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<blockquote data-quote="2old4this" data-source="post: 17677" data-attributes="member: 174998">A string of recent SciFi tales have explored the idea that we may actually be living inside some kind of simulation. Matrix, Thirteenth Floor, etc. New Scientist last year even published a serious article which through a process of logic and extrapolation (of the current rate of advances in computing) deemed it a virtual certainty (no pun intended).This idea fascinates me. I started a thread at the (Darwin) Philosphy Forum a few months ago and had some interesting discussion there.One thing that particularly intrugues me is this: would there be any way in which we could ever determine whether we were or were not simulations? If not, even in principle, then this &quot;theory&quot; becomes a non-falsifiable premise and falls into the realm of religion rather than science.Since I was a boy I've toyed with the idea that at some point in our lives we may become party to a secret so profound that we would never dare reveal it to a living soul. As a ten year old it was fascinating to think that all those millions of adults around me knew something that was so shocking they would never reveal it. Imagine now that there is such a secret - being that we are in fact simulations. Upon learning that, we would so endanger the stability of the illusion that we would have to be removed from the simulation. Perhaps our deaths occur at the moment of learning the truth.Just some idle thoughts for a Friday afternoon.&nbsp; What are yours?2old</blockquote>

[QUOTE="2old4this, post: 17677, member: 174998"] A string of recent SciFi tales have explored the idea that we may actually be living inside some kind of simulation. Matrix, Thirteenth Floor, etc. New Scientist last year even published a serious article which through a process of logic and extrapolation (of the current rate of advances in computing) deemed it a virtual certainty (no pun intended). This idea fascinates me. I started a thread at the (Darwin) Philosphy Forum a few months ago and had some interesting discussion there. One thing that particularly intrugues me is this: would there be any way in which we could ever determine whether we were or were not simulations? If not, even in principle, then this "theory" becomes a non-falsifiable premise and falls into the realm of religion rather than science. Since I was a boy I've toyed with the idea that at some point in our lives we may become party to a secret so profound that we would never dare reveal it to a living soul. As a ten year old it was fascinating to think that all those millions of adults around me knew something that was so shocking they would never reveal it. Imagine now that there is such a secret - being that we are in fact simulations. Upon learning that, we would so endanger the stability of the illusion that we would have to be removed from the simulation. Perhaps our deaths occur at the moment of learning the truth. Just some idle thoughts for a Friday afternoon. What are yours? 2old [/QUOTE]

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