General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Our universe is most likely a computer simulation [View all]Speck Tater
(10,618 posts)This idea first occurred to me in the 1960's and nobody took me seriously.
Now it's going mainstream and I am vindicated!
http://www.simulation-argument.com/simulation.html
http://www.simulation-argument.com/
Bostrom's arguments are convincing, but what I've always disagreed with him about is his notion of "ancestor simulation". He has this peculiar notion that simulations would be based on digitally reconstructing once-living ancestors. That strikes me as pointless when there are so many fictional, hypothetical worlds that could be created and explored.
It also seems to me that the simulation, in addition to being populated with simulated characters, is also a "play environment" for any number of "real" beings whose true existence lies outside the simulation. In other words, some of us are "player characters" (real) even those most of us are "non-player characters" piloted by the simulation software.
The "afterlife" is merely what we do between games, and reincarnation just means coming back into the game with a new player character. Of course to make the game experience truly immersive the interface is programmed to block our memories of our true self and our true existence beyond the game.
This cartoon explains it all.