Do you ever wonder if...

[Evilshy 5,093]

Humans have advanced so far that they are able to run complete computer simulations of beings, and that we're just a simulation of ancient humans used as study subjects for modern (futuristic to us) humans? And what happens when us simulations advance far enough to make our own simulations? Or what if we are within several layers of simulation?

 

The scary thing is, if its possible at all, the chances of it being true are near 100%.

 

The reasoning behind this is that if it's possible for humans to do this, we can be sure we would do it. Look at us, we play the Sims, sim city, strategy games, etc. I think its safe to assume that if we were able to accurately simulate a whole human civilization, we would do it, no question.

Because of this, the chances of being the first humans (and not the sim humans) suddenly becomes tiny, because there are so many other chances to be sim humans. The first humans would eventually create perfect sim humans, who would eventually create their own sim humans, who would eventually create THEIR own sim humans, and so on. Since there is only one group of "real humans" and, theoretically, an infinite number of groups of potential sim humans, the chances of being that first group is so close to 0 its hardly worth considering.

 

Food for thought.

Edited December 11, 2011 by Twilight Sparkle
Adding the "Debate" prefix

[Fade 78]

Not possible yet. I think...

[Evilshy 5,093]

Not possible yet. I think...

 

Exactly. There's no way to tell if it's possible or not. We can't tell if it really is impossible, or if we're in a sim and haven't advanced far enough to make our own.

[Mr. Shoe 20]

Nice point you got there, I must agree. Humankind has really rapidly evolved in technology over the past years. And I wouldn't be surprised if in the near future, we would create a complex and perfect SIM game.

 

Your statement about the probability of us being in a simulator has cought my eye. I doubt it really. Because It really would be hard to simulate a world with billions of living creatures, bacteria, animals and so on. Not to mention the other planets in the universe. You know that our galaxy (milky way) is only a tiny bit of the universe, because there are hundreds of galaxies out there. However, who know's, The robots in the matrix did it, So why couldn't we do it? Well, at least we can be sure that we will not see it, because it will take (I bet) more than 1000 years to simulate entire planets and living organisms.

Edited December 10, 2011 by Mr. Shoe

[Tom The Diamond 1,831]

So... Its like Inception?

 

But with Sims?

[Sunnymilk 40]

This tickled a part of my brain. first I taught, dude, thats just silly, but when I taught more about it, yes it is a possibility. and it is scaring the crap outta me I have been telling my mother for ages that creating life (not thinking of the conventional way) is possible, you just need to do it right and to scale.

this is just a more advanced "version" of just that, might it be inside a computer or on a deserted planet. or you might take it even further and say the originals humans played god and created genesis. but thats another story.

 

Its an interesting hypothesis, scary as [beeb] but indeed interesting.

 

EDIT: I have always had the philosophy that everything is possible, somethings are just harder than others. I believe for full, emulating, creating and whatnot, proper life. is not only possible. but will at some point in time, somewhere, be done. and for all I, you or anyone else know, we might be a part of it.

if nature can create a sentient being, why cant we? there is nothing except advancement stopping us.

and if we can do that. what is stopping us from doing the same inside a computer?

Edited December 10, 2011 by Flutterfry

[Finesthour 7,289]

Actually, that is a subject that Star Ocean: Till' the end of Time thought up.

 

What if we were all a computer program made by a higher source of power?

[Demi 545]

Sometimes I think that when a day just seems to go too good.

 

Like I'm in living in a false reality happy world made just for me.

[Lady Rarity Pony 4,894]

I suppose it is possible simply because it cannot be proven wrong but there is nothing to make me think it is true. There would have to be some sort of evidence beyond "it is possible" to make me even consider it as true.

[Crispy 5,565]

If it is a game, our advanced creators obviously have no rating system.

[Splashee 28,593]

On 12/10/2011 at 9:37 PM, Evilshy said:

we're just a simulation of ancient humans used as study subjects for modern (futuristic to us) humans? And what happens when us simulations advance far enough to make our own simulations? Or what if we are within several layers of simulation?

 

There would be a latency in everything we would do, that would be detectable. It has been studied by professors and books have been written.
 

Too many variables to count for, and to simulate. I can tell it is impossible to simulate "reality" without us detecting it.

 

 

However, it is fun to think about. And also fun to make up stories about how the world is simulated and we discovered it through fun errors.... "Where did your face go, just a second ago? All I saw was you without a head.... haha! We are in The Matrix! ROFLMAO"