What if our reality were a computer simulation: Edeline D'Souza at TEDxYouth@Winchester

What if our reality were a computer simulation? Once we discover that, can we hack into the programme of existence? Can we stop ourselves from being shut down? Edeline discusses the possibility of our reality being nothing more than coded information.

Twitter: @TEDxWinch, #TedxWinch

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

[cpearl]

We are the ultimate programmer playing our own game. The more you try to look for the creator the only thing that will be at the end is the one who is looking for the answer and the answer is inside of you.

[jcloud]

For someone so young she handles the higher info with ease. Thank you Edeline.

[JIMJAMSC]

about this and was up all night. I was late to work and got fired. Lost my house, spent all my savings and now I live under a bridge overpass in a cardboard box eating pigeons. Man am I glad its all just a simulation.

[eggheadeinstein]

Of course our reality is nothing more than coded information, the questions is did someone intelligent program it, is he or she still coding, and if so how long before Google successfully recruits them.

[keenansilvey]

lmao its like shes speaking with the caps lock on

[CommonCentrist]

I first heard about the simulation theory several years ago (besides the movie, "The Matrix"). When I first heard about it, I thought it was crazy. Now I'm convinced it is our reality.

Whenever you break things down to the quantum level, things no longer make much sense. Quantum physicists cannot explain the many discrepancies found in quantum mechanics. The only way to explain these discrepancies is if you apply them to a simulated reality.

There is much information on this topic and I recommend researching it. If we are living in a simulated reality it really doesn't make any difference. Our reality is ours to experience, whether it was created on a super computer or not.

[Maximiliantravels]

Finally. I hope there will be more people in modern mainstream science working on this subject. Only ignorant person can say that this is a crazy talk or she's on drugs. Come on. Get real already. This is the world we live in. Face it.

[germanpineda]

What an admirable smart young woman. I fell in love. Congratulations for reaching this level of fluency and brilliance!

[alexchappell]

She's making all my dogs start howling I had to turn it down

[hologram]

Regardless of the BS she is saying, I definitely admire her courage and fluency. She is a brilliant young woman

[nemtulica]

Like in a video game always try not to get eliminated. Its called fitness.
Keep on playing be your best and move to the next stage.

[kumar]

Excellent. She brought in the 4 major points very well.
Wish you the best Edeline for your journey of self discovery.

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

At least she has a focused talk, gives solid examples and follows through, unlike Nobel prize winner George Smoot's talk he gives a year later.

[IbizanHound]

With all the logic jumps in this presentation it sounds more like a religion than scientific argument.

[raymartsantiago]

GOD DIVIDED INTO INFINITE NUMBER OF CONSCIOUSNESS... EACH CONSCIOUSNESS IS ONE PERSON..

[brettsmith]

I don't understand why this concept scares people so much. For me it's freeing. It means are world is a huge playground for us to run wild in, just like a video game.

[Optimus]

Just a thought. Pixelated universe. How do we know/assume that for a universe to be real, it has to be not pixelated? Maybe if we escaped from our hypothetical simulation, the real universe would also have it's own physical limits? Oh, . that universe above is also simulated? That can still have physical limits. And above? Anyway, . maybe even the real universe has physical limits.

The problem is that we don't know. We will never know. Unless.. the people from above transfer our personality and memories to a real physical being or robot in their world. So, effectively we are there and they show us our simulated world in their computers. Then we won't know if their world is or isn't simulated either.

Also, you could hook a newborn brain into Minecraft. It would be it's world. It wouldn't see lowres pixelated texture and think "The graphics are awful, so it must be a simulation!". The lowres textures and cuboid geometry will be the best it will have ever seen, it won't know how to imagine anything better. So, literally if we could simulate the human brain, we could hook it in our present virtual worlds, no matter how detailed or not, and maybe it would grow consciousness and learn to recognize those worlds as the real reality, not knowing any better. It will never suspect it's in a simulation because of the not realistic graphics or restrictive environment.

[johnbloggs]

If we're all simulated computer generated all our lives and experiences are some giant computer program. What happens when the person controlling us turns off their computer?

[johnramirezvideos]

Thanks. Much more thought-provoking than TED speakers twice her age (or better).

[SonicKiwi]

At the end of it all, knowing whether or not we're a simulation has no effect on our day to day lives, because there's not actually anything different happening than was already happening before. We as humans get to define what "real" is. Just being inside a computer is really not different than being a physical object, because that could be a simulation too. We, as part of the simulation, are never able to escape the simulation. Even if its run on a computer, it's our reality, even if not to the ones running the simulation. They themselves could be a simulation, run by people in a simulation, run by people in a simulation, and so on, forever and ever. Smart enough simulations of our own have been shown to run their own simulations. Who knows? It could go on forever and ever, like a fractal. It's all fun to think about stuff like this, but only having knowledge has no effect on anything. It's what you do with the knowledge that does.