Astral Codex Ten Podcast

Don't Fear the Simulators


Listen Later

From the New York Times: Are We Living In A Computer Simulation? Let's Not Find Out.

It lists the standard reasons for thinking we might be in a simulation, then brings up some proposals for testing the hypothesis (for example, the cosmic background radiation might look different in simulations and real universes). But it suggests that we not do that, because if we learn we're in a simulation, that might ruin the simulation and cause the simulators to destroy the universe.

But I think a little more thought suggests we don't have anything to worry about.

In order to notice we had discovered our simulated nature, the simulators would have to have a monitor watching us. We should expect this anyway. Although humans may run some simulations without monitoring them carefully, the simulators have no reason to be equally careless; if they can simulate billions of sentient beings, their labor costs are necessarily near zero. Such a monitor would have complete instantaneous knowledge of everything happening in our universe, and since anyone who can simulate a whole planet must have really good data processing capabilities, it would be able to understand and act upon the entire content of its omniscient sensorium. It would see the fall of each sparrow, record the position of ever atom, have the level of situational awareness that gods could only dream of.

What I'm saying is, it probably reads the New York Times.

That means it knows these experiments are going to happen. If it cares about the results, it can fake them. Assuming for some reason that it messed up designing the cosmic background radiation (why are we assuming this, again?), it can correct that mistake now, or cause the experimental apparatus to report the wrong data, or do one of a million other things that would prevent us from learning we are in a simulation.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Astral Codex Ten PodcastBy Jeremiah

  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8

4.8

129 ratings


More shows like Astral Codex Ten Podcast

View all
Freakonomics Radio by Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

Freakonomics Radio

32,314 Listeners

The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast by Mark Linsenmayer, Wes Alwan, Seth Paskin, Dylan Casey

The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast

2,111 Listeners

Very Bad Wizards by Tamler Sommers & David Pizarro

Very Bad Wizards

2,673 Listeners

Making Sense with Sam Harris by Sam Harris

Making Sense with Sam Harris

26,350 Listeners

EconTalk by Russ Roberts

EconTalk

4,283 Listeners

Conversations with Tyler by Mercatus Center at George Mason University

Conversations with Tyler

2,459 Listeners

The Glenn Show by Glenn Loury

The Glenn Show

2,279 Listeners

The Good Fight by Yascha Mounk

The Good Fight

905 Listeners

ChinaTalk by Jordan Schneider

ChinaTalk

293 Listeners

Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas by Sean Carroll | Wondery

Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas

4,200 Listeners

Your Undivided Attention by The Center for Humane Technology, Tristan Harris, Daniel Barcay and Aza Raskin

Your Undivided Attention

1,624 Listeners

Last Week in AI by Skynet Today

Last Week in AI

309 Listeners

Blocked and Reported by Katie Herzog and Jesse Singal

Blocked and Reported

3,833 Listeners

Dwarkesh Podcast by Dwarkesh Patel

Dwarkesh Podcast

531 Listeners

The AI Daily Brief: Artificial Intelligence News and Analysis by Nathaniel Whittemore

The AI Daily Brief: Artificial Intelligence News and Analysis

637 Listeners