To Infinity and Beyond? Really?

What are some of the questions you think about that make your head spin? Have you ever tried to imagine what the distance from our sun to another star looks like? Or what it would be like to go through a black hole? What about how fast light moves? All these questions can be answered with physics, but for most people, these things are tough to digest intellectually. We struggle to picture these concepts in our minds, but we don't let that stop us from thinking about them. Here's another strange thought:

Is this all real?

How do you know that you're real? We can touch each other physically. Does that mean that we're real? We can sense each other. Is the ability to sense other human beings proof of what we call reality.

“What is “real”? How do you define “real”? If you're talking about what you can feel, what you can smell, what you can taste, and see, then “real” is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain.”

- Morpheus, The Matrix (1999)

The French philosopher René Descartes argued that thought is proof of being.

“Je pense, donc je suis” - I think, therefore I am.

- R. Descartes

There can be no doubt that we all exist. We are all real in our human sense of reality. But when you think about it, isn't it way more likely that our human reality isn't real? If you take everything into consideration, isn't it almost silly to think that our reality is the one, true reality?

Let me try to explain what I mean.

Time. What is time? I find time very hard to explain, or even understand. I love listening to physicists talk about time, and the space-time continuum, but I have to admit that I don't fully understand everything they say. But it seems like most scientists agree that the timeline of this universe began with the Big Bang, some 13 billion years ago. Well, that's all fine and dandy, but what about what was before time began? Was there anything before our time began? And, more importantly in this context, is our timeline the only one?

Many have speculated that there might be more than one timeline. More than one universe. But up until now, as far as I know, there is no proof of the existence of other universes. But then again, there's no proof of there only being one universe either.

So there is a chance that our universe is not the only universe out there. Given how nature works it seems pretty likely that there would be more. And if you accept this assessment, it shouldn't be too difficult to imagine that a potential multiverse would be somewhat similar to our universe; seemingly limitless. But how does that tie in with the question of whether or not we are real?

Well, consider this:

• There is a good chance that our universe is not the only universe out there.

• All these universes are gathered in the multiverse, which contains an unlimited number of universes.

• Each universe contains its own timeline, which could have begun before or after our own timeline.

With only these assumptions taken into consideration, every one of those universes would be as real as the next one. If we are in fact in one of those universes then we are every bit as real as everything else. But it is when you start to include more factors that things get, quite literally, unreal.

Imagine a race of beings, in any given universe, any given timeline, so advanced that their computers are able to simulate a universe indistinguishable from reality. That simulated universe could be the one we're a part of right now. There's a chance that we are all just parts of a program on a computer somewhere. It's actually much more likely that we are, than that we are the one, true reality.

“The odds that we're in base reality is one in billions.”

- E. Musk

Just think about it: There could be billions of other timelines, with billions of other advanced beings. Billions of beings with computers powerful enough to simulate universes. What are the chances that we are not in one of those simulations? Slim to none. When we say “billions” it's really just to put a number on it. In all probability the number is limitless. The odds of us being in base reality is actually closer to one in infinity.

“Fugayzi, fugazi, it's a wazi, it's a wuzi, it's fairy dust. It doesn't exist, it has never landed, it's no matter, it's not on the elemental chart, it's not fucking real.”

- Mark Hanna, The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

It all boils down to this: Are we real? Probably not. Does it matter? Nope.

Relative to everything else in our universe, we are as real as real gets. Our laws of nature and physics still apply. There probably won't be a Neo, or a Morpheus, or a Trinity, to break down the Matrix. While all of this can seem groundbreaking, it really isn't. It won't change anything. It's just food for thought. In this text alone there are several rabbit holes you can descend into. Many thought experiments to conduct.

Just remember: If all this seems crazy and unreal, it's only because it probably is.

#Reality #TheMatrix #Simulation #ElonMusk #Philosophy