Is Reality REAL? This Scientists Answer on The Simulation Argument Might SHOCK You | David Chalmers

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Mar 8, 2022

In this thought-provoking discussion, David Chalmers, a leading philosopher and neural scientist from NYU, dives into the intricacies of reality and consciousness. He questions if we might be living in a simulation, drawing parallels with ancient philosophy and modern VR technology. The conversation ventures into the hard problem of consciousness, explores panpsychism, and highlights the significance of continuous learning for personal growth. Chalmers intriguingly connects virtual experiences with real-life implications, prompting listeners to reevaluate their understanding of existence.

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INSIGHT

The Hard Problem of Consciousness

Consciousness arises from physical processes in the brain, but how and why remains a mystery.
Explaining the function of the brain is easier than explaining subjective experience.

INSIGHT

Consciousness as a Fundamental Property

Physical explanations of consciousness often lack a clear link between brain processes and subjective experience.
Chalmers proposes treating consciousness as a fundamental property, like electric charge, with its own laws.

INSIGHT

Simulations and Reality

The possibility of advanced simulations raises the question of whether our reality could be simulated.
This modern take on Descartes' doubt links consciousness to questions of reality.

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What is reality? What is the nature of consciousness? How do we know that what we are experiencing is base reality and not a simulation?

These may seem like the kind of questions that you’d associate with modern concepts like The Matrix and simulation theory, but the fact is that every ancient philosophical tradition has wrestled with these problems in some form or another.

And with the advent of rich, complex VR worlds and the nascent metaverse, even more philosophers are turning toward these deep questions of consciousness and the human experience.

One of the most interesting thinkers in this space is David Chalmers, Professor of Philosophy and Neural Science at New York University, and co-director of the Center for Mind, Brain, and Consciousness.

In his latest book, Reality+: virtual worlds and the problems of philosophy, David investigates not only the nature of reality, but how we should conceptualize virtual reality, the idea that we can actually live a meaningful life in VR, how we know there’s an external world, and much more.

We explore these topics and more in today’s wide-ranging conversation, covering everything from the hard problem of consciousness to the probability that we’re actually living in a computer simulation.

You don’t have to be a student of philosophy to enjoy today’s conversation - especially if you’re as excited as I am about the possibilities being unlocked by virtual reality and the metaverse.

And if you want to dive deeper into David’s work, you can order his new book, Reality+, by clicking here: https://amzn.to/3vMSS0v

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“I think, therefore I am.” - René Descartes

SHOW NOTES:

00:00 | Introduction

01:41 | The Hard Problem of Consciousness

10:42 | Consciousness as a Fundamental Law of Nature

17:38 | The Foundations of Simulation Theory

27:33 | Is Reality Made of Information?

39:03 | How to Live a Meaningful Virtual Life

45:10 | The Philosopher’s Zombie

51:59 | Orderable States of Consciousness

58:23 | Zhuangzi and the Butterfly

1:05:20 | The Experience Machine

1:14:40 | GPT3 and Deepfakes

1:19:08 | The Future of “Technophilosophy”

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