Pretty much everyone wonders at some point what the purpose of life is.

How did we get here?

Why are we here?

Well, what if I told you that we may not even be here at all?

The Simulation Theory is a legitimate scientific hypothesis. It argues we live in a simulation created by sophisticated intelligence.

The argument rests on two bases:

1. Computers can simulate consciousness. Logic gates would represent that brain’s neurotransmitters and synapses.
2. Our descendants will have tons of computing power to be able to run a simulation.

We could run a great number of simulations if both bases are true. Our chances of living in reality rather than a simulation, thus, are low.

Is it True?

While we cannot estimate the likelihood to an exact percentage, many have made predictions. Neil deGrasse Tyson of the Hayden Planetarium estimated the odds 50-50 that the simulation theory is true. He compared human and chimpanzee intelligence. Our DNA is more than 98% identical, but we are far more intelligent in comparison. Our descendants could one day look at us the way we look at chimpanzees.

Elon Musk of SpaceX and Tesla believes “there’s a billion to one chance we’re living in base reality”. 40 years ago, we had Pong (two rectangles and a dot). Today, we have 3D simulations with millions of players. He believes the step from virtual reality to augmented reality is inevitable.

Other Tech innovators of Silicon Valley support the theory. In fact, entrepreneurs are investing billions in a study to prove it.

What Does This Mean

If this simulation is true, why would the simulators choose to run this simulation? Here are some possibilities:

1. To Experiment. They may throw in variables and see how we react. This could include catastrophic events such as wars, natural disasters, and disease.
2. To Replicate History. But that begs the question, why would they choose to simulate this exact time in history? Are we about to face a catastrophic event that our ancestors would like to study?
3. To Have Fun. It’s like playing Sims but generating a world where all characters are conscious. This also raises the topic: is God real, or could he be a future programmer?

Whatever the reason for generating, we must consider the possibility of crashing. In the blink of an eye, we could disappear. Everything we know would be gone in a flash.

There is also the possibility that one day, we can generate another population that also learns to generate their own simulations. So we may be living in shells like Russian nesting dolls.

What Do We Do?

Nothing. We have nothing to prove or disprove the theory. Our lives may feel real, but if we are simulations who have been simulations all our lives, we of course do not know what reality feels like. We only know what we know.

If we are simulations, there’s nothing we can do. We would not be able to take over the simulation.

So live your life as you always have, but keep this theory in mind as a mind-blower to share with friends!