Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library

The simulation hypothesis, an MIT computer scientist shows why AI, quantum physics and Eastern mystics agree we are in a video game, Rizwan Virk

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The simulation hypothesis

Rizwan Virk

an MIT computer scientist shows why AI, quantum physics and Eastern mystics agree we are in a video game

The Simulation Hypothesis, by best-selling author, renowned MIT computer scientist, and Silicon Valley video game designer Rizwan Virk, explains one of the most daring and consequential theories of our time. Drawing from research and concepts from computer science, artificial intelligence, video games, quantum physics, and referencing both speculative fiction and ancient eastern spiritual texts, Virk shows how all of these traditions come together to point to the idea that we may be inside a simulated reality like the Matrix. The Simulation Hypothesis is the idea that our physical reality, far from being a solid physical universe, is part of an increasingly sophisticated video game-like simulation, where we all have multiple lives, consisting of pixels with its own internal clock run by some giant Artificial Intelligence. Simulation theory explains some of the biggest mysteries of quantum and relativistic physics, such as quantum indeterminacy, parallel universes, and the integral nature of the speed of light. "There's a one in a billion chance we are not living in a simulation." (Elon Musk) "I find it hard to argue we are not in a simulation." (Neil deGrasse Tyson) "We are living in computer generated reality." (Philip K. Dick) Video game designer Riz Virk shows how the history and evolution of our video games, including virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing could lead us to the point of being able to develop all-encompassing virtual worlds like the Oasis in Ready Player One, or the simulated reality in The Matrix. While the idea sounds like science fiction, many scientists, engineers, and professors have given the simulation hypothesis serious consideration. But the simulation hypothesis is not just a modern idea. Philosophers and mystics of all traditions have long contended that we are living in some kind of "illusion" and that there are other realities which we can access with our minds. Whether you are a computer scientist, a fan of science fiction like The Matrix movies, a video game enthusiast, or a spiritual seeker, The Simulation Hypothesis touches on all these areas, and you will never look at the world the same way again!

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