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agsr

Another great episode of Doctor Who, Extremis.  Brings up a twist of a not-so new concept that was introduced in StarTrek Holograms, Matrix (sort of), and now Doctor Who. Once technology is avanced enough, and characters in simulations become some advanced that they think they are real, how do you know if you are real or not? You feel real, you act real, your friends look real, but  one day you find out that you are a simulation or a hologram inside a massive computer.   You are Mario in SuperMario Brothers, a game created by advanced species to keep their pre-puberty teenagers entertained.   A nice meaning in life

love2debate

Great debate as always, agsr.  Yes, it will be too egotistical to think it's not possible.  It's just a question of how advanced is the technology for us to actually think we are real while being holograms.
I am not voting that it's probable, but it is possible (maybe 1-5 percent chance)

CYDdharta

Does it matter?

agsr

@CYDdharta, great question.  It doesn't matter if we never find out and if origin of life (like religion vs atheism) is not a topic of interest.
With any sophisticated system there is likely a glitch, and in all shows mentioned there was a tell to determine reality vs simulation, with atleast some characters finding out the truth.  
Not sure that many would thrilled to find out that I am a simulation in some alien plot, so it does kind of matters.  At the same time I can see a path of many to accept such reality if found out.

natbarons

I don't believe that technology would get that far and characters would be let out into the open world. 

ale5

@agsr, I actually don't mind if we find out that the entire World is a simulation and that's our reality.  The distinction to @CYDdharta point (I think), if we find out that we are real and were tricked to be in a simulation.  Typically all these shows have simulation traps within real life, not that the entire World is a simulation. So characters find out that they somehow been coerces  into simulation (or dream), wasting their real life.

Also to @natbarons comment, I also don't think that characters would be available to travel outside of simulion, as Hologram type of projection equipment is needed to generate the environment.  But never say never.

CYDdharta

@agsr @ale5 As you mentioned, agsr, the protagonists find out they're in a simulation in the examples you mentioned.  None of us have found out such a thing.  As long as we never find out we're in a simulation, does it make a difference?

agsr

@CYDdharta, I think that many of us take relion or meaning of life seriously.  If we never find out and led to believe that we are part of this Universe created by God or whatever we individually believe in then it's fine. It's all a matter of faith anyway.  So no, it wouldn't matter.

Logic

1/ We haven't seen any glitches [No matter how high a species is, As long as it isn't a god, It WILL make mistakes]
2/ IF we are in a simulation for the entertainment of people, Why do we have free will as opposed to being controlled by a game controller. 
3/ Even if we were, Reality is Reality. You have to accept it no mater how bad or harsh it may sound or be.

agsr

@Logic,  nice response.
agree on point 3. Reality is Reality. Just have to deal with it.
clarifying point 1: maybe we do have glitches. Think about bermuda triangle, wierd sightings, people claiming to die and come back, etc.  since we don't know what technology is in place, we don't know it's a glitch..just think it's weird.

point 2: Would like to debate that point.  All game characters have some level of free will, within certain parameters. Maybe that is all part of the programming in the simulation. It wouldn't be fun or useful for the game/experiment creator to have static programming for his/her game characters.

CuriousGeorge

We are in a simulation. What we call God, the unexplained creator, etc - is an advanced game designer with Artificial Intelligence capability.  The universe is based on sophisticated design.  

Logic

@agsr  What i mean by glitches is like when something stops working. Like on the last level of pac-man.  Also, Dying and coming back is impossible by yourself,Don't believe things like that.

As for point two: Yes, A character has free will in a game, But to an extent. Go to your bed and lay down, Is anyone stopping you? Not in the slightest. But in a game, You would tell your character to go to the bed.  

WhyTrump

@Logic, there are plenty of games were characters have lots of flexibility.  It is certainly concievable that characters can go to bed at their percieved free will.  Think about daily decisions we make...get up, go to work, have children, over parents, love, lust, etc.  who says these are not programmable attributes of an advanced version of cattle.

I think that I just found out that I am in a simulation myself, but not sure yet, so Maybe I am real after all. LOL.