The Simulation Hypothesis: Are We in a Video Game?
by Alex Vikoulov 
"My logic is undeniable" -VIKI, I-Robot
In my new book "The Syntellect Hypothesis: Five Paradigms of the Mind's Evolution," the famed Simulation Hypothesis is progressively morphed into the Syntellect Hypothesis as the more logically plausible and parsimonious alternative. Without any more spoilers to those who haven't read the book yet, I'd like to elaborate here on the Simulation Theory and the Simulation Argument by Oxford professor Nick Bostrom who argues that at least one of the following propositions is true: (1) the human species is very likely to go extinct before reaching a “posthuman” stage; (2) any posthuman civilization is extremely unlikely to run a significant number of simulations of their evolutionary history (or variations thereof); (3) WE ARE ALMOST CERTAINLY LIVING IN A COMPUTER SIMULATION. It follows that the belief 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 first proposition by Nick Bostrom in his paper on the probability of the human species reaching the "posthuman" stage can be completely dismiissed, as explained further. Let me be bold here and ascertain the following: Humanity WILL (from our current point of reference) inevitably reach the technological maturity, i.e. "posthuman" stage of development and the probability of that happening is close to 100%. WHY? Because our civilization is "superposed" to reach the Technological Singularity and Posthuman phase out of the logical necessity and on the logical basis of quantum mechanical principles applying to all of reality. Furthermore, all particles as well as macroobjects may be considered wavicles, leading to the infinite number of outcomes and configurations.
One could argue that there may be some sort of world's apocalypse preventing humans to become the posthumans, but considering all spectrum of probabilities, all we need is at least one world where HUMANS ACTUALLY BECOME THE POSTHUMANS, to actualize that eventuality.
Also, if time is a construct of our consciousness, or as Albert Einstein eloquently puts it: "The difference between the past, present and future is an illusion, albeit a persistent one". If everything is non-local, including time, and everything happens in the eternal NOW, then THE HUMANITY HAS ALREADY REACHED THE "POSTHUMAN" STAGE in that eternal Now ("Non-Locality of Time"). That's why, based on our current knowledge, we can completely dismiss the first proposition of Dr. Bostrom as groundless.
Now we have two propositions left in the Simulation Argument to work with. I would tend to assign about 50% of probability to each of those propositions. There's perhaps 50% (or much lower) probability that posthumans would abstain from running simulations of their ancestors for some moral, ethical or some other reason. There's also perhaps 50% (or much higher) probability that everything around us is a Matrix-like simulation.
If you were a “programmer” of our beloved world, you would have created it as a virtual reality and had access to any observer reality experiences throughout the whole history of the multiverse. In his paper “The Physical World as a Virtual Reality,” Brian Whitworth introduces the concept of ‘Quantum Realism’ which posits that the quantum world is real and generates the physical world as an interface, i.e. a virtual reality. You could embody any living creature or historical personage, and variations thereof, in any epoch, any planet, or universe, with any initial conditions, for that matter. That would be effectively your avatar in such simulated reality.
A more boisterous scientific and philosophical discourse around the Simulation Theory has been picking up steam since The Matrix classic came out in 1999. Among the most notable publications worth mentioning here: A bold, unorthodox paper by cyberneticist Ross Rhodes, first published in 1999 with a revised version in 2001, “A Cybernetic Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics” pre-dates Bostrom’s “Are You Living in the Computer Simulation?” (2003). Rhodes presents to us a well-grounded argument that the “fuzzy” physics of the quantum world can be interpreted as evidence that we are integral, dynamic part of some sort of computer-simulated reality. In 2008 paper titled “The Physical World as a Virtual Reality” Brian Whitworth, professor at Massey University in New Zealand, explores the idea that our Universe fits better the description as a virtual reality created by information processing. In 2018 paper, On Testing the Simulation Theory, published in the International Journal of Quantum Foundations, former NASA physicist Tom Campbell and others propose a series experiments to be implemented to test the theory.
On the 20th anniversary of The Matrix, Bayview Books released "The Simulation Hypothesis: An MIT Computer Scientist Shows How AI, Quantum Physics and Eastern Mystics All Agree That We Are In A Video Game" by Rizwan Virk, that would actually qualify as a prequel to my own "The Syntellect Hypothesis: Five Paradigms of the Mind's Evolution." We cannot completely rule out the Simulation Hypothesis with its numerous paradoxes such as an infinite regress problem and its quasiphysicalist basis, but we can consider yet another much more optimistic alternative (and much more probable, too) that I make my case for in my latest book.
-by Alex Vikoulov
P.S. This article is adapted from my newly-released book "The Syntellect Hypothesis: Five Paradigms of the Mind's Evolution" available now on Amazon, from Barnes & Noble, and directly from this website.
Order Now! Available Formats: EBook | Paperback | Hardcover |
Autographed Copy
Tags: VIKI, I-Robot, Syntellect Hypothesis, Five Paradigms, Mind's Evolution, Simulation Hypothesis, Simulation Theory, Simulation Argument, Nick Bostrom, posthuman, posthuman civilization, computer simulation, ancestor simulations, Technological Singularity, Albert Einstein, Matrix-like simulation, The Physical World as a Virtual Reality, Brian Whitworth Quantum Realism, virtual reality, simulated reality, The Matrix, Ross Rhodes, A Cybernetic Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics, Are You Living in the Computer Simulation? computer-simulated reality, information processing, On Testing the Simulation Theory, Quantum Foundations, Tom Campbell, Bayview Books, The Simulation Hypothesis: An MIT Scientist Shows How AI, Quantum Physics and Eastern Mystics All Agree That We Are In A Video Game, Rizwan Virk, infinite regress problem, quasiphysicalist basis.
*Image Credit: The 13th Floor, the movie (1999)
About the Author:
Alex Vikoulov is a futurist, digital philosopher, neo-transcendentalist, transhumanist singularitarian, evolutionary extrapolist, cosmist, independent scholar, founder of Ecstadelic Media, painter, media artist, essayist, co-author of "Is Reality a Simulation?" (2018), author of "The Syntellect Hypothesis: Five Paradigms of the Mind's Evolution" (2019). Lives in Burlingame, California (San Francisco Bay Area).
"My logic is undeniable" -VIKI, I-Robot
In my new book "The Syntellect Hypothesis: Five Paradigms of the Mind's Evolution," the famed Simulation Hypothesis is progressively morphed into the Syntellect Hypothesis as the more logically plausible and parsimonious alternative. Without any more spoilers to those who haven't read the book yet, I'd like to elaborate here on the Simulation Theory and the Simulation Argument by Oxford professor Nick Bostrom who argues that at least one of the following propositions is true: (1) the human species is very likely to go extinct before reaching a “posthuman” stage; (2) any posthuman civilization is extremely unlikely to run a significant number of simulations of their evolutionary history (or variations thereof); (3) WE ARE ALMOST CERTAINLY LIVING IN A COMPUTER SIMULATION. It follows that the belief 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 first proposition by Nick Bostrom in his paper on the probability of the human species reaching the "posthuman" stage can be completely dismiissed, as explained further. Let me be bold here and ascertain the following: Humanity WILL (from our current point of reference) inevitably reach the technological maturity, i.e. "posthuman" stage of development and the probability of that happening is close to 100%. WHY? Because our civilization is "superposed" to reach the Technological Singularity and Posthuman phase out of the logical necessity and on the logical basis of quantum mechanical principles applying to all of reality. Furthermore, all particles as well as macroobjects may be considered wavicles, leading to the infinite number of outcomes and configurations.
One could argue that there may be some sort of world's apocalypse preventing humans to become the posthumans, but considering all spectrum of probabilities, all we need is at least one world where HUMANS ACTUALLY BECOME THE POSTHUMANS, to actualize that eventuality.
Also, if time is a construct of our consciousness, or as Albert Einstein eloquently puts it: "The difference between the past, present and future is an illusion, albeit a persistent one". If everything is non-local, including time, and everything happens in the eternal NOW, then THE HUMANITY HAS ALREADY REACHED THE "POSTHUMAN" STAGE in that eternal Now ("Non-Locality of Time"). That's why, based on our current knowledge, we can completely dismiss the first proposition of Dr. Bostrom as groundless.
Now we have two propositions left in the Simulation Argument to work with. I would tend to assign about 50% of probability to each of those propositions. There's perhaps 50% (or much lower) probability that posthumans would abstain from running simulations of their ancestors for some moral, ethical or some other reason. There's also perhaps 50% (or much higher) probability that everything around us is a Matrix-like simulation.
If you were a “programmer” of our beloved world, you would have created it as a virtual reality and had access to any observer reality experiences throughout the whole history of the multiverse. In his paper “The Physical World as a Virtual Reality,” Brian Whitworth introduces the concept of ‘Quantum Realism’ which posits that the quantum world is real and generates the physical world as an interface, i.e. a virtual reality. You could embody any living creature or historical personage, and variations thereof, in any epoch, any planet, or universe, with any initial conditions, for that matter. That would be effectively your avatar in such simulated reality.
A more boisterous scientific and philosophical discourse around the Simulation Theory has been picking up steam since The Matrix classic came out in 1999. Among the most notable publications worth mentioning here: A bold, unorthodox paper by cyberneticist Ross Rhodes, first published in 1999 with a revised version in 2001, “A Cybernetic Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics” pre-dates Bostrom’s “Are You Living in the Computer Simulation?” (2003). Rhodes presents to us a well-grounded argument that the “fuzzy” physics of the quantum world can be interpreted as evidence that we are integral, dynamic part of some sort of computer-simulated reality. In 2008 paper titled “The Physical World as a Virtual Reality” Brian Whitworth, professor at Massey University in New Zealand, explores the idea that our Universe fits better the description as a virtual reality created by information processing. In 2018 paper, On Testing the Simulation Theory, published in the International Journal of Quantum Foundations, former NASA physicist Tom Campbell and others propose a series experiments to be implemented to test the theory.
On the 20th anniversary of The Matrix, Bayview Books released "The Simulation Hypothesis: An MIT Computer Scientist Shows How AI, Quantum Physics and Eastern Mystics All Agree That We Are In A Video Game" by Rizwan Virk, that would actually qualify as a prequel to my own "The Syntellect Hypothesis: Five Paradigms of the Mind's Evolution." We cannot completely rule out the Simulation Hypothesis with its numerous paradoxes such as an infinite regress problem and its quasiphysicalist basis, but we can consider yet another much more optimistic alternative (and much more probable, too) that I make my case for in my latest book.
-by Alex Vikoulov
P.S. This article is adapted from my newly-released book "The Syntellect Hypothesis: Five Paradigms of the Mind's Evolution" available now on Amazon, from Barnes & Noble, and directly from this website.
Order Now! Available Formats: EBook | Paperback | Hardcover |
Autographed Copy Tags: VIKI, I-Robot, Syntellect Hypothesis, Five Paradigms, Mind's Evolution, Simulation Hypothesis, Simulation Theory, Simulation Argument, Nick Bostrom, posthuman, posthuman civilization, computer simulation, ancestor simulations, Technological Singularity, Albert Einstein, Matrix-like simulation, The Physical World as a Virtual Reality, Brian Whitworth Quantum Realism, virtual reality, simulated reality, The Matrix, Ross Rhodes, A Cybernetic Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics, Are You Living in the Computer Simulation? computer-simulated reality, information processing, On Testing the Simulation Theory, Quantum Foundations, Tom Campbell, Bayview Books, The Simulation Hypothesis: An MIT Scientist Shows How AI, Quantum Physics and Eastern Mystics All Agree That We Are In A Video Game, Rizwan Virk, infinite regress problem, quasiphysicalist basis.
*Image Credit: The 13th Floor, the movie (1999)
About the Author:
Alex Vikoulov is a futurist, digital philosopher, neo-transcendentalist, transhumanist singularitarian, evolutionary extrapolist, cosmist, independent scholar, founder of Ecstadelic Media, painter, media artist, essayist, co-author of "Is Reality a Simulation?" (2018), author of "The Syntellect Hypothesis: Five Paradigms of the Mind's Evolution" (2019). Lives in Burlingame, California (San Francisco Bay Area).
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