Are we living in a computer simulation?

A question raised by high-profile physicists and philosophers- Are we living in a computer simulation? Are we real or virtual? This turned out to be a question of debate, so that is the reality? Since the Enlightenment period, whether we are living in a simulated universe became a hot topic of debate and there is no specific answer to it.

The theory of simulation hypothesis came from the University of Oxford philosopher in the year 2003 when Nick Bostrum suggested that members of an advanced civilization with an unbelievable computing power might decide to run simulations of their ancestors.

What are the other reasons to think that we are virtual? Yes, there are some. For example, the more we try to learn about the universe, the more it feels to be based on mathematical law. Of course, this may not be the fact but a function of the nature of the universe in which we are living.

A cosmologist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) says- If I were a character in a computer game, I would also discover eventually that the rules seemed completely rigid and mathematical.

Put the odds at 50-50 that our entire existence is a program on someone else’s hard drive- Moderator Neil deGrasse Tyson, director of the museum’s Hayden Planetarium. According to him, the likelihood may be very high.

He also took note of the gap between the intelligence of humans and chimpanzee and found that humans and chimpanzees share 98% of DNA.

Somewhere out there, could be someone who has a higher intelligence level. He said, if this is the case, then we all are the creation of someone else’s entity for their entertainment.

James Gates, a theoretical physicist at the University of Maryland says- he found this a very strange thing in the research.

Room for skepticism

With this reasoning, not everyone on the panel agreed. This can simply be the fad of the moment if you are finding some IT solutions for your problems.

Kind of like if you’re a hammer, every problem looks like a nail- said, Tyson.

So are we like Neo? Are we living in a Matrix-like simulation of reality created by highly advanced human beings?

This raises another question, is matrix real?

an Oxford philosopher Nick Bostrum argued that more likely than not, everyone on Earth today is living in a simulation.

What this movie centers around is the philosophical concept that our reality may not be real. The protagonist of the film finds out that his world is a vast simulation run by hyper-intelligent artificial intelligence. A large number of scientists and philosophers started to discuss the validity of the claim of this movie.

According to some philosophers, the idea that we are living in a simulation is something that can be believed. To some moviegoers, Neo’s gravity-defying, and bullet-dodging concepts in the movie The Matrix may seem perennial.

Nick Bostrom said he hadn’t seen The Matrix before publishing the paper, in his first draft of the paper, he suggested that a highly advanced super-computer with a mass on the order of a planet- would be capable of running a simulation on a humanity-size scale. This computer would be capable of doing 10(42) calculations per second, and it could simulate the entire history of humankind which will include all our thoughts, emotions, feelings, as well as memories by using less than one-millionth of its processing power for just one second.

Somewhere around 15 years later, Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla and SpaceX echoed Bostrum’s ideas. He said at a 2016 Recode conference that he thinks “The odds that we’re in base reality is one in billions.”

Today, Bostrum is still wondering and keeps on talking about the fraught relationship between computers and humans. At a TED conference, he said that humanity could destroy itself with the technology of its own creation.

He also suggested that mass surveillance using AI is the way to save us from ourselves.

Rizwan Virk, a computer scientist and the author of the new book “The Simulation Hypothesis,” told Vox- There’s a very good chance we are, in fact, living in a simulation.

Rizwan Virk calls it “The Great Simulation” and he imagines this as a video game of life.

Virk told Vox- You can think of it like a high resolution or high-fidelity video game in which we are all characters.

He agreed on the fact that, of course, that nobody can be completely confident that we are living in a simulation, but he also added that there are plenty of pieces of evidence that point in that direction.

Bostrum’s theory was tested by some researchers
After Bostrum’s paper came out, various academics have tried to test the idea that humanity is living in a simulation.

In 2017, a study in the journal Science Advances argued that one type of limited simulation couldn’t work due to hardware issues.

More importantly, the authors who did the study also suggested that classical computers don’t have enough memory to store the information and to simulate certain scenarios in our lives.

By studying cosmic rays, a group of physicists also gave an attempt to address these questions. the subatomic particles in it and physicists simulate space, using coordinates on a grid.

So, some colleagues with nuclear physicist Silas Beane pointed out in a 2014 paper that probably the mass simulation we may be living in would make use of that same coordinate system. As per their logic, if certain particles such as high-energy cosmic rays, always exhibit a maximum energy level (that is believed they do) then the constraints on their behavior may be due to the simulation’s underlying grid.

The authors mentioned in the paper that there always remains the possibility for the simulated to discover the simulators.

But, it is a mere fact that we may never know the reality!
Many scientists came to the conclusion that we will never be able to figure out whether we are living in a simulation.

A physicist and philosopher at Dartmouth College, Marcelo Gleiser told New Scientist that attempting to figure out Bostrum’s question according to our knowledge in the present as well as the capabilities in terms of technology is very hopeless.

The reason being, if we were really living in a simulation, scientists would not be having any clue about the laws of physics in the “real world” outside. In addition to this, they may also not know what types of computations would be possible outside the bounds of our simulation, said, Gleiser.

In terms of computing power or the laws of physics, everything that we think we know about what is possible could only be another aspect of the simulation.

Real-life or simulation, are we even alive? Or we are living in memories? Let’s raise another point.

Of course, we are living in a technologically advanced world, but there are endless questions that remain questions at the moment. Are they miracles? If yes, then what are miracles? And who is the one behind it doing this? If this is nature, then who created nature? Ultimately, where did all this started? There is a lot to mull over.

So, what do you think? Are we alive or living in memories?

At some point or another, we can find ourselves falling down from “X” height and we find ourselves dead, and the next moment, our eyes open and Good Morning! You’re still alive!
When you are conscious and still able to feel and live through moments, is this on the right track here, or we should get back to the point that we’re all living in a memory.

If we are living in a memory, so are we dead? How can someone be dead if still experiencing? Are we a ghost reliving memories?

If we are not alive and living in memories, then we must have been alive at some point in time experiencing all these things that we are living in our memories at the moment.

Assuming that we have been alive at some point, and living in memories, then what about the sequence? Are we living in our memories in the same sequence that we lived when we were alive?

Who is that alive or dead person?

What questions do strike in your mind?

Do you have any answers to these questions?

Let us know in the comments and we will have a great discussion about it.

This may come as surprise to many that more and more surveys are finding the fact that teenagers are lonelier as compared to other age groups. For instance, a survey by British Broadcasting Corporation (BCC) found that 4 in every 10 youngsters are lonely. This feeling of loneliness is defined in many ways including but not limited to fear of missing out (FOMO), feeling misunderstood, not having anyone to speak with, sadness, and feeling disconnected from the world.

How to combat loneliness?

Check out these tips and you will surely find know how to combat loneliness.

Help others in need

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Start with something that makes you feel attached. Giving and helping others is the key! There are many people who need your help and even if you do a little thing that is easily possible for you, it makes you feel great from within.

Visit an old age home with some fruits and spend some time with elderly people, donate something in a childcare center, or simply help a pet by feeding, all these small things will make a big difference and help you feel attached

Also read: High-Stress Entrepreneurs Need to focus on Work-Life Balance.

Interact with those who have mutual feelings

Talk about your story and also listen to someone’s story- from the one who shares mutual feelings. When you are lonely, your level of empathy increases, and when you speak with someone who is feeling lonely too, it will improve your self-esteem.

On the other hand, you are also helping another person who is feeling lonely too, and it’s a win-win situation for both of you.

Get a pet

And, this is something that can provide you with instant results. Decide what pet would you love to have, and the one you are ready to make a part of your family. It can be a dog, a rabbit, a pair of love birds, or the choice is completely yours.

Pets such as dogs are not only loyal but they are a great companion with whom you can spend some quality time, they offer great support to those who are feeling sad or lonely.

Did you know: Dogs can see the sadness in humans and by initiating cuddling, they attempt to make their owners feel happy!

Practice mindfulness activities

Practicing mindfulness is a way to spend some quality “ME” time. And, thankfully, you have a wide variety of options to do that.

Light a candle, look at its flame for around 10 to 15 minutes, set your mind completely free and allow it to think whatever it wants to, and don’t judge, let your thoughts come and pass, and soon, you will feel calm and relaxed.

The other way is to prepare a gratitude list, pen down 10 things that you are grateful for. You can do this early morning or when you go to bed. Once you have those 10 things written on a piece of paper, you will be able to focus on what’s working in life instead of what’s not, and it will give you instant relaxation.

Indulge in creativity

So, you have nobody to speak with and you are all alone. Well, try something that you have never done before, or you can call it something you used to do before.

Try some dance steps, read a book, write something you want, sketching and painting, try creating some doodle arts, and there are many ways you can spend some quality time, even when there’s no one around you.

The bottom line

It is important to note that depression is real, so is loneliness these negative feelings should be taken seriously. Even if you see any of your near and dear ones feeling lonely, help them! Share this vital information with all your loved ones. 

So, now when you are here, you probably want to know how are they different. Yes, your managers, your bosses, or those entrepreneurs whom you see and get inspired, you want to be like them, you want to achieve what they have in their life. If you will analyze and pen down the differences that you feel in someone doing his eigh-hour-a-day desk job and going home and the one who owns the business, of course, you will have a long list of key differences between an employee and an entrepreneur.

Let’s discuss the same here.

The difference between and an entrepreneur and employees mindset

Check out these differences and see how you can acquire entrepreneurship skills.about:blank

The mindset

It all starts with mindset.

Employees work with a fixed mindset, they only care about the paycheque and set boundaries. You will see a lot of people who are working as an employee very happy with a fixed amount of pay and working day in and day out for months. It is a limited mindset and it is a harsh reality that most employees don’t think beyond that.

Entrepreneurs work with a growth mindset. They are focused and dedicated to taking their business to new heights and day in and day out, they work restlessly to grow their business.  They are keen to find new ways, meet new people, make new clients, so that they can do what they are supposed to do- business.

Risks taking abilities

Employees rarely (or never) take risks, they are always afraid of trying something new or making an investment (even a small one), and success demands risk-taking abilities. They always prefer being on the safer side and this keeps the growth opportunities to the minimum.

Entrepreneurs are risk-takers; they always look for new opportunities to make an investment or find anything that can give them or their business some growth. Hence, when entrepreneurs find such growth opportunities, they don’t hesitate to take risks and simply go for them with confidence. 

Challenges

In most cases, employees hate being challenged as they are quite happy with completing their daily tasks and going back home. For some employees, even a little bit of additional work feels like a burden or workload, they don’t understand the significance of going the extra mile.

Entrepreneurs know that fact that challenges are helpful to grow. This is the reason why you will find entrepreneurs accepting challenges and giving their best. Moreover, they also know the results they want to bring for the accepted challenges and they are unstoppable until they achieve it.

During failure

For an employee, failure is a time of frustration, depression, and giving up. They waste a lot of time thinking (or overthinking) about the failure instead of learning a lesson from it.

Failures are lessons for entrepreneurs and they know how to bounce back. Entrepreneurs learn lessons from their mistakes and failures and they know it is not the end result.

Problem-solving

Employees focus on problems and feel worried about them. In addition, you can find employees blaming others for any mistake or problem they might be facing.

The case is completely different when we talk about entrepreneurs, they focus on solving the problem and moving ahead. They don’t blame others and simply get things resolved, even if they need to do it on their own.

Working on weaknesses

Employees know their strengths and weaknesses (some of them don’t even think about it) and do nothing about them.

Entrepreneurs work on their weaknesses and turn them into their strengths, they know they can learn anything!

Smartness and company

You will find a lot of employees surrounded by other employees or the ones who are junior to them. And, an employee prefers to be the smartest person in the room.

Entrepreneurs surround themselves with entrepreneurs, especially the ones who are a lot more successful. They want to be surrounded by smarter people so that they can learn new things.

Summing it up…

You don’t need to be a business owner or a CEO of a startup to be an entrepreneur, but you need to have an entrepreneurial mindset if you want to attract success.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton