Collection of articles about simulations, technology and pop culture. The lead pieces by Nick Bostrom are interesting, though there are a few points where I would call logical fallacy on him.
I also enjoyed John Barrow’s Living in a Simulated Universe which explains how technical glitches muddle the laws of nature.
Exercise caution. If you self-stimulate your brain like this too often, your third eye will go blind.
Interesting.
And the bastards that run this simulation have decided to amuse themselves by providing our experimental physicists and astronomers with perpetuating evidence that there’s always the next micro- or macrolevel of the universe to explore as well as making it more probable that your toast will hit the floor with the butter side first.
Reminded me of Theodore Sturgeon’s short story ‘Microcosmic God’ wherein
A biochemist evolves some small but intelligent creatures and by messing with their closed environment gets them to invent, among other things, a very strong fiber cord from bananas, synthetic food and clorophyll, an airplane propeller efficient at mach 8(!), a cure for the common cold, and an inexhaustible power source.
Not much of a spoiler but I suggest you go read it. Good stuff.
Isn’t this just another version of solipsism and thus a philosophically sterile dead end?