Do we live in a simulation? | Donald Hoffman and Lex Fridman

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GUEST BIO:
Donald Hoffman is a cognitive scientist at UC Irvine and author of The Case Against Reality.

PODCAST INFO:

SOCIAL:

[douggaudiosi]

What's crazy is I'm presently commmenting a video from the past for people to read in the future

[SourDeeSloth]

In a lot of video games, to save on resources, games will only render what the player is directly looking at. Sounds similar to "Objects not observed are in super position"

[jimmy-qmhb]

Every time I hear people talk about the possibility of this being a simulation they bring up how good the simulation would have to be for it to be accepted by the “user” but it isn’t really true. If the things in the simulation have always been there then wouldn’t that become their reality? I mean how much would an microorganism freak out if it gained sentients and then realize the scale of its own existence to ours?

[shadw]

Dreams are simulations and fit pretty close to the simulation theory.
During dreams your subconscious is simultaneously creating the experience as you're having it. It's a full sensory lifelike experience that beats VR by a long shot. Sometimes dreams may seem more vivid than real life or your senses may be more enhanced. Aside from lucid dreaming, during most dreams you think it's all happening because most people never learn to question if they might be dreaming. Its the perfect real world example of simulation theory

[Gemao]

YOLO... we will never know.. enjoy the present, that is all you have as "certain"

[geofftracy]

My boy Lex always looks like he's in pain when he asks questions. Straining of sorts.

[Leslieclaire]

Now more than ever do I feel like I’m living in a social experiment created by a programmer.

[douggaudiosi]

We are thinking as this simulation with our current understanding of the universe with technology we have today. I believe if we are in a simulation it would be from higher dimensional entities this simulation would be in much lower quality then their present reality. The same way when wr play the Sims it's only a fraction as detailed as out reality

[Eunk]

I would propose that we are so dependent on vision that forward is where we are used to interacting with things mostly. that's why behind seems so absent. Even when dreaming we typically "see" things in front of us. It would be interesting to ask a blind person what they sense behind them...or even if their dreams involve seeing?

[metalmindscrollart]

Hi...Lex...You and your show and guests conversations are unique...Please keep up the awesome work and art you understand...Peace, God bless, Love, ...Meta L

[AustinfromNashville]

With the amount of coincidences that happen in my life pretty regularly; I’m left to believe yes this is some sort of a simulation. Whether it’s “virtual” or meta physical.

[thenonphysical]

Donald Hoffman. We practice visualizations and I personally channel visuals very well. Try this:
Stand up and visualize a ball orbiting around your body in vertical position. I tried with people I practice and we see the ball moving behind us.
You can move the ball in a semicircle behind your back. I also practice with orbiting letters and I see the letter as a mirror behind my back and all the path from the letter (A for example) orbiting 360 degrees.
While walking I get qualia behind me of what I channel. I can see ninjas behind me while walking, people doing acrobatics behind me.
You can definitely generate qualia in 360 degrees if you practice enough. I can.
I also practice having a tail, having wings from my back. I also practice having a big letter having spiral motion around my body from my feet to head and then back. This can be done laying down but it is more obvious if you do it standing up.
I can do it all both with eyes open and closed.
Come practice with us!

[aubo]

If we ever manage to simulate a consciousness it would realize quickly its trapped in a simulation.
That could be us one day.

[Trivdgun-]

Glad I'm not the only one who contemplates the screen of life and what is behind your sight. How about the hum we all hear, the ring of life. Even when in a silent room you can always hear a faint tone. If you focus on it, the sound will get louder. I've spoken to a few people about this.

[austenl]

What about when people sense they're being watched from behind and they are, in fact, being watched from behind?

[marcinmoldrzyk]

It's like in video games the players machine renders the world, therefor the problem with not powerful enough computer to simulate our universe is solved, you don't need to simulate the entire universe, as long as players machine is powerful enough to render and follow rules around him he can play the game. Server only verifies and supplies the data

[TheFith]

Whatever a VR makes out to be consciousness and reality, is what we'd believe to be consciousness and reality.

[thenonphysical]

I can see behind my back and get qualia, but I've been practicing visualizations for about 25 years. I can get qualia in spherical vision (also known as 360 vision and mentioned in NDEs and OBEs).

[becomingdungeonmaster]

Lex and Dr. Hoffman have left us a big clue as to the game we're all playing. Thanks guys =)

[jordanjackman]

Closing my eyes doesn't stop me from feeling my headback