Exploring different perspectives on how and why our reality might be simulated
Nick Bostrom's famous argument proposes that at least one of these statements must be true: (1) Advanced civilizations go extinct before developing simulation technology, (2) Advanced civilizations have no interest in running ancestor simulations, or (3) We are almost certainly living in a simulation.
René Descartes proposed that an evil demon might be deceiving us about the nature of reality. This skeptical hypothesis is a philosophical precursor to modern simulation theory, questioning whether our perceptions reflect reality or are manipulated by an external force.
This thought experiment imagines a brain kept alive in a vat of nutrients, connected to a computer that provides electrical impulses identical to those the brain normally receives. The brain would have experiences indistinguishable from "real" ones, raising questions about the nature of reality and perception.
Whether our reality is a simulation or not, the question itself forces us to examine the nature of consciousness, reality, and our place in the universe.