Ask HN: Would you live differently if you had proof you were in a simulation?
15 comments
But would you become more nihilistic? Start questioning every social construct? Would you become less fearful? Happier? Or more depressed?
I'm already nihilistic, or Stoic in any case. Already question every social construct; this started when I read the Illuminati trilogy. Fearful of what? My happiness and depression swing in roundabouts.
I don't see any of this changing should I discover I'm in a simulation.
I don't see any of this changing should I discover I'm in a simulation.
But wouldn't the discovery that your living in a simulation be part of the simulation? Would it mean that there is no such thing as free will?
there is no reason to believe we're not in a simulation.
Not to be an azz, but why does every pseudo-intellectual type pose this question? What is so special about the term "simulation" just because someone like Elon Musk says it?
Completely useless topic to waste time and brainpower on.
Completely useless topic to waste time and brainpower on.
If I knew I was living in a simulation, I would be terrified of causing it to crash. It's actually the best reason to worship the creator of the universe that I can think of - there's no logical reason to think they are perfect, but it's so terrifying to think there might be a bug in reality that psychologically it might be necessary to deny the possibility. Also see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_vacuum
If I knew I was living in a simulation I would deliberately poke at the edges to try and crash it. It's likely not a single threaded application, you might be able to crash just a little bit of it.
Does the implementation of reality really make any difference?
If reality was really implemented on the rocks from that one xkcd comic, would it be better or worse compared to a computer simulation?
If reality was really implemented on the rocks from that one xkcd comic, would it be better or worse compared to a computer simulation?
That depends on what is meant by "simulation" and the nature of the "proof."
The default assumption seem to be that it means our reality is essentially code running on some strange alien computer, something easily comprehensible which behaves like the Matrix, but that seems far too anthropocentric to be likely.
It would imply that our universe was designed, though, and that it appears to exist with intent, and would be incredibly annoyed that the theists appear to be half right, but still satisfied that they were half wrong.
The default assumption seem to be that it means our reality is essentially code running on some strange alien computer, something easily comprehensible which behaves like the Matrix, but that seems far too anthropocentric to be likely.
It would imply that our universe was designed, though, and that it appears to exist with intent, and would be incredibly annoyed that the theists appear to be half right, but still satisfied that they were half wrong.
Absolutely, I would crack it like Neo :-)
Yes. All effort would go towards finding a way to circumvent the rules (logic, physics, causality, etc.). People already do this with the "reality" they know, imagine what would happen if nigh-omnipotence were a realistic possibility?
You're still here, still in the same situation. You simply know your in a simulation that's all. Simply knowing it isn't going to suddenly given you super powers and somehow mean you can escape it. Like the universe you are the simulation, you aren't separate from it.