Consider, for example, the “simulation hypothesis,” first posited by philosopher Nick Bostrom and later popularized by Elon Musk. The hypothesis says we’re little creatures living in a computer simulation controlled by more-intelligent powers.41 This hypothesis isn’t falsifiable. If we’re like the characters in the video game The Sims, we can’t acquire information about our world from outside it. As a result, we can never prove that our world is not just an illusion.
