Scott Adams: "We're living in a computer simulation"

Makes sense to me. Of course, that's what I've been programmed to think. By whoever is running the simulation we call "life."

Scott Adams, the simulated human which believes it created the comic strip "Dilbert," also believes that it is highly likely we're living in a computer simulation. 

I like his reasoning.

One feature of our so-called reality that makes me scratch my head is the consistency of the rules of physics. One might expect a "natural" universe - one that came from an explosion - to be nothing but randomness on every dimension, including the rules of physics themselves. Any sort of consistency to our perceived reality feels like a "tell" from the simulation creators.

If you were the designer of this simulation you would need to strike a delicate balance. You want the characters to have your curiosity and intelligence but you also need to prevent them from realizing their true nature within the simulation. That means creating boundaries that don't look like boundaries. For example, you might program the simulation to have an infinite size (as if that even makes sense), but limit the maximum speed of things to the speed of light, making it impossible for the simulated people to examine the edges of their universe.

As a designer, you'd also need to make the quantum world totally freaky and endlessly puzzling. What are the tiniest particles in the universe made of? Answer: waves. What is a wave? Answer: Something that makes sense only in the realm of math. When you look for the boundaries of reality you always bump into a wall that defies common sense so aggressively that it looks intentional.

Another hint that we are simulations modeled after our programmers is that we are suspicious about the possibility. If the creators modeled us after themselves, they created simulations that could imagine someday creating their own simulations. That means we might be - wait for it - the simulations of other simulations.

As I blogged about before, physicist Brian Greene also talks about the possibility of the universe being a simulation.  

Noted comic strip artist and noted physicist saying the same thing... not a coincidence. They're on to something. Of course, that's only what the creator of the simulation wants us to know about. 

(Thanks, Steve, for sharing a link to Adam's revelation in your email to me.)

Comments

[Jen]

D.r if you read this yes, I do realise that I am getting older and a bit daffy now but Elon Musk is a very intelligent dude.

Brian, I don't know if you are still interested in the simulation theory. This is a short video: Why Elon Musk says we're living in a simulation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0KHiiTtt4w&t=41s

[IuriiVovchenko]

There are many consequences to our spiritual life in case world is simulated. My book "Answers In Simulation" deals with spiritual side in case the simulation turns to be true. Your post is interesting to me since I didn't know Scott Adams is in the same category.