In 1988 I was in a library perusing the shelves, chilling,
you know, like you do; and was intrigued by the cover of the Atlantic Monthly
Magazine. There was an article about a
guy name Edward Fredkin who was putting forward the hypothesis that a computer
was actually the core structure of the Universe.
The title of this post is about simulations; and the idea
that a computer actually generates the physics and chemistry we experience
isn’t a simulation per say but it made me start to question what is behind what
we experience.
Link to Article: https://www.theatlantic.com/past/docs/issues/88apr/wright.htm
Fast forward 10 years-ish and “The Matrix” starring Keanu
Reeves is out and, spoiler alert, the idea that perhaps we are living in a
simulation becomes part of popular culture.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Matrix
A few years after that a philosopher named Nick Bostrom
published a paper titled “Are You in a Computer Simulation?” which launched a
small cottage industry of philosophers and scientists speculating on: if we are in a simulation, what is the nature
and purpose of that simulation and so forth.
Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulation_hypothesis
Taking things up to contemporary times: simulation theory is
prevalent in popular culture via such luminaries as Joe Rogan who has several
podcast episodes on the topic. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6SmR8uRrv8).
Simulation Theory is out there in pop culture, and on our
college campuses.
So, let’s have a definition of simulation that can apply to
the idea that we might be living in one.
I have adapted a definition of the term simulation I found
on vocabulary.com to align with my topic as follows: a simulation is something purposely created
to represent something else – it isn’t the real thing. At times you might create or perform a
simulation to accomplish a specific purpose.
https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/simulation
With that definition in mind: what I and probably most of us
don’t like about the idea of living in a simulation, is that if that is the
case, in some way our life is not “real”.
It is “fake.”
But there is something I like about the idea of living in a
simulation. A simulation is very
purposely created with a very specific objective. But, we’ll get back to that shortly.
First, Let’s talk about the “fakeness” of living in a
simulation.
QUESTION: How “real” as opposed to “fake” is our
experience of the world?
In the interest of brevity I will permit myself only one illustrative point on this.
When we look at the sun, or things that reflect some portion
of what we call the electro magnetic spectrum coming from the sun, what do we
actually see? If the full electro
magnetic spectrum with its progressively growing wave lengths was analogously laid out along a foot long ruler,
the human eye only has the capacity to “see” about a quarter of inch of the
full spectrum the sun emits. Less than
10%.
Link: https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.ro8yGkI2nC76tUjJHJUOtwHaD4%26pid%3DApi&f=1&ipt=683050d7da8ece36fe80a2308ee0a8ce87cce614730d6481645afb4359fea38e&ipo=images
And of that tiny fraction that we “see” what does it really
mean that we “see” it? When this handful
of wavelengths hit the back of our eye they activate some cells called rods and
cones which in turn activate a series of specialized nerve cells which transfer
“signals” via a series of chemical and electronic reactions over to the optic
nerve bundle in which there is a similar series of electronic and chemical
reactions which eventually signal back to the back of our brain. By the time it gets to the back of our brain
there is no light involved at all. There
are just all these electronic and chemical reactions that generate in our mind
(whatever that is) the wonderful images we experience. Images like a beautiful purple white
hydrangea in late bloom or perhaps more importantly a delicious red apple hanging
from a tree.
Reference Link: https://discoveryeye.org/optic-nerve-visual-link-brain/
So, given all those intermediate steps and transformations
that occur to generate sight, how can we say that what we “see” is “real?” There is something out there but what we
“see” is really just a very functional model of what is “really” out
there. A model generated by our biology.
And what’s more: There
are many similar intermediating steps for our sense of hearing, sense of smell
and everything else we experience.
Now going back to our definition “A simulation is
something that represents something else — it isn't the real thing…” Given the preceding, doesn’t it seem correct
if we said… “When we experience the outside world we are experiencing something
that REPRESENTS the outside world -
it isn’t the “real” outside world itself.
I come at the above from the perspective of a Christian and
thinking about it that way: I think that
is what we as Christians believe? God
created a universe and the consistent rules of physics and chemistry. Then on top of that system - He made biology
which culminated in His creation of Humans which He called very good. He made us in a very purposeful way such that
when we experience the world around us that it generates feelings of pain, beauty,
delight, pleasure, joy and love among other things.
And coming to the point of “to what purpose”: It is love.
To extend love from the spiritual world to the physical. Love from God to us and from us to God and from
us to us. The purpose is love.
So, if you ask me, Do we live in simulation? My answer is Yes: We live in a world we were created to
experience in a very specific and fabricated way for a very clear and specific
purpose. One in which the entity that
made the simulation loves me and is constantly reaching out to me and has shown
me the purpose for why all this wonderfulness and misery that I experience
exists. To be loved and to love.
It is NOT just a cold random universe we live in.
It is a platform to love and experience love. To make and see love flourish.
I will give thanks to You,
For I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20139&version=NASB
Then Sings My Soul
My Savior God to Thee
How Great Thou Art
How Great Thou Art
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_Great_Thou_Art
