Why This Universe? 76 - Do We Live in a Simulation?
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Jan 22, 2024 Delving into the question of reality versus simulation, this podcast explores the philosophical and scientific aspects of living in a simulated universe. Topics include consciousness, machine consciousness, quantum computing, and the likelihood of our reality being a simulation.
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Consciousness From Information Processing
- Consciousness can emerge purely from complex information processing in a physical system like brains or computers.
- This implies that simulated minds in a computer could be genuinely conscious rather than mere data.
VR as a Step Toward Simulation
- Dan Hooper shared his experience with virtual reality, noting current tech is immersive but not convincing as reality.
- He imagines future VR could fully convince someone they are in a different world.
Computational Needs for Simulation
- Simulating a single conscious human mind requires roughly 10^14 to 10^18 operations per second.
- Current computers are orders of magnitude slower, showing we need much more computational power for true simulation.