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How do we know we're real?

i. It is possible that a civilization could create a computer simulation which contains individuals with artificial intelligence. ii. Such a civilization would likely run many—say billions—of these simulations (just for fun; for research, etc.) iii. A simulated individual inside the simulation wouldn’t necessarily know that it’s inside a simulation—it’s just going about its daily business in what it considers to be the "real world." Then the ultimate question is—if one accepts that theses 1, 2, and 3 are at least possible, which of the following is more likely? a. We are the one civilization which develops AI simulations and happens not to be in one itself? Or b. We are one of the many (billions) of simulations that has run? (Remember point iii.) This either means that intelligent races will never reach a level of technology where they can run simulations of reality so detailed they can be mistaken for reality or that we are almost certainly living in a simulation. deep.....

Public Comments

1. Heat up an iron really hot... apply to forehead.
2. You are either drunk or using critical thinking skills Either way, nice question
3. Nice try, Wachowski.........
4. Have a computer generated Rice Krispie Treat. They're delicious.
5. It's possibly that all this is just a computer simulation, but remember the old adage "I think, therefore I am." While we have no we of knowing if everything around us is real, we can know that we exist And for all I know this is a simulation being run by a simulation being run by another simulation.
6. maybe, we wouldnt know
7. But how do the people running the simulation know that they are not a simulation?
8. not possible....no master creator. Duh.
9. are you sure you ARE real???
10. I don't see anything deep about it. Since, in an infinite universe, anything is possible, the fact that something is merely "possible" carries no weight, all that "possible" means is that it someone is physically able to imagine it, and, by that standard, one could accept the Lord of the Rings as a literal History of the World as validly as one could the Bible. Any meaningful discussion can only address things that can be empirically demonstrated to be probable or likely, otherwise it's something you take on faith, and therefor, like any other Religion, it is up to each individual to accept or reject it on their own.
11. Deep? I liked The Matrix version better.
12. Welcome to the wonderful world of existentialism, where you haven't lived until you've thought about death all the time. You can find refreshments in the lobby (which, for the sake of convenience, has been deemed "real" by the administration).