By Sophie X., Grade 8
For many years, scientists have been arguing over this theory. The simulation theory. The first person who proposed this was the philosopher, Nick Bostrom of Oxford University, and in a 2016 conference, Elon Musk said that “The odds that we are in base reality is one in billions.” Are they right? Are we living in a simulation? Is life as we know it actually a lie? The answer is yes, and here are the reasons why.
First, technology and AI has been growing fast. At this rate, we will soon be able to develop very convincing simulations, and we might one day be able to create ones that are indistinguishable from reality.
So if we can do it, why not others? What if advanced simulations before us have already done this and we are just living in one of their carefully crafted worlds? And what if we're just the first out of many simulations? We could be living in a simulation developed by a simulation and so on. How will we ever be sure which world is real?
Secondly, if we were living in a simulation, shouldn’t we expect some glitches, some errors in the code? An example of this can be found in the Observers’ Effect, which says that light forms particles when observed and waves when not. In a simulated environment, interactions with the simulation could alter the outcome, which might explain this phenomenon.
Another example of a glitch is the Mandela’s Effect, which is when large groups of people remember things that haven’t actually happened. For instance, people usually believe that in Star Wars, Darth Vader says “Luke, I am your father,” when he actually says, “No, I am your father.” People also think that Snow White’s stepmother says “Mirror Mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest one of all” when what she actually says is, “Magic Mirror on the wall, and so on.” And remember that famous Monopoly character? Mr. Moneybags with the monocle? Turns out he doesn’t actually have a monocle after all.
Thirdly, there is no infinity. Not even the universe is infinite. It might be at a staggering size of 93 billion light-years, but it is not infinite. So there must be something bigger than the universe. What is bigger than the universe then? What is that thing that houses the universe and everything in it? What is not the universe?
The fact that the universe is still growing must mean that there are things that aren’t the universe. So what are they? And the fact that the universe is not infinite shows that there is a limit to it, like there is a limit to the world in a simulation.
Another example of a limitation has to do with speed. The fastest speed is the speed of light. However, there is something called quantum entanglement that disproves this. Quantum Entanglement is the strange connection between two light particles that enables them to be inextricably bound to each other, so that a change in one causes an immediate change in the other, no matter how far apart they are. These particles do not have to communicate with each other: they immediately, instantaneously change to accommodate the other’s change. Which begs the question how?
How is it faster than the speed of light when there is nothing faster than the speed of light?
Fourthly, there is a concept called Schrodinger’s Cat, where a theoretical scientist considers shoving a cat in a bag and hooking it up with poison (don’t worry, he didn’t actually do it). It says that if we don’t open the bag, we can’t be sure whether the cat is alive or dead, which means that it is both alive and dead at the same time.
This is a form of quantum superposition, which is where particles exist in multiple states simultaneously until observed, and also promotes the idea of a simulated reality.
My fifth and final reason is that everything has a reason, an underlying structure that can prove or disprove things using the laws of science and mathematics. Mathematical equations are everywhere in our daily life, at the core of everything we do. The fact that everything can be explained so precisely might indicate that we are actually living on a carefully constructed computer framework. A simulation.
Now, some people might argue that the simulation theory lacks empirical evidence. However, it is important to remember that absence of evidence does not necessarily mean evidence of absence. Also, the simulation theory offers an explanation for certain events that are difficult to explain using the laws of traditional physics, such as the existence of fundamental constants and the nature of quantum mechanics.
Some people might also argue that the simulation theory is unfalsifiable, because there is no way to observe or experiment with it. However, while we might not be able to directly observe the simulation, we can look for potential signs or glitches within our world that could point to its simulated nature.
Some people might also think that there is no way a measly computer could code something as massive as the universe. But let me ask you this: If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? Technically, no.
So perhaps the entire universe isn’t being rendered at all times, only the parts we interact with. So when you look at the stars in the sky at night, they’re not actually there. They’re just projections painted onto a digital canvas. This can be proven using quantum mechanics, which says that “particles in determined states, such as specific locations, don't seem to exist unless you actually observe or measure them. Similarly, virtual reality needs an observer or programmer for things to happen”.
Or possibly, you are the only real thing. Everything and everyone else is just electrical activity created by your brain. Which means we’re not living in a simulation exactly but in an illusion created just for us.
For all of these reasons and more, I firmly believe that the life we live is a lie and that we are all living in a simulation. Which begs the question, what is reality?
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