The Simulation Argument (Kurzgesagt- In a Nutshell Reaction)

Leave your opinions on simulation theory. My thoughts & commentary on consciousness, sea monkey kits, and the 5 factors that could cause some to believe that we are in a simulation.
Original Video: • Is Reality Real? The S...
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#reaction #simulationtheory #kurzgesagt

[@pringlw]

Really like your videos. You don’t just watch the videos, you provide knowledgeable, thoughtful commentary. Very good stuff!

[@NoProtocol]

Hey, thank you! I’m glad you’re liking them (:

[@markoteskera2603]

The thing that I have always been fascinated with is the fact that our perception of both the inner and outer world is highly dependent on the concoction of various chemicals running through the brain and body. The fact that things like an adrenaline rush, psychedelic drugs, sleep deprivation, or even meditation, can affect the way that we look at familiar things from a totally different perspective.

[@NoProtocol]

Very true Marko

[@musaplusplus]

Sounds like parameters to a machine learning model

[@Dude_Slick]

Yes. If all humans had a natural chemical balance such that we perceive the sky as wet and the oceans as pink, that would in fact be our reality.

[@kholomokolo]

Words can't express how I enjoy this channel, from the no intro "intro", to the measured, knowledgeable comments. You're amazing👊🏾. Yes the dejavu phenomenon makes one think hey maybe there's something here😁

[@scott8658]

One of the creators of kurzgesagt wrote a book called Immune: a journey into the mysterious system that keeps you alive. It was pretty entertaining and informative

[@NoProtocol]

I’ve written that down, thank you Scott!

[@xAshesxElitex]

If I found out we were in a simulation, I'd ask my creator to buy some damn microtransactions coz this sim is not happy!

[@frankiesanchez2319]

100% can't wait for the fermi paradox video you do

[@johnestes2729]

“Don’t sweat the petty things and don’t pet the sweaty things.” - George Carlin

[@krunky3696]

Anything by Kurzgesagt, Real life lore, or Vsauce is honestly worth watching for an inquisitive mind in my opinion.

[@dblaska]

Vsauce (all of them) has always been some of my favorite things to watch

[@TonywasatTWICELIGHT]

I LOVE the way you start your videos.... you just literally start the video and I love you for it!!!

[@Mdub_actual]

“I was six, and he’s not a scientist” 🤣 Love the content!

[@grumpyboomer61]

I can remember leaving the theater after seeing The Matrix for the first time and thinking "Hmm. That would explain a few things." Could our reality be a school project for a child from a highly advanced civilization?

[@Phoenix-md8sh]

The Matrix is my favorite movie and I felt the same way.

[@TheTree1]

Obviously the answer is almost certainly yes.

[@AxelFoleyDetroitLions]

You will die. And will not have an afterlife. …..you honestly think your thoughts live on? You’ll be as peaceful as a hamburger

[@joshuawilliams4314]

I wouldn’t say it be a child’s project just because of everything that could go wrong

[@Phoenix-md8sh]

Excellent content. I would definitely like to run several simulations just to see how they play out in comparison to how we have progressed.

[@jokuz9133]

Always interesting videos and commentary.

[@ryanbrazee2987]

Love your comment at 7:05 (roughly) which encompasses the world in very few words. You always have an intelligent view on your videos. I would love to sit in a cafe or tea or coffee house and talk with you for hours. You are refreshing to me, with a world full of negativity a person can be pulled down, but you give me hope with a smile!

[@swswan]

Hey love the content! I think that glitch bit is from the og matrix title, but god damn im glad you referenced Dark. Absolute banger of a show.

[@georgederby2908]

I love everything about your channel thank you.... It sounds so simple but even your intro is perfect.. no long bull crap let's just go..

[@jexxxvox]

You've got a lot of cool thoughts. Subscribed.

[@timothy-qe7kj]

Always a joy to watch with you :) A really simple way to simulate life is by cellular automata. A famous one beeing Conway's Game of Life. The key idea is to show, that complex phenomena like e.g. motion through space or reproduction emerge from a basic set of simple rules. It's really fun to watch :) Stephen Wolfram takes this to the next level in his Physics Project, where he argues that the whole universe is a cellular automaton. He has SR, GR, Quantum Mechanics, Black Hole singularities,... emerging from his models, so he might be on to sth there.. He has three interviews with Lex which I can highly recommend :) Lots of love

[@djjam9073]

I absolutely love how well you articulate your views and reactions to the videos. So interesting to get another person's perspective on topics that interest me. BTW did you ever get a chance to see that Jay Larson prank phone call bit?

[@MustardSkaven]

I like how you explain your line of thinking. You're obviously learned and a type of history buff like most of your viewers probably are but I like that you, in the moment, explain how you got to a conclusion. That means an actual reaction, not a fake one.

[@tjskeyblade]

I appreciate your cometary and your video And your thoughts

[@gblingerfelt]

There was a game for PlayStation 2 (re-released for the PlayStation 4) called Star Ocean: Till the End of Time originally released in 2004 that dealt with this exact concept. Essentially, our universe was an MMORPG for a civilization of 4 dimensional beings. The protagonist actually discovers this and finds a way to leave the simulation and confronts the creator of the game. It was really crazy. The people discovered a technology inside the Sim that the creators deemed to be reserved for them so they send in "judges" to squash the spread of the tech. These judges looked very much like angels and the main story antagonist was named Luther, but was originally supposed to be Lucifer. It was a very existential game that draws analogs to Simulation Theory, the definition of consciousness, the singularity of AI, and determinism. Hell, the lead character's name is Fayt! If you enjoy games and like Action RPG's, I'd highly recommend it. It's one of the most under rated games of all time, philosophically.

[@pheobebuffet3719]

I like that you introduced us to the theory but let us know you don't think it's the more likely answer to the universe. I learn things from this channel

[@NoProtocol]

Lol as far as theories go, it’s not the most plausible to me but then again, I don’t know! It’s just fun to consider the possibilities. Thanks for watching!

[@vonlobo]

You are one realy interesting protocol 🤘

[@UrNewStepdad91]

This whole no intro thing should be the norm because I love it

[@TheImpaler87]

Virtual realities and simulations are quite popular in science fiction, although most cyberpunk focuses on dystopian noir more than the technological details. My favorite series is Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds, it has a bit of everything and is very grounded in science, author used to be a astro physicist.

[@kalebtesfaye9859]

Love how your thought are "playful" and unimposing. So carefree :)

[@xvln]

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.. The novel series sparked these kind of thoughts for me when i was a kid. 42..

[@nyolsson]

Nicholas Bostrom himself has said he doesn't necessarily believe his simulation theory arguments, but it's a great mental exercise

[@NoProtocol]

I recently saw him on the Lex Fridman podcast, very intriguing

[@romanjancura9651]

For some time, I believed in "simulation theory", because I thought world can´t be such absurd. However, absurdity of our world and people reached so high level, that I can´t believe it can be simulated... PS: Your reactions are great and clever. You are one of few such clever creators on YT. Thx for your videos! :) PPS: If "simulation theory" is right, isn´t "The Sims" mega-meta joke of simulation creators? Sims playing The Sims in the Simulator.

[@D2SProductions]

I have a personal experience with a Mandela Effect. I used to work at a grocery store that made pizzas in their deli section, I was one of their pizza makers, the store also had a video rental section. After my shift ended every night I would go to the video rental department to see if there was anything that I wanted to rent, and every day I see a poster for the non-existent Sinbad genie movie. Some people think those of us who remember the Sinbad genie film are simply confusing Sinbad and Shaq, but that's not the case for me anyways, because every time I seen that poster I would feel irritated by it because it was clearly a ripoff of the Shaq film. When I was discussing my Mandela Effect experiences with one of my friend he told me that he has also experienced some of them and he has a theory that the cause of actual Mandela Effects (as opposed to people simply remembering things wrong or confusing information like people saying they remember Ed McMahon on commercials handing out giant checks for Publishers Clearing House which never happened, though it did happen, they are simply remembering which company it was, it wasn't Publishers Clearing House it was American Family Publishers, though the KZbin channels who talk about Mandela Effects won't correct that information, they bank on people remembering seeing Ed McMahon with the giant checks in his hands and then simply telling their viewers that it never actually happened but it did, it was simply with different company.) My friend's theory is that if we die before it's our time our consciousness is transferred to another universe, one that's as close to our own as possible so that you don't notice the difference, but there are minor differences, those being the Mandela Effects. My friend who came up with that theory used to drive a taxicab, and he was on his way to the airport to pick up a fair, he was on the highway in the inner most lane, there was a semi truck in the lane directly to his left, and a cargo truck behind him. My friend was in the semi's blindspot, so the semi driver didn't see him there and the semi went to merge into the lane my friend was in, my friend couldn't speed up in time to prevent the collision, he said he remembers the windshield cracking and feeling himself thrown into the steering wheel, but the next thing he knew he was safely in front of the semi truck, no damage to himself or the cab he was driving. My friend believes it was that moment of the crash that he remembers, that somehow he was transported to another universe where the crash never happened.

[@georgefontes1306]

As goggle assist spelled for me lol. Plus big kudos for another great vid eee ooo

[@markmadnessmedia]

Great video as always! I'm interested in hearing theories way this video used birds to "simulate" people. (pun intended) (;

[@solgoodmann]

This is my favourite reaction channel

[@NoProtocol]

That’s a big compliment, thank you!!

[@kevinfitzgerald527]

love the tv channel anecdote haha

[@devinup3981]

No long comment. I enjoy your discussion of these topics.

[@5trmgqshd8p40]

That deja vu comment in Dark is a reference to Matrix, it is probably the first time that it is mentioned that a deja vu is a glitch in a simulation

[@alxlej]

the movie matrix is basically a brain-in-a-vat argument. "brains in a vat" (hilary putnam) and "what is it like to be a bat?" (thomas nagel) should be required reading for high school or college students.

[@David-gr8rh]

Can I ask, where you got the picture behind you and where could I get one. PS your still stunning so pretty, ace videos thank you

[@zakk3le598]

Kurzgesagt has a lot of videos on a variety of topics. It'd be fun to see your thoughts on other ones too. There's also a channel called LEMMiNO who has a many documentary style videos that are very good and varied.

[@Zanroff]

Sometimes I think nothing is real until I feel nauseous or am in pain. Those are the two most real things I experience.

[@lechtinois8112]

Hi, isn't the déjà vu glitch in The Matrix rather than Dark? Anyway, I thank the algorithm for recommending me your channel. The "no intro" is great!! All the best from Shanghai

[@NoProtocol]

I’ve never seen the matrix

[@lechtinois8112]

@@NoProtocol definitely recommend it, at least the 1st one, it popularized the simulation theory in the late 1990s

[@bookboy6924]

As a video game developer, only stuff in and slightly outside the cone of your vision is rendered. Same with hollow objects until you break them.

[@jim2757-w8m]

The simulation concept is just another really good exercise for our minds. I find it as fascinating as the uncertainty principle or quantum entanglement. 🤔

[@sine-nomine]

I just walked in on my 1998 Tamagotchi watching this video, and now I think Larry is on to us.

[@erikwilson32]

Lol fastest intro ever, I like it.

[@joeyoung7338]

Need MORE 💯

[@swcoder]

"I'll have to read that again when I have a better understanding of . . . everything" - Love that quote lol.

[@skipp3252]

Explaining the pronunciation of "kurzgesagt" is kinda hard but I will try anyways because Im german and it sounds fun :D K,R,G and T sounds remain pretty much exactly like you'd expect in english (hard G that is, as in "guest"). The german U sound is pretty close the the double O in english, like in Google. The Z in this context is pronounced like 'ts' and the S is soft like an X at the beginning of an english word (think xenomorph). And the A ... you know how in english slang people sometimes say "nah" instead of "no"? Or maybe a very british "can't". That kind of A sound. Oh and the E is just a very short version of e, like in Elephant. There is a short pause before the first G and emphasis on the A. So if I had to spell it out, it would be something like "Koorts'gexahgt". And a generel rule of thumb in german pronunciation is, you pronounce every single letter. Specifically the last letter of a word.

[@andrewnorman6193]

Interesting video i enjoyed it. Id like to make similar for politics in the uk would you mind sharing which video editing software you use to do these?

[@NoProtocol]

OBS Studio could be a good option, there are tutorials here on KZbin

[@spackle9999]

I don't think it matters if it's a simulation or the creation of some all-powerful consciousness, or whatever else. The point is we can't control it either way, so it makes very little difference in how we should approach life.

[@lk-music]

My Mandella effect is that when I was young I am 100% certain I saw a Kinks music video to their "You Really Got Me" where Ray Davies was singing about a waitress in a cafe and dancing on the cafe tables. Possibly a seaside cafe. I cannot find that video *anywhere!!!* - where on Earth did it go?!?! As for the Mandella effect itself… I.e. people remembering Nelson Mandela dying - I remember the 'Freeeeeeeeeeeeee Nelson Mandela' concert in 1988 very well, he was definitely alive. I think younger people may be misremembering that as some kind of concert held in his memory, as opposed to a campaign to get him freed. If the Mandella effect was attributable to universal glitches, I don't know how they don't affect everyone.

[@doctorteethomega]

So rare to hear a smart and curious person speak. All my love.

[@McLeod2022]

I Love that the "glitch" mentioned is basically our genetic "weakness"... or is it our strength? Outliers and mistakes in our genetic translation are what made us who we are... for better or worse. Our simulation is us... we try to copy ourselves.

[@Dude_Slick]

Quantum Theory shows, in particular the double slit experiment, that reality is not made of particles, but waves of potential until observed. In computer simulations like video game, they use a technique called billboarding, in which items in the distance are represented by flat images and replaced with 3D models when they get closer. Also the only part of the world that is rendered, is what is in the line of sight of a player camera. This is done to stretch valuable resources.

[@KingNiros]

Dark was a great show. I love any time related shows and movies. Great video by the way!

[@NoProtocol]

Is it still on? I stopped after a couple of episodes into season 2 and never saw how it ended!

[@KingNiros]

@@NoProtocol It's on Netflix and is 3 seasons total. It was not canceled, they just finished the story in 3 seasons. So good!

[@bugsby4663]

I would recommend the novel 'Sophie's World', which is mostly a history of philosophy told through the lessons of a philosopher to a young Norweigen girl. However, the ending is germane to this and is remarkable.

[@ChrystusBrzeczyszczykiewicz]

Without the technological aspect of the simulation, the question of "what are we?", "are we a product of higher beings?", has been raised before (there's religion and all that). It's a recurring theme for one of my favorite writers, J.L. Borges, there's the poem "The golem", and the short story "the circular ruins".

[@ravenward626]

While not the comprehensive and all encompassing simulation referred to in the video, we do in a way understand the world via the simulations of expectation we sculpt of our own minds with experiences. Without modeling the world in our minds we couldn't plan for the future, be surprised, or even learn. But we are also limited by the senses we use; I think I'd like to have the colour resolution to better distinguish between different materials, or sense magnetic fields and their gradients... sadly we only sense a fraction of the forces we interact with.

[@invisiblejaguar1]

I would be fascinated in making my own simulation. I'm open to the possibility we're nit real, but it doesn't bother me like it used to. I got really anxious wheb I first learned about this, thinking about what if I suddenly get deleted 😆

[@AnderDoUrden]

Dark is a GREAT show! Nice reference

[@TheSimplyIncrediblePodcast]

Not going to lie, I've had this thought many times. Like some kind of matrix or game being played with us. At times it feels like some people are super powered physically or mentally compared to others. Almost like we are different yet similar species, lol.

[@marah.4170]

So happy you know of Dark, did you watch it? It ran for three seasons and was concluded after the third.

[@O_Towne_Bear]

Funny(ish) story (and a little off topic): I studied philosophy in university (yes, that's funny but not the story) - One night over a few wobbly-pops, I was going off to a buddy of mine about the different forms of existence and how I may not exist depending on their understanding (etc). At this point he had to run down to his car so I threw him my keys to get back in the building. Coming up he got off on the wrong floor and walked into an empty apartment. It kind of freaked him out for a second. LoLs Anyway, LOVE the channel, thanks. Also: if this is a simulation, the graphics are awesome.

[@sullenskulls9709]

Yeah, but the graphics for the Eagle DLC are so much better.

[@jordanchristeson2872]

This is one of those theories that I just never understood. I have questioned whether everything around me was solely put there for me, but that was my full egotistical development in adolescence. But there’s no intuitive sense that a simulation makes for me.

[@skipp3252]

I get you. But the thing is there is also no sense in the universe being there naturally.

[@tprnbs]

4:29 vsauce has good video about consciousness called "what is consciousness?" and in another one (i don't remember title )he said that one argument against living in simulation are irrational numbers (its decimal representation never ends, nor enters a permanently repeating pattern) like pi, or square root of 2

[@zf5656]

This type of thinking is just built around today’s world around us. Nothing new in doing so when taking a look at history. I like your dads response, “the world doesn’t revolve around you.” That compliments the way people have thought in the past; the Earth is the center.

[@stevenflogerzi1955]

The Thirteenth Floor (1999) - Movie A computer scientist running a virtual reality simulation of 1937 becomes the primary suspect when his colleague and mentor is murdered.

[@bromixsr]

Interesting notion. Descartes answered it best when he stated, "I think, therefore I am." If you have no other reason to doubt your own existence than your own doubts, then it leads to believe that you DO exist.

[@ub-4630]

[3:34] Happened to me as well. Except my dad didn't tell me that, it dawned on me one day. Had to figure out a lot of things myself like maturity, life and death, religion, passion, procreation, etc.

[@monsterlair]

On the topic of advanced civilisations I recommend the video "Self-Replicating Robots and Galactic Domination" by PBS Space Time.

[@crazyandfunystuf]

I like your videos.

[@jackasswhiskyandpintobeans9344]

8:15 The problem with Sea Monkeys (Brine Shrimp), is that after a few weeks they start to stink, and you flush 'em down the toilet.

[@jackasswhiskyandpintobeans9344]

4:50 Free will for me is the most important aspect of human existence.

[@itisnownow-brian9575]

Great Video. I recommend looking into Tom Campbell and his book titled My Big TOE (theory of everything). Wild stuff.

[@shawnclifford362]

I'm just an old O. From a time before computers. So it's hard for me to relate to this matrix nonsense. I enjoy your vids. Take care young Lady.☘️

[@NoProtocol]

I’ve actually never seen that movie

[@shawnclifford362]

@@NoProtocol I've seen a couple of them, kids liked the shows. By the way, there's a book by peirce Anthony called Machroscope, you might like. Pardon my spelling errors, I'm going off memory. Read the book in the early eighties. Slan☘️

[@simonwinwood]

i have mild epilepsy and experience deja' vu and jamais vu (the feeling something very familiar is strange and new ).I think a wild fling in a tired brain seems more likely to me than a "glitch in the matrix"

[@mrsentencename7334]

3:35 I believe this is called object permanence. This is why dogs and children think they can hide by not looking at you. You eventually grow out of it

[@richarddixon4303]

I love this channel always something different never know what your going to get.

[@NoProtocol]

Thanks Richard! I’m having fun

[@bowillieman]

Video games to me present the best argument. It's been said by others but if you look at where we came..all the way from pong to VR in a relatively short period of time.

[@filipebento2099]

Simulacra and Simulation by Jean Baudrillard. Main book every actor had to read before being cast in the movie "the matrix"

[@kevinpolito1529]

"This is all just a simulation." Try telling that to the IRS on April 15.

[@BboyKeny]

If we're in a simulation, we can try to crack the source code and gain control over it. Maybe that's why they made it, to check if other simulations get controlled from the inside since that proves they can do the same in their simulation.

[@TheRealMirCat]

The movie The 13th Floor explored this. P.S. This video (K's) assumes that the 'real' universe uses the same physical laws that ours does. Like an MMORPG character trying to understand the true nature of their universe without the knowledge of a power plant or the existence of Twitch.

[@lxvleygxcha1004]

The human imagination is just so outlandish that I just can't. We just go off the rails, and it is very entertaining. I love us.

[@einspruch3905]

Watch the Fermi Paradox! I feel like you would enjoy that

[@jmuench420]

When it comes to simulation theory for me it's simple, "I think therefore I am". I don't get too hung up on whether we're "real" or not. If we are in a simulation, our creators are likely in a simulation as well, so on and so forth. I know that I'm a conscious entity and I'm content with that. ...And my favorite video from this channel is their reading of "The Egg" short story.

[@jackasswhiskyandpintobeans9344]

I believe the more accurate translation of that Descartes quote is, "I doubt therefore I am."

[@jmuench420]

@@jackasswhiskyandpintobeans9344 I'll let the linguists argue over that. "I think therefore I am" captures how I feel quite well, the words stand on their own.

[@jackasswhiskyandpintobeans9344]

@@jmuench420 Thinking does not actualize existence as much as doubting your existence.

[@jmuench420]

@@jackasswhiskyandpintobeans9344 I look at the statement in a different way. I see it as I know because of my inner monologue, rambling thoughts and simply experiencing time alone; all of which are encapsulated in "thinking", that I exist as a conscious entity whether in a simulation or not. I can't say the same about you or anyone else though.

[@joe-ru9gh]

This is like hp lovecraft where we are not living in a simulation but a gods dream

[@Aogiri_9]

Reminds me of that one Rick and Morty ep where he makes a micro universe to power his battery, and they make the same in that universe and so on

[@NoProtocol]

One of the best episodes!

[@thetalantonx]

I highly, HIGHLY recommend Anathem by Neal Stephenson. Related concept because "if this universe is simulated, then there's a more real world in which the simulation is running."

[@mikefufuffalo8487]

There's also draw distance in the universe. Or that when you zoom far enough it's all pixels. Or that one things can exist in many places at once in the universe until observed somewhere (quantum sized things). Teleportation is real. Time not only can bend, but constantly does everywhere, because space is flat (Picture a piece of paper over a ball. Bigger the ball, bigger the curve, slower the time is on that object). Seems like a video game :p Also, you are just lovely. =)

[@user-ep8ns6hg4q]

I think if we create a simulation and then that simulation creates a simulation then we are likely in a simulation, it would also mean that running it would require essentially infinite power since it would first have to run the simulation, then provide the ability for that simulation to create a simulation and that simulation would ultimately create it's own which would add to the total computing/power required to run the base simulation and this would basically continue infinitely. If we cannot ever create a simulation though (the technology never works regardless of computing/power provided) it may mean that we do live in a simulation that has been designed to block creating further simulations.

[@Owlincoup]

Your invisible lines comment was dead on.

[@trumphatesyou]

Neil deGrasse Tyson has two videos on this platform that are about this! Good stuff!

[@thatstrey5147]

I would love if you’d react to The Egg by this channel. It’s a very good video about religion but in a good way

[@aceholt8865]

When anyone ever brings up us being in a simulation to me I always fall back to the thought that if we were actually in a simulated universe or reality that someone created I don't think as many people would have it as hard as they do, I believe that more people would be happier and better off

[@benwatson5787]

That was half the plot of the Matrix. People couldn't believe a utopia so they made the simulation like real life.

[@chriswhinery925]

Not necessarily, it depends on what the purpose of the simulation is. Maybe this simulation is specifically designed to study human suffering and how people react to bad situations.

[@kevinfitzgerald527]

Nice jacket!

[@SantamanitaClauscaria]

Donald Hoffman has the most elegant explanation for simuation theory, I recommend checking him out. Bernardo Kastrup as well.

[@RomaTomatoe]

My issue with the idea of simulation theory is one of purpose. The entire premise posits that sufficiently advanced technology could do it (unproven, it is fully possible for this to be too large of a demand on computing power), and so that sufficiently advanced civilization would do it (also unknowable, we can't even really think of a good reason for what would be gained by doing this). It also seems to come from the same sort of intellectual thought that believes in physical infinity. The idea is that technology grows at an exponential rate, civilization grows at a different rate, and that X result will eventually result from that. It's the kind of argument that sounds logical until you start questioning the premises. Exponential, infinite growth is likely impossible, and we do not have a clear idea of when and where technology will hit a plateau. Perhaps civilization is too volatile to ever allow advancement to even get that far, let alone so far that we are simulating entire universes.

[@1993smoker]

Another great video you should watch is "the rules for rulers"