Simulation theory

Neither atoms, nor even subatomic particles, are real. They form a world of potentialities or possibilities rather than of objects or facts.
– Werner Heisenberg

The Great Architect of the Universe begins to appear as a pure mathematician.
– Sir James Jeans

As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain; and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality.
– Albert Einstein

Links

The case for why our Universe may be a giant neural network

By Bobby Azarian, posted June 12 2023
https://bigthink.com/hard-science/the-universe-may-be-a-giant-neural-network-heres-why
Neuroscientist and author Bobby Azarian explores the idea that the Universe is a self-organizing system that evolves and learns
The concept of a brain-like Universe - seeded by pre-Socratic philosopher Anaxagoras - is gaining currency. The cosmos looks remarkably similar to the complete wiring diagram of the brain - and “non-local connections” could enable computation. Stephen Hawking saw a path to a new philosophy of physics based on a view of the Universe as a self-organizing entity.

The big idea: are we living in a simulation?

https://theguardian.com/books/2022/aug/08/the-big-idea-are-we-living-in-a-simulation
Could the universe be an elaborate game constructed by bored aliens?
Elon Musk thinks you don’t exist. But it’s nothing personal: he thinks he doesn’t exist either. At least, not in the normal sense of existing. Instead we are just immaterial software constructs running on a gigantic alien computer simulation.

Are we living in a computer simulation?
By Nick Bostrom, published: 28 April 2003
https://academic.oup.com/pq/article-abstract/53/211/243/1610975?login=false
https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9213.00309

Is the universe a hologram? Looking inside a black hole suggests it might be

The idea that the universe is a hologram has been misinterpreted, perhaps partially due to the popularity of films such as The Matrix
The laws of physics demand that we cannot see through a black hole’s event horizon; it is fundamentally impenetrable. Even light cannot escape it.
But in a new study, a physicist from the University of Michigan has proposed a technique to do just that, and his findings could help solve one of science’s most challenging problems.
The study, published in the journal PRX Quantum, even adds weight to the theory that the universe is a hologram.
https://news.sky.com/story/is-the-universe-a-hologram-looking-inside-a-black-hole-suggests-it-might-be-12542553

Irrefutable reasons why we might be living in a simulation

Are we, like Neo, living in a Matrix-like computer simulation of reality created by more advanced, possibly post-human beings?
Almost certainly, at least according to the following evidence - ranging from the plausible, to the semi-plausible, to the maybe-not-so-plausible - under discussion at the endlessly delightful Are We Living in a Simulation? and Glitch in the Matrix sub-Reddits.

The Mandela Effect
Missing Aliens
Electrons That Can’t Make Up Their Minds
DNA That Contains a Computer Virus
Climate Change? How Convenient
Video Games That Look Like Real Life
Weird News
Quarks With Computer Code
Why Does Our Universe Have “Rules” in the First Place?
It’s Not Actually Possible to Prove We’re Not Living in a Simulation
The “Goldilocks Zone”
It Makes More Sense Than “Ghosts”
We Already Know What the “Bricks” of Our Matrix Are
We’re Already Good at Making Simulations, and We’re Getting Even Better
Yanny vs. Laurel 2015

https://vulture.com/2019/02/15-irrefutable-reasons-we-might-be-living-in-a-simulation.html

There’s a 50% chance we’re living in a simulation

Hey, so none of this is real. Don’t worry about it.
Scientists and philosophers meet at the bleeding edge of simulation theory.
Because the question is so big, many experts approach it from very different angles.
The weighted Bayesian calculation has a lot of assumptions built in.
https://popularmechanics.com/science/a34362527/are-we-living-in-a-simulation

Elon Musk says we may live in a simulation

Scientists are looking for ways to put this mind-bending idea to the test.
Is the world around us real, or are we living in a simulation, like characters trapped inside some space alien’s video game?
“If you assume any rate of improvement at all, games will eventually be indistinguishable from reality,” Musk said before concluding, “We’re most likely in a simulation.”
Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson agrees, giving “better than 50-50 odds” that the simulation hypothesis is correct. “I wish I could summon a strong argument against it, but I can find none,” he told NBC News MACH in an email.
Human video game designers typically maximize the efficiency of their programming by generating only the parts of the virtual world that players can see.
If our Matrix overlords are similarly focused on efficiency, they may be meticulous about simulating details while we’re watching an event, but allow a looser style of simulation when they think nobody is looking.
We might be in a simulation, or a simulation in a simulation, but at least we can be pretty sure that it’s not simulations all the way down.
https://nbcnews.com/mach/science/what-simulation-hypothesis-why-some-think-life-simulated-reality-ncna913926

Do we live in a simulation? Chances are about 50–50

Gauging whether or not we dwell inside someone else’s computer may come down to advanced AI research - or measurements at the frontiers of cosmology
“If the simulation has infinite computing power, there is no way you’re going to see that you’re living in a virtual reality, because it could compute whatever you want to the degree of realism you want. If this thing can be detected, you have to start from the principle that [it has] limited computational resources.” Think again of video games, many of which rely on clever programming to minimize the computation required to construct a virtual world.
https://scientificamerican.com/article/do-we-live-in-a-simulation-chances-are-about-50-50