X-Message-Number: 16723
Date: Tue, 26 Jun 2001 21:14:02 -0700 (PDT)
From: Scott Badger <>
Subject: Re: But, how can you know if your life is real? 

I somewhat suspect that this reality is, in fact, a
simulation. Primarily because we have already
conceived of such a thing. It is worth noting that the
virtual worlds that currently exist on the internet,
crude as they are, far surpass the allegedly real
earth in terms of square footage. The development of
technology among any sentient species is bound to
result in increasingly sophisticated computer
simulations. Ask yourself what kinds of virtual
worlds/simulations we will likely have here on earth
in 10,000 years. Now ask yourself how many sentient
species are likely to exist in the universe that are
at least 10,000 years older than us in terms of
technological development.

So how would we know this is the fake world? We
couldn't if the creators (machines most likely) were
any good at all at programming.

I would think that creators/programmers capable of
generating simulations as sophisticated as this one
would strive to make successive versions increasingly
undetectable by the "simulants". Maybe there's a
contest going on with the prize going to the most
convincing simulation.

I suspect that if this is a simulation, it will be
uncovered by a singularity-related super intelligent
the programming as professor Ettinger suggested.

Perhaps that's how it works. I can imagine a scenario
where, in any given simulation, the arrtival of a
singularity is the key to disovering the existence of
the simulation ... the SI might also figure out the
means of transporting to the world of the creator. 
But that world would have already had its singularty
and its inhabitants would have likely already
transcended to meet their creators ... leaving only
the machinery necessary to maintain our simulation and
any possible nested simulations. Imagine getting to
heaven only to find that your god had gone off to find
god ...

Perhaps our ultimate evolutionary path is to travel
through these layers until we reach level 1 ... with
universes to explore on the way.

Hey, I'm up for that.

Scott Badger

"Vita Perpetuem"

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