Are we living in a simulation? -- Kriya Yoga Discussion Board Archive 2

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Date Posted: 03:31:33 01/27/03 Mon
Author: ketch-12Nov02
Subject: Are we living in a simulation?

Could we be living in a computer simulation? Are we something like the creations of the fictional holodeck in Star Trek the Next Generation?

The argument is put forward by Nick Bostrom, a philosopher at Yale University, and runs something like this:

Computing power is increasing so that at some time in what we think of as the future computers will be able to simulate conscious beings. When such computing power is readily available to our descendants they are likely to run programs simulating their history for a variety of reasons. The number of such simulated worlds will greatly exceed the number of real worlds (which remains at 1), therefore it is far more probable that we live in a simulation than in a real, pre-simulation world.

Following on from this, Robin Hanson from George Mason University in Virginia published his paper “How to Live in a Simulation” in which he suggests ways in which we may avoid being deleted if we do live in such a simulation. Apparently it is worthwhile to spend our time sucking up to celebrities (they might be the person actually running the simulation for their own entertainment), but not much point trying to alleviate suffering among remote people who may not actually exist.

Both Bostrom’s original paper and Hanson’s follow on, as well as a number of related articles can be reached from this site:

http://www.simulation-argument.com/

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Replies:

Re: Are we living in a simulation? -- Vijay-12Nov02, 03:32:37 01/27/03 Mon
- Re: Are we living in a simulation? -- Mike-13Nov02, 03:33:11 01/27/03 Mon
- Re: Are we living in a simulation? -- ketch-13Nov02, 03:33:42 01/27/03 Mon
  - Re: Are we living in a simulation? -- Eponymous-13Nov02, 03:34:20 01/27/03 Mon
    - Re: Are we living in a simulation? -- ketch-13Nov02, 03:35:53 01/27/03 Mon
      - Re: Are we living in a simulation? -- Hendrik-14Nov02, 03:36:30 01/27/03 Mon
        Re: Are we living in a simulation? -- ketch-14Nov02, 03:37:00 01/27/03 Mon
        Re: Are we living in a simulation? -- Eponymous-14Nov02, 03:37:36 01/27/03 Mon
        Re: Are we living in a simulation? -- ketch-14Nov02, 03:38:13 01/27/03 Mon
        Re: Are we living in a simulation? -- nojdw-14Nov02, 03:38:52 01/27/03 Mon
      - Re: Are we living in a simulation? -- Eponymous-14Nov02, 03:40:05 01/27/03 Mon
        Re: Are we living in a simulation? -- ketch-14Nov02, 03:41:03 01/27/03 Mon
        Re: Are we living in a simulation? -- Eponymous-15Nov02, 03:41:41 01/27/03 Mon

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