universe_appendix
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070803
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sameolme
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If I accept that 1,2,and 3 are true and add that all civilizations are capable of evolving to the point that they can simulate universes even if said civilization is a simulation itself, then universes are constantly being
created at an ever accelerating pace.
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070803
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sameolme
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Kind of a fractal multiverse
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070803
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Strideo
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It's a funny idea, all those simulations within simulations. One might think that eventually the original device would lose the capacity to keep up but I suppose it could simply perform it's calculations at a slower rate and none of the simulated population would ever be the wiser.
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070804
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sameolme
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Maybe the simulation is over when the
simulated pierce the illusion of substantiality. I am currently very absorbed in these lines of thought and
have been relating them to Buddhist ideas.
After years of meditation, the Buddha
saw the nonexistence of self. This realization apparently "liberated" him.
He came very close to not talking about
this at all. Perhaps he realized the near impossibility of simulations recognizing their true nature.
He ended up talking a lot, but there hasn't been another Buddha since.
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070805
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sameolme
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That is, not in this particular universe.
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070805
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what's it to you?
who
go
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blather
from
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