I just saw the end of a show talking about a new theory regarding time-travel, which states sometime in humanities future, we will have computers powerfull enough to perfectly simulate our past. Not only that, but these computers will be able to simulate billions of possible pasts, which means the likelihood of you or I being real, and not a simulated being, are in fact 1,000,000,000 - 1 against.

What are other peoples take on this? It's absolutely mind-blowing, and the only way this theory could be proven is if someone build a computer program that almost perfectly simulated our past.....rendering a large majority of the human population literally non-existent in the blink of an eye

Assuming that such a computer is invented, I wonder, what would be the effect of a simulated entity becoming aware of the simulation? Is this starting to sound alot like a moderately recent movie?

A simulated world MAY also explain alot of "supernatural" phenomena. They could merely be glitches in the programming or the simulation operators resetting, fine-tuning, inserting or removing parts of the simulation

I see a million monkeys. They all have type-writers.

Say I had a computer fast enough to generate all possible 256x256 bitmaps (images). Within this set would be a picture of every person who ever lived and died. There would be pictures of every galaxy, star, planet and moon. The big bang, the big crunch. If it was possible to photograph it, real or not, then its combination would exist in this set.

But here's the problem: along side pictures containing real structures are lots of things that never existed, never happened, and are impossible within the laws of the universe. A picture alone doesn't contain information about whether it's real or not.

The point? Even with the most powerful computer that could simulate the past, you could never prove whether or not it's actually real or just a product of the algorithm generating it.

My view is that no matter how 'brilliant' we become, Heisenburgs uncertainty principle means we can never map out the past, therefore not only signifying existence is real, but also concluding that their was a deliberate reason for our existence, as the shear number of other possible outcomes of every single interaction ever, is just beyond any human cognitive ability. That makes no sense prolly except in my head.

Originally posted by LordGoofus
A simulated world MAY also explain alot of "supernatural" phenomena. They could merely be glitches in the programming or the simulation operators resetting, fine-tuning, inserting or removing parts of the simulation

Haha that sounds alot like the Matrix. Any ideas on who/what programmed the simulation or why? That's what i'd like to know.

Originally posted by electric
The point? Even with the most powerful computer that could simulate the past, you could never prove whether or not it's actually real or just a product of the algorithm generating it.

Thats something along the lines of what I was thinking. Sure you could calculate a bunch of different scenarios but that doesn't mean it's real at all. What about the other variables it might fail to consider?

I think there for I am

This sounds alot like the matrix or a very advanced form of the game the Sims.

Originally posted by LordGoofus
the likelihood of you or I being real, and not a simulated being, are in fact 1,000,000,000 - 1 against.

.....rendering a large majority of the human population literally non-existent in the blink of an eye

No, actually. All it means is that our exact personage was hard to come up with, but if we had been any different, the same result would've happened. It's a rare thing for me, exactly me, to be made, but it happened, and if I wasn't here, then there'd be someone else who was.

No biggy.

Oh , obviously something isnt quite right, or we would all be millionaires, have no worries, and life could be perfect.

Darn if we're going to do it, do it right.

This could explain why we are said to live over and over again?

I'm sorry, i dont buy it

Originally posted by dgtempe
Oh , obviously something isnt quite right, or we would all be millionaires, have no worries, and life could be perfect.

Darn if we're going to do it, do it right.

Dont you remember the Matrix they tried that and people just wouldnt except it as real and kept trying to wake up fom the simulation.

having a think about it the 'uncertainty principle' is a rather 'convinient' way of destorying the proof :/

I think you are refering to the "Quantum computer".

If it can be built - it presently only exists in theory ( though quantum theory is about as solid as theories come so its fair to assume one can be built given enough research) - it would be able to simulate multiple universes in a fraction of a second. Within these simulated universes civilisations could evolve and develop the technology to build their own quantum computers which they could use to simulate their own universes. This process would go on and on.

The up shot of all this is that if quantum computers can be built then there are going to be a vast amount of universes being simulated. So much so that the odds are that how ever many "real" universes there are they are going to be vastly outnumbered by the simulated universes. So if we ever built a quantum computer we can more or less assume that we ourselves are inside a simulation.

Personally I don't regard this as meaning that we aren't "real". If the simulation is good enough what would the difference be between being real and simulated?

Originally posted by wdl
I think you are refering to the "Quantum computer".

If it can be built - it presently only exists in theory ( though quantum theory is about as solid as theories come so its fair to assume one can be built given enough research) - it would be able to simulate multiple universes in a fraction of a second. Within these simulated universes civilisations could evolve and develop the technology to build their own quantum computers which they could use to simulate their own universes. This process would go on and on.

So your suggesting that every single particle interaction in not only the 12 billion years of this universe but also an unknown number of universes are going to be recorded and emulated in a program?????

ARE YOU OFF YOU MIND!!!!????????

I was not refering to 'quantum computing'........'quantum computing' does not negate the uncertainty principle, and certainly (IRONY IMPLIED) does not mean that we will be able to emulate universes............as it stands we struggle with Proteins, quantum computers will help with # like that, but dont over estimate them!

[edit on 30/10/05 by Strodyn]

When it comes down to it this thing is just an theoretical exercise. Even if something like this were possible, you wouldn't realise it, because well...you're nothing but a program in a simulation

It's interesting the people that say something like this is not possible. How do you know? 30years ago, we discovered you could make an electric abacus. 20years ago, we discovered 256 colour screens. 10 years ago, we discovered 3d graphics. This year, we discovered holographic screens. We've gone from 256KB of RAM to (where I work) on average 1GB RAM. 100MB HDD to 100GB+ HDD. Who knows where computers will be in another 30years time? 60? 100?

I guess I just like the theory because it's kooky, and I'm a programmer so it naturally appeals to me hehe.

It does make one wonder how you'd go using this theory as an excuse in court...

"Yes your honour, I killed him. But I believe in the 'simulated world' theory, so, you see, the man didn't really exist. In fact, it's highly likely you don't exist either."

its like that other thing i heard, where in the future they predict ur brain can be downloaded to a computer...i wouldnt mind living in a computer world as long as i was able to program my life the way i wanted and could change it at any time "hit the reset button", its a garaunteed heaven.

Hey LordGoofus, I saw this show too.. SBS in Australia yeah? It was really interesting, how bout that guy with the coil thing on his head to go back in time haha

Originally posted by MrConstantine
Hey LordGoofus, I saw this show too.. SBS in Australia yeah? It was really interesting, how bout that guy with the coil thing on his head to go back in time haha

I didn't get to see that. I only saw the last 5mins or so when they were talking about this simulated reality theory. I'm wishing I'd seen the whole show, it sounded interesting.

So you mean were all living on a giant set like in the Truman Show

Originally posted by warpboost
So you mean were all living on a giant set like in the Truman Show

As likely an explanation for existence as anything else I have ever heard. Still doesnt answer why tho?