The Naked Scientists
  • Login
  • Register
  • Podcasts
      • The Naked Scientists
      • eLife
      • Naked Genetics
      • Naked Astronomy
      • In short
      • Naked Neuroscience
      • Ask! The Naked Scientists
      • Question of the Week
      • Archive
      • Video
      • SUBSCRIBE to our Podcasts
  • Articles
      • Science News
      • Features
      • Interviews
      • Answers to Science Questions
  • Get Naked
      • Donate
      • Do an Experiment
      • Science Forum
      • Ask a Question
  • About
      • Meet the team
      • Our Sponsors
      • Site Map
      • Contact us

User menu

  • Login
  • Register
  • Home
  • Help
  • Search
  • Tags
  • Member Map
  • Recent Topics
  • Login
  • Register
  1. Naked Science Forum
  2. Non Life Sciences
  3. Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology
  4. Could the universe be a simulation?
« previous next »
  • Print
Pages: [1]   Go Down

Could the universe be a simulation?

  • 12 Replies
  • 1294 Views
  • 0 Tags

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline RobC (OP)

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • 74
  • Activity:
    0.5%
  • Thanked: 4 times
    • View Profile
Could the universe be a simulation?
« on: 15/04/2019 18:43:34 »
Recent expressed views ranged from a reluctant yes from Zohreh Davoudi to no from Lisa Randall and maybe's from Max Tegmark and David Chalmers.
Logged
 



Offline yor_on

  • Naked Science Forum GOD!
  • *******
  • 27374
  • Activity:
    100%
  • Thanked: 64 times
  • (Ah, yes:) *a table is always good to hide under*
    • View Profile
Re: Could the universe be a simulation?
« Reply #1 on: 15/04/2019 18:56:13 »
Maybe.
If so, what is 'free will'?
Logged
"BOMB DISPOSAL EXPERT. If you see me running, try to keep up."
 

Offline alancalverd

  • Global Moderator
  • Naked Science Forum GOD!
  • ********
  • 10990
  • Activity:
    100%
  • Thanked: 634 times
  • life is too short to drink instant coffee
    • View Profile
Re: Could the universe be a simulation?
« Reply #2 on: 15/04/2019 19:06:45 »
Simulation of what?
Logged
helping to stem the tide of ignorance
 

Offline RobC (OP)

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • 74
  • Activity:
    0.5%
  • Thanked: 4 times
    • View Profile
Re: Could the universe be a simulation?
« Reply #3 on: 15/04/2019 20:21:25 »
Quote from: alancalverd on 15/04/2019 19:06:45
Simulation of what?
So it's basically whether in the beginning god hit the enter key and then there was light
or if he hit the delete key and then there was light.
Logged
 

Offline yor_on

  • Naked Science Forum GOD!
  • *******
  • 27374
  • Activity:
    100%
  • Thanked: 64 times
  • (Ah, yes:) *a table is always good to hide under*
    • View Profile
Re: Could the universe be a simulation?
« Reply #4 on: 16/04/2019 15:39:22 »
Or maybe it just happened :)
Logged
"BOMB DISPOSAL EXPERT. If you see me running, try to keep up."
 



Offline geordief

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • 421
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Thanked: 7 times
    • View Profile
Re: Could the universe be a simulation?
« Reply #5 on: 16/04/2019 15:46:33 »
Quote from: alancalverd on 15/04/2019 19:06:45
Simulation of what?
What I thought. That is turtle territory ,isn't it?

But if we try to design a virgin  universe from scratch ,only limited by our powers of imagination ,is that still a simulation  based on our past experiences? An offshoot ,no matter how remote and extrapolated from the universe we do live in and observe.
Logged
 

Offline yor_on

  • Naked Science Forum GOD!
  • *******
  • 27374
  • Activity:
    100%
  • Thanked: 64 times
  • (Ah, yes:) *a table is always good to hide under*
    • View Profile
Re: Could the universe be a simulation?
« Reply #6 on: 16/04/2019 15:57:34 »
simulation: Representation of something.

would that be it :)

what is a simulation in this case?
Take HUP, the observation defines the particle, or wave.

Take what you use to create a theory.
Thoughts
Logged
"BOMB DISPOSAL EXPERT. If you see me running, try to keep up."
 

Offline jeffreyH

  • Global Moderator
  • Naked Science Forum King!
  • ********
  • 6807
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Thanked: 174 times
  • The graviton sucks
    • View Profile
Re: Could the universe be a simulation?
« Reply #7 on: 16/04/2019 19:35:43 »
If we were living in a computer simulation then there would inevitably be bugs in the system. It is impossible to eliminate all computer errors. These would be detectable. So what 'bugs' do we have in our universe?
Logged
Even the most obstinately ignorant cannot avoid learning when in an environment that educates.
 

Online chiralSPO

  • Global Moderator
  • Naked Science Forum King!
  • ********
  • 3441
  • Activity:
    13%
  • Thanked: 428 times
    • View Profile
Re: Could the universe be a simulation?
« Reply #8 on: 16/04/2019 20:35:56 »
Quote from: jeffreyH on 16/04/2019 19:35:43
If we were living in a computer simulation then there would inevitably be bugs in the system. It is impossible to eliminate all computer errors. These would be detectable. So what 'bugs' do we have in our universe?
Would they necessarily be detectable to the subprograms (us) within the major program? ie if the program is laggy and buffering, would we perceive a stop and start, or would it appear continuous and smooth within the running program?

Logged
 



Offline yor_on

  • Naked Science Forum GOD!
  • *******
  • 27374
  • Activity:
    100%
  • Thanked: 64 times
  • (Ah, yes:) *a table is always good to hide under*
    • View Profile
Re: Could the universe be a simulation?
« Reply #9 on: 16/04/2019 21:12:26 »
Spot on Chiral. Looked at another way it's a question about what time is? A flow, or discrete? Would we notice any difference?
Logged
"BOMB DISPOSAL EXPERT. If you see me running, try to keep up."
 

Offline evan_au

  • Global Moderator
  • Naked Science Forum GOD!
  • ********
  • 9010
  • Activity:
    75%
  • Thanked: 884 times
    • View Profile
Re: Could the universe be a simulation?
« Reply #10 on: 16/04/2019 22:19:39 »
Some philosophers suggest that our presence in a simulation might be testable because there must be some limit on the resolution of the simulation, ie something that cannot be broken down any further.
But that is not very different from the argument of Democritus that there must be something that is indivisible, ie atoms.
See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulation_hypothesis

There is even a kickstarter project to test the hypothesis:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/simulation/do-we-live-in-a-virtual-reality
Logged
 

Offline yor_on

  • Naked Science Forum GOD!
  • *******
  • 27374
  • Activity:
    100%
  • Thanked: 64 times
  • (Ah, yes:) *a table is always good to hide under*
    • View Profile
Re: Could the universe be a simulation?
« Reply #11 on: 16/04/2019 22:27:21 »
And here we go again, saving the world.
Eh, that was what the kickstarter program reminded me of :)
Logged
"BOMB DISPOSAL EXPERT. If you see me running, try to keep up."
 

Offline alancalverd

  • Global Moderator
  • Naked Science Forum GOD!
  • ********
  • 10990
  • Activity:
    100%
  • Thanked: 634 times
  • life is too short to drink instant coffee
    • View Profile
Re: Could the universe be a simulation?
« Reply #12 on: 16/04/2019 22:40:26 »
My contempt for philosophers grows daily.
Logged
helping to stem the tide of ignorance
 



  • Print
Pages: [1]   Go Up
« previous next »
Tags:
 

Similar topics (5)

How do we know the Universe is expanding, and expanding into nothing?

Started by guest39538Board Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology

Replies: 43
Views: 14577
Last post 22/07/2020 05:10:15
by CPT ArkAngel
If the universe is expanding, what is it expanding into?

Started by Tornado220Board Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology

Replies: 16
Views: 5736
Last post 06/07/2017 10:35:51
by paulggriffiths
Where is the "edge" of the Universe?

Started by paul.frBoard Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology

Replies: 25
Views: 20581
Last post 01/04/2020 06:01:21
by hamdani yusuf
If the Universe is expanding, does this mean that space is expanding?

Started by EthosBoard Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology

Replies: 14
Views: 11724
Last post 27/03/2020 21:05:55
by yor_on
How do we "know" that the universe is expanding?

Started by PmbPhyBoard Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology

Replies: 12
Views: 5159
Last post 10/01/2019 10:20:39
by Bored chemist
There was an error while thanking
Thanking...
  • SMF 2.0.15 | SMF © 2017, Simple Machines
    Privacy Policy
    SMFAds for Free Forums
  • Naked Science Forum ©

Page created in 0.209 seconds with 69 queries.

  • Podcasts
  • Articles
  • Get Naked
  • About
  • Contact us
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Subscribe to newsletter
  • We love feedback

Follow us

cambridge_logo_footer.png

©The Naked Scientists® 2000–2017 | The Naked Scientists® and Naked Science® are registered trademarks created by Dr Chris Smith. Information presented on this website is the opinion of the individual contributors and does not reflect the general views of the administrators, editors, moderators, sponsors, Cambridge University or the public at large.