Imagine a future where humans (or adorable puppies) have advanced for hundreds, thousands, or even millions of years, gaining an immense amount of computational power. As we expand into the galaxy and harness the energy of stars or even black holes, the concept of Simulation Theory comes into play.
Simulation Theory, as proposed by Swedish philosopher Nick Bostrom, suggests that future generations could run simulations on our ancestors, giving these simulations artificial consciousness. If this is true, it means that the majority of people are actually simulations created by advanced descendants, making it more rational to assume that you are a simulation rather than an original biological human.
In his paper, Bostrom presents three possible scenarios:
1) The likelihood of human-level civilizations reaching a stage where they can run simulations is extremely low.
This means that we may face extinction before we have the capability to perform such tests.
2) The fraction of posthuman civilizations interested in running ancestor simulations is close to zero.
By the time our species has evolved, we may lose interest in running simulations, or the power to create them may be inaccessible or prohibited.
3) The majority of people with experiences like ours are living in a simulation.
If the first two scenarios are false, then it is highly likely that our species will develop the necessary technology to create countless ancestor simulations. This implies that the vast majority of “people” with Earthly experiences are actually living inside a simulation without their knowledge.
Escape
So, let’s assume we are living in a simulation. How can we break free? In a new paper, computer scientist Roman Yampolskiy suggests several ways to escape our simulated reality.
First, Yampolskiy advises determining the type of simulation we are in. If it’s a partial simulation, triggering a shutdown might be enough to return to the base reality. However, a full simulation would require a more sophisticated approach.
One method proposed is to force our simulators to consume increasing amounts of computational power until they can no longer ignore it. Another idea is to run our own simulations or send probes to the far reaches of the universe, increasing resource consumption and drawing attention to our existence.
However, there is a risk involved. If we are in a partial simulation, we might escape into the real world, but if we are also simulated, attempting to break free could result in our termination.
The paper explores various suggestions for escaping the simulation, ranging from creating a monument in binary code to attract the attention of the creators, to causing a time-travel paradox that crashes the simulation. One intriguing idea involves “hacking” the simulation using any exploits left behind in the universe.
Ultimately, the easiest way to escape would be to capture the attention of an observer of the simulation and convince them to help us transition into the real world. By eliciting empathy, we may find a way out.
Of course, if we do manage to escape, the true nature of the actual world or the simulation above ours remains unknown.
You can find a preprint of the paper on ResearchGate.
