Are we in a simulation? On this episode, Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Chuck Nice take a deep dive into simulation theory, consciousness, and free will with Oxford theorist Nick Bostrom. Is this The Matrix?

Why do we even think we may be in a simulation? We get into the reasons why the simulation hypothesis may or may not be true. Are there simulations within simulations? What is an ancestor simulation? We explore different types of simulations and what the purpose may be. Could higher beings be making simulations the same way we make video games and movies for entertainment? Is there any evidence we are in a simulation?

How would you simulate the human brain and everything it experiences? Would you have to simulate the whole universe? We answer patron questions like: What sort of energy would society need to make a simulation? We break down the Kardashev Scale, superintelligence, and the Death Star. What is panpsychism? We explore what consciousness means and what simulation means for our free will. Could a computer ever be conscious?

We get theological with it as we ask: If we are in a simulation would we have free will? Or a god? If we are in a simulation, why are the people running it so patient? We explore computation, algorithms, and what sort of technology would be needed. Is a computer inevitable? Could we simulate an exact replica of our universe to be able to predict the future? All that, plus, find out what’s going on in Neil’s Sims games.

Thanks to our Patrons Joshua Mooneyham, Mike Reno, Eric Ennis, Bill Savage, Kevin Meyer, Lise Rafaelsen, and Andre Lewis for supporting us this week.

NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can watch or listen to this entire episode commercial-free.

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Get Nick Bostrom's book, 'Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies': https://amzn.to/3nfBBIb

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About StarTalk:
Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up!

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00:00 - Introduction
03:00 - Why we might be living in a simulation
12:24 - Is there evidence for the simulation argument?
16:09 - Is Nick Bostrom just high?
18:43 - Is the universe's complexity part of the simulation?
23:59 - Patreon Q&A
24:54 - What is the Kardashev scale?
27:14 - What stage might the simulators appear on the Kardashev scale?
29:28 - Where does consciousness fit into a simulation model?
36:38 - Why must the simulation take place on computers?
39:35 - Do we have free will? And is there a God in the simulation model?
43:44 - Is general AI a question of hardware and processing speed?
47:51 - Why are the simulators so patient?
50:07 - Could we simulate our universe to predict the future?
52:22 - Can the human brain come to understand itself?
54:22 - Closing notes