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Sep 25, 2016

Our Simulated Universe Is Just One Piece of a Matryoshka Doll of Annihilation

Posted by in category: computing

Perhaps a posthuman civilization running simulations self-destructs, or a lab assistant accidentally spills coffee on computer hardware. Simulations can collapse.

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  1. Lukas says:

    I think this “matryoshka doll simulation annihilation” scenario is reached by a too classical view. Here are some more wild speculations which in contrast make our simulators utterly incapable of destroying us:

    Assumption: If every computable universe is possible then for every universe there is a universe which contains it as simulation. (see Chaitins construction*. This simulator universe may be slightly more complex*** and thus much more abundant in forms (more options) and much more seldom in occurrence (lower entropy).

    These assumed super universe intelligences simulating us are as it seems genuinely unobservable. Unobservability (isolation) is a good prerequisite for quantum superposition. A simulated intelligence (like us or you) is then simulated by many simulators not just one. An equivalence class of simulators in math terms. If one simulation shuts off the simulation or tinkers with the simulation (performs “manual” law breaking IO) in such a way that entropy falls in an unphysical way this specific simulator just falls off from the the simulator equivalence class. The newly created diverging simulation (e.g. with air making pigs fly) gets dragged up to the unlikeliness of the simulator universe). Since theres no common time between separate universes there’s always a universe that is simulating ours.

    Here are two related thought inspiring question:
    1) *** What if it turns out that we’ll be able to build quantum-computers that can do more quantum-computation than the amount of computation our own universe has done up till now?
    2) What is simulated more? The experiences of individual intelligences (of various levels) or whole universes capable of creating computing intelligences? Note that according to quantum mechanics taken to the macro level every human experiences a different world history. When you see someone again whom you already know that persons personal time-line will have diverged form yous. Actually there are infinitely many versions (from pasts and futures) of that other person which are all invisible from your perspective. That could be called the “quantum egocentric world-view”. (written 2016 opinions subject to change)

    PS: ** Caitins construction is a maximally inefficient but unbelievably elegant concrete implementation of the whole multiverse. All constructible computable programs (universes) executed in a cantor triangle semi-paralell fashion.