Part I of this three-part journey represented an hour of lively debate over the theory of life being a simulation. Originally slated as a Voodoo Science topic, we intended to debunk the whole concept. In fact, here’s the original ending to the article.
“While we have given you much to think about, we can all take a deep breath and relax. All we see, hear, feel – everything we experience – is all very real. If it were not, would our creator allow us to ponder that possibility? Probably not, as that would go against our own programming.”
And that was the end of a decent article, meant to become filler material for a popular category we hadn’t found much meat for as of lately. But some great topics refuse to die, as did this one …
While pouring over notes for other future articles we found ourselves unwilling to let go. Jokes were passed around, and then we entered a lengthy debate on computer programming, which led us back to a place we thought we had already escaped. And before we knew it … we were all in a steamy argument.
Let it be said, that our staff has disagreements at times, but never has one grown so heated. We weren’t done with this topic yet, but what we had to say next wouldn’t be easily accepted. And so we pined over it and adopted the principle of dividing this article up into sections, allowing the reader to decide how far they were willing to dive into what we could only consider the day before as pure madness.
And so, we allow you one last chance to escape, before we dive deep into the rabbit hole, and we promise the journey will invoke as much emotion from you as it has from us. As you are about to learn, the world might be more like you were told than you may want to believe.
The Big Bang Theory
We’ve never written an article on the Big Bang, and with good reason – we have nothing new to offer on the topic. All over the internet you can read how a singularity exploded to create everything around us and how most scientists now accept its occurrence as reality, given all the proof they can offer that it occurred. So, are we about to debunk the Big Bang Theory? No. In fact, it’s possible we might prove its existence even further.
With all of the proof available that the Big Bang actually occurred, why isn’t it being fully embraced by everyone? Well, there is one issue that has yet to resolved – the initial expansion of the universe.
You see, according to Einstein, nothing can travel faster than the speed of light. Of course, we believe Einstein, but this creates a bit of a paradox. For the Big Bang to have occurred, the lightspeed barrier must have been initially broken, and yet, Einstein states this can’t be possible. So, how did the Big Bang defy the laws of physics, and why is it we can’t find no other instance in history where this has occurred. What made this first spark of reality different from all of those that would follow?
Going back to the simulation theory, we need to create a universe before we can populate it, and at that moment of creation all laws can be broken. So to speak, until we populate the world with characters there is no need for the rules to exist. This would allow for the universe to break all of the rules as it was being built.
Creationism Versus Reality
In a simulated world, the programmer is the creator. As such, he is God to the world he creates. What does this say for our own existence? Well, let’s look back to Genesis for the answer.
We are told in The Bible that the universe (and everything around us) was created by God in seven days and seven nights. And given the evidence all around us, we immediately shake our heads no. The universe is 13.7 billion years old and our planet is somewhere around 4.5 billion years old. That alone dispels the seven day/seven night creation theory … or does it?
Remember, a simulation can defy all laws until it is completed, and the placement of the main characters on the grid signals that completion. So, let’s look at Genesis from a literal perspective.
On the first day God created the Heavens and the Earth: This would be the laying down of the foundation for our simulated world. We would create the universe and Earth first, laying out the canvas upon which we would work.
On the second day God separated the waters from the sky: At this point, our creator has put water on the Earth, which will be needed later for life.
On the third day God gathered the waters and allowed dry land to emerge: In a sense, he’s terraforming. By creating land, he doubles the kind of life that can exist – that above the ocean and that below it. On the third day our creator also makes plants and trees: Again, necessary for life as we know it.
On the fourth day God created the moon, the stars, the planets, and the sun: But didn’t he create this on the first day when he created the Heavens? This can be seen as proof that the original Heavens were nothing more than a blank slate and that this event penciled in the needed details.
On the fifth day God created the animals that swim, fly, crawl, and walk: With the simulation nearly done, the characters begin to emerge
On the sixth day God created man and gave him dominion over everything: We’re the final piece in this simulation, so it makes sense we would be the last set in place. And our first orders that we are given? Be fruitful and multiply … which is given as our first commandment from our creator.
And on the seventh day God rested: No doubt, he sat back to admire all of his work. With the simulation fully in place, he could now watch to see what would happen.
So, is the creation story real? Did we actually come into existence within six days? All evidence we have found says no, but all of this evidence is found in a universe which might be nothing more than a simulation. As stated in Part I of this article, a creator would go out of its way to establish belief in the simulation, for if he didn’t, he’d find himself bored with a bunch of characters scratching at the monitor screen to see their creator.
Preserving The Illusion
When we watch a magician levitate his assistant we find ourselves wanting to believe its real, even though our minds tell us it’s not possible. This want for belief stems from the fact that, from our seats, we can’t find any simple way to disprove what it is we are witnessing. So, if you can’t disprove something it must be true, right? Well … not really. To be honest, that’s the makings of all bad science. Even the simulation theory, as disprovable is it is, can’t be accepted as an ultimate truth. The illusion exists only so long as it can’t be disproved – making it difficult to separate reality from fiction.
Of course, this is what we would expect from a successful simulation. For if you can’t be certain the world isn’t real then you can only assume that it must truly exist, and that’s enough to set you on your path to do the things a real person would do. So long as the world retains credibility you’ll unknowingly play along, and by establishing strict mathematical parameters (rules) to the game early on, you insure all will be believable.
No one can deny the effects of gravity. No one can deny the existence of the objects we touch, feel, and smell. Existence is all around us, and yet, everything appears to exist according to rules. And what do many of us find ourselves doing? Observing these rules and defining them – further offering proof that everything around us must be real.
Part III of our journey goes to the deepest level of this discussion, where we leave all reality behind. If you’ve made it this far then you owe it to yourself to complete the journey, for reaching the end of the tunnel allows us an escape which will allow us all to sleep better at night. And while much of what we are discussing must seem purely insane or frightening, it really isn’t, as we are about to prove.
Part III is available here: Is Life A Simulation: Part III
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