1 00:00:24,460 --> 00:00:16,080 [Music] 2 00:00:26,530 --> 00:00:24,470 as dean made pretty clear in his talk 3 00:00:26,769 --> 00:00:26,540 what he's looking for will be all we 4 00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:26,779 need 5 00:00:31,630 --> 00:00:29,090 today is a completely different crazy of 6 00:00:33,030 --> 00:00:31,640 view of reality and I have a crazy view 7 00:00:36,610 --> 00:00:33,040 of reality to present you this morning 8 00:00:38,680 --> 00:00:36,620 it's a rather provocative talk about a 9 00:00:41,650 --> 00:00:38,690 possible explanation of all of a reality 10 00:00:42,850 --> 00:00:41,660 and if I'm saying something this radical 11 00:00:44,590 --> 00:00:42,860 it's always good to have some backup 12 00:00:46,360 --> 00:00:44,600 from people that know what they're 13 00:00:47,980 --> 00:00:46,370 talking about and they're two 14 00:00:51,010 --> 00:00:47,990 astrophysicists in the last century that 15 00:00:52,270 --> 00:00:51,020 I admire greatly James Gene's and Sir 16 00:00:55,450 --> 00:00:52,280 Arthur Eddington and they had this to 17 00:00:56,830 --> 00:00:55,460 say Gene's wrote the stream of knowledge 18 00:01:00,130 --> 00:00:56,840 is heading towards a non-mechanical 19 00:01:01,569 --> 00:01:00,140 reality the universe begins to look more 20 00:01:05,170 --> 00:01:01,579 like a great thought than like a great 21 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:05,180 machine mind no longer appears as an 22 00:01:09,580 --> 00:01:06,770 accidental intruder into the realm of 23 00:01:10,989 --> 00:01:09,590 matter we ought rather to hail it as the 24 00:01:12,999 --> 00:01:10,999 creator and governor of the realm of 25 00:01:14,139 --> 00:01:13,009 matter well that's pretty clear that 26 00:01:16,840 --> 00:01:14,149 he's looking for something different 27 00:01:19,660 --> 00:01:16,850 than a typical mechanical explanation of 28 00:01:21,340 --> 00:01:19,670 reality Sir Arthur Eddington was the one 29 00:01:22,719 --> 00:01:21,350 who I made Einstein famous he was the 30 00:01:24,910 --> 00:01:22,729 one who led the Eclipse expedition in 31 00:01:26,620 --> 00:01:24,920 1919 that measured the deflection of 32 00:01:27,849 --> 00:01:26,630 starlight that proved that I Syme was 33 00:01:29,230 --> 00:01:27,859 correct with respect to his theory of 34 00:01:32,349 --> 00:01:29,240 gravitation the general theory of 35 00:01:35,230 --> 00:01:32,359 relativity and it had this to say about 36 00:01:37,209 --> 00:01:35,240 cognition I think that those who would 37 00:01:38,440 --> 00:01:37,219 wish to take on mission of nothing but 38 00:01:41,139 --> 00:01:38,450 the measurements of the scientific world 39 00:01:42,429 --> 00:01:41,149 made by our sense organs are shirking 40 00:01:45,039 --> 00:01:42,439 one of the most immediate facts of 41 00:01:47,769 --> 00:01:45,049 experience namely that consciousness is 42 00:01:50,499 --> 00:01:47,779 not holy nor even primarily an advice 43 00:01:53,289 --> 00:01:50,509 for receiving sense impressions so he 44 00:01:54,699 --> 00:01:53,299 too believed that consciousness was 45 00:01:57,099 --> 00:01:54,709 something far greater than simply an 46 00:01:59,349 --> 00:01:57,109 epiphenomenon of the well of reality 47 00:02:00,849 --> 00:01:59,359 these are two books that he wrote the 48 00:02:02,499 --> 00:02:00,859 one on the right the mathematical theory 49 00:02:04,359 --> 00:02:02,509 of relativity is the one I used when I 50 00:02:06,370 --> 00:02:04,369 was in graduate school and it's the was 51 00:02:09,279 --> 00:02:06,380 the first textbook on relativity written 52 00:02:10,690 --> 00:02:09,289 in the 1920s full of tensor calculus the 53 00:02:13,630 --> 00:02:10,700 other one is the science and the unseen 54 00:02:15,699 --> 00:02:13,640 world and good talks about edingtons 55 00:02:19,660 --> 00:02:15,709 beliefs and other reality beyond the 56 00:02:20,620 --> 00:02:19,670 physical so one possible interpretation 57 00:02:22,330 --> 00:02:20,630 of real 58 00:02:24,580 --> 00:02:22,340 is that physical the physical world is 59 00:02:26,010 --> 00:02:24,590 real and all there is okay that's the so 60 00:02:28,570 --> 00:02:26,020 the typical scientific worldview that 61 00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:28,580 you see what you see here is what you 62 00:02:33,970 --> 00:02:32,330 what you get you get what you see in 63 00:02:35,140 --> 00:02:33,980 other explanations the physical world is 64 00:02:37,390 --> 00:02:35,150 real but other realities exist 65 00:02:38,920 --> 00:02:37,400 interestingly this could infer both the 66 00:02:41,740 --> 00:02:38,930 spiritual world view where you have 67 00:02:43,780 --> 00:02:41,750 other realms of who knows what could 68 00:02:45,580 --> 00:02:43,790 also refer to the modern theories of an 69 00:02:48,970 --> 00:02:45,590 M theory of physics where you have other 70 00:02:50,920 --> 00:02:48,980 universes other brains other dimensions 71 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:50,930 so it could actually apply to very 72 00:02:54,010 --> 00:02:52,370 different things but it implies that 73 00:02:57,250 --> 00:02:54,020 there are two at least two kinds of 74 00:03:02,320 --> 00:02:57,260 reality the the room of consciousness 75 00:03:03,970 --> 00:03:02,330 and some other who knows what a third 76 00:03:05,530 --> 00:03:03,980 one that's being talked about more and 77 00:03:07,300 --> 00:03:05,540 more today is that the physical world is 78 00:03:07,780 --> 00:03:07,310 a technologically based simulation and 79 00:03:09,820 --> 00:03:07,790 so are we 80 00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:09,830 now in this view the simulation is is 81 00:03:14,200 --> 00:03:11,690 run on some kind of a supercomputer in 82 00:03:15,550 --> 00:03:14,210 the far future by by beings maybe not 83 00:03:17,550 --> 00:03:15,560 much different than you and I but simply 84 00:03:19,870 --> 00:03:17,560 I'll have more technology available 85 00:03:21,820 --> 00:03:19,880 creating the the realm of their 86 00:03:24,820 --> 00:03:21,830 ancestors which are us and seeing how we 87 00:03:27,070 --> 00:03:24,830 would survive in a world that's created 88 00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:27,080 by them in this view unfortunately we 89 00:03:29,740 --> 00:03:28,250 are nothing special we were we were 90 00:03:31,540 --> 00:03:29,750 simply part of the calculations part of 91 00:03:33,220 --> 00:03:31,550 the computations we think where we were 92 00:03:35,530 --> 00:03:33,230 live physical beings but in fact were 93 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:35,540 total simulations were nothing but bits 94 00:03:40,750 --> 00:03:37,730 of bits and bytes in this computer a 95 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:40,760 rather depressing view of things when 96 00:03:43,540 --> 00:03:41,930 I'm going to present as a view that's 97 00:03:45,580 --> 00:03:43,550 this sort of parallel to this but it's 98 00:03:48,010 --> 00:03:45,590 very optimistic that makes us basically 99 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:48,020 that makes us the real McCoy and the 100 00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:49,970 world the the virtual reality that we 101 00:03:56,080 --> 00:03:53,930 operate within so if we have a virtual 102 00:03:57,430 --> 00:03:56,090 reality that we create nowadays we might 103 00:03:59,199 --> 00:03:57,440 have something like this where we create 104 00:04:00,310 --> 00:03:59,209 an avatar and the avatar is about to go 105 00:04:02,830 --> 00:04:00,320 out and fight or do whatever he does 106 00:04:04,510 --> 00:04:02,840 along this plane and this is the the 107 00:04:07,120 --> 00:04:04,520 world of virtual reality that you can 108 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:07,130 buy off the shelf today well assume that 109 00:04:11,199 --> 00:04:09,770 instead of there being us creating a 110 00:04:13,540 --> 00:04:11,209 virtual reality it's some great 111 00:04:14,890 --> 00:04:13,550 consciousness and unfortunately I can't 112 00:04:16,599 --> 00:04:14,900 cut your great consciousness in any way 113 00:04:17,949 --> 00:04:16,609 other than you know this old man up here 114 00:04:18,670 --> 00:04:17,959 with a beard in the clouds so don't take 115 00:04:21,190 --> 00:04:18,680 that too seriously 116 00:04:23,050 --> 00:04:21,200 this is consciousness up there the 117 00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:23,060 conscience creates a reality and then 118 00:04:26,740 --> 00:04:24,650 enters into the physical reality that's 119 00:04:30,850 --> 00:04:26,750 been created to play the game become the 120 00:04:32,710 --> 00:04:30,860 avatar are you living in a computer 121 00:04:34,870 --> 00:04:32,720 simulation well this idea of the 122 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:34,880 computer simulation is gaining ground 123 00:04:39,460 --> 00:04:36,410 and one of the leading leaders leading 124 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:39,470 leaders one of the many gentleman in 125 00:04:43,840 --> 00:04:41,930 this field is Nick Bostrom at Oxford 126 00:04:47,020 --> 00:04:43,850 University who published a very full a 127 00:04:50,830 --> 00:04:47,030 very thought-provoking paper in the 128 00:04:52,030 --> 00:04:50,840 physical philosophical quarterly and 129 00:04:54,550 --> 00:04:52,040 this has gotten quite a bit of attention 130 00:04:56,410 --> 00:04:54,560 to the idea of simulations of virtual 131 00:04:58,960 --> 00:04:56,420 realities that apply on the grandest 132 00:05:01,060 --> 00:04:58,970 scale John Turney writing the in the New 133 00:05:03,820 --> 00:05:01,070 York Times had this to say about the 134 00:05:05,980 --> 00:05:03,830 bostrom journey writes until I talked to 135 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:05,990 Nick Bostrom a philosopher Docs word 136 00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:07,970 University it never occurred to me that 137 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:09,890 our universe might be somebody else's 138 00:05:13,660 --> 00:05:12,170 hobby I hadn't imagined that the 139 00:05:15,640 --> 00:05:13,670 omniscient omnipotent creator of the 140 00:05:17,830 --> 00:05:15,650 heavens and earth could be an advanced 141 00:05:19,810 --> 00:05:17,840 version of a guy who spends his weekends 142 00:05:23,860 --> 00:05:19,820 building model railroads or overseeing 143 00:05:25,330 --> 00:05:23,870 videogame worlds like the Sims but it 144 00:05:26,770 --> 00:05:25,340 now seems quite possible in fact if you 145 00:05:29,500 --> 00:05:26,780 accept a pretty reasonable assumption of 146 00:05:31,060 --> 00:05:29,510 dr. Bostrom's it's almost a mathematical 147 00:05:36,370 --> 00:05:31,070 certainty that we're living at someone 148 00:05:37,930 --> 00:05:36,380 else's computer simulation so what is 149 00:05:40,710 --> 00:05:37,940 another possibility that we ought to 150 00:05:42,820 --> 00:05:40,720 consider in terms of a model of reality 151 00:05:44,440 --> 00:05:42,830 it's the last one that the physical 152 00:05:46,420 --> 00:05:44,450 world is a conscience based simulation 153 00:05:48,400 --> 00:05:46,430 and consciousness is all there is and 154 00:05:50,710 --> 00:05:48,410 includes us so in this view there's only 155 00:05:52,150 --> 00:05:50,720 one thing there's not many things during 156 00:05:54,220 --> 00:05:52,160 kinds of things to try to explain like 157 00:05:56,110 --> 00:05:54,230 consciousness physical realities other 158 00:05:57,490 --> 00:05:56,120 realities beyond that there's only one 159 00:05:58,840 --> 00:05:57,500 thing and that's consciousness and 160 00:06:01,810 --> 00:05:58,850 that's responsible for everything in 161 00:06:04,300 --> 00:06:01,820 terms of both creating a world that it 162 00:06:06,940 --> 00:06:04,310 resides in that it it lives in and 163 00:06:09,130 --> 00:06:06,950 experiences and in terms of their gut 164 00:06:10,300 --> 00:06:09,140 being all that there is that that's and 165 00:06:11,470 --> 00:06:10,310 we in fact we know what it is it 166 00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:11,480 constants something we experience 167 00:06:15,970 --> 00:06:14,090 ourselves therefore and we can't explain 168 00:06:17,440 --> 00:06:15,980 it in terms of anything other than then 169 00:06:18,670 --> 00:06:17,450 what it is we can't explain in terms of 170 00:06:19,930 --> 00:06:18,680 anything simpler because to do that 171 00:06:21,970 --> 00:06:19,940 would be to back away from the problem 172 00:06:25,720 --> 00:06:21,980 so in this sense conscience is already 173 00:06:27,310 --> 00:06:25,730 resolved as as a something that we're 174 00:06:29,560 --> 00:06:27,320 trying to understand we know what it is 175 00:06:33,190 --> 00:06:29,570 we have it it's our it's our thoughts in 176 00:06:34,120 --> 00:06:33,200 our minds now what kind of evidence 177 00:06:36,280 --> 00:06:34,130 might that be for this sort of thing 178 00:06:39,760 --> 00:06:36,290 well let's take a measurement 179 00:06:42,070 --> 00:06:39,770 this shows the reflection of a mountain 180 00:06:43,659 --> 00:06:42,080 in Lake and shows it about some small 181 00:06:44,620 --> 00:06:43,669 percentage of the light is reflected off 182 00:06:48,580 --> 00:06:44,630 the surface of the lake 183 00:06:51,580 --> 00:06:48,590 in fact it's for about 4% well 184 00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:51,590 this is a view a diagram from the book 185 00:06:57,310 --> 00:06:54,410 by Fineman on QED it talks about a light 186 00:06:58,900 --> 00:06:57,320 source and pinching a glass surface as 187 00:07:01,530 --> 00:06:58,910 the light hitting the lake would be an 188 00:07:03,340 --> 00:07:01,540 analogy of and there are about 4 photons 189 00:07:05,080 --> 00:07:03,350 reflected off the front surface for 190 00:07:08,200 --> 00:07:05,090 every 100 that pass into the into the 191 00:07:10,240 --> 00:07:08,210 medium for photons on average are the 192 00:07:12,910 --> 00:07:10,250 ones that reflect from the surface 193 00:07:14,950 --> 00:07:12,920 well the question is how does every 25th 194 00:07:17,770 --> 00:07:14,960 photon that is one out of every four of 195 00:07:19,540 --> 00:07:17,780 125 photons on average know it is 196 00:07:21,660 --> 00:07:19,550 supposed to be reflected instead of 197 00:07:24,970 --> 00:07:21,670 being transmitted how does it know that 198 00:07:27,850 --> 00:07:24,980 after all all photons are identical the 199 00:07:30,070 --> 00:07:27,860 125 reflection is true even for a one at 200 00:07:32,080 --> 00:07:30,080 a time flux you have one photon coming 201 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:32,090 through and then you wait maybe I grow 202 00:07:35,260 --> 00:07:33,650 an Abbe lunch send the second photon 203 00:07:37,420 --> 00:07:35,270 through it's still going to be one out 204 00:07:39,130 --> 00:07:37,430 of 25 that does the the trick of 205 00:07:40,870 --> 00:07:39,140 bouncing back and being the one that's 206 00:07:42,970 --> 00:07:40,880 reflected how does it know what to do 207 00:07:44,830 --> 00:07:42,980 how to do this who tells photons what to 208 00:07:46,210 --> 00:07:44,840 do and similarly in a two-slit 209 00:07:48,220 --> 00:07:46,220 experiment I don't need to talk too much 210 00:07:51,430 --> 00:07:48,230 about the details of this because it was 211 00:07:52,960 --> 00:07:51,440 covered quite well in Beanstalk Fineman 212 00:07:56,860 --> 00:07:52,970 had this to say about explaining maybe 213 00:07:58,870 --> 00:07:56,870 the do slit experiment in terms of a 214 00:08:01,270 --> 00:07:58,880 what happens when single photons and pin 215 00:08:04,240 --> 00:08:01,280 John the slits electrons like bullets 216 00:08:06,190 --> 00:08:04,250 strike the target one at a time yet like 217 00:08:08,140 --> 00:08:06,200 waves they create an interference 218 00:08:10,420 --> 00:08:08,150 pattern if each electron passes 219 00:08:12,400 --> 00:08:10,430 individually through one slit with what 220 00:08:13,870 --> 00:08:12,410 does it interfere while the reaching 221 00:08:16,060 --> 00:08:13,880 electron arrives at the target at a 222 00:08:17,500 --> 00:08:16,070 single place in time it seems that each 223 00:08:19,510 --> 00:08:17,510 s passed through or somehow felt the 224 00:08:24,010 --> 00:08:19,520 presence of both slits at once so how is 225 00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:24,020 this how does this happen in the book by 226 00:08:27,610 --> 00:08:25,370 Hawking him load enough called the grand 227 00:08:29,140 --> 00:08:27,620 design they talk about this and I'm 228 00:08:31,210 --> 00:08:29,150 gonna read this it's a bit long but it's 229 00:08:33,700 --> 00:08:31,220 worth hearing this explanation of things 230 00:08:36,010 --> 00:08:33,710 the kind of judge what's amount of sense 231 00:08:37,690 --> 00:08:36,020 it makes in terms of explaining reality 232 00:08:39,910 --> 00:08:37,700 in a way that is consistent with the 233 00:08:42,580 --> 00:08:39,920 current materialistic suit physical 234 00:08:44,140 --> 00:08:42,590 istic materialist science Fineman 235 00:08:45,970 --> 00:08:44,150 realized one does not have to interpret 236 00:08:47,410 --> 00:08:45,980 that to mean that particles stick no 237 00:08:49,240 --> 00:08:47,420 path as they travel between source and 238 00:08:51,010 --> 00:08:49,250 screen it could mean instead that 239 00:08:53,860 --> 00:08:51,020 particles take every possible path 240 00:08:55,930 --> 00:08:53,870 connecting these points a situation at 241 00:08:57,640 --> 00:08:55,940 both slits matters because rather than 242 00:08:59,620 --> 00:08:57,650 following a single definite path 243 00:09:00,800 --> 00:08:59,630 particles take every path and they take 244 00:09:03,170 --> 00:09:00,810 them all simultaneously 245 00:09:05,120 --> 00:09:03,180 that sounds like science fiction but it 246 00:09:07,190 --> 00:09:05,130 isn't fact in my opinion it is but they 247 00:09:09,530 --> 00:09:07,200 say it isn't in a double slit experiment 248 00:09:10,970 --> 00:09:09,540 fineman's ideas mean the particles take 249 00:09:13,400 --> 00:09:10,980 paths it thread through the first slit 250 00:09:15,410 --> 00:09:13,410 back out through the second slit and 251 00:09:16,760 --> 00:09:15,420 then through the first thing pass that 252 00:09:18,829 --> 00:09:16,770 visit the restaurant that serves a great 253 00:09:21,260 --> 00:09:18,839 curried shrimp and then circle Jupiter a 254 00:09:23,870 --> 00:09:21,270 few times before heading home even past 255 00:09:25,610 --> 00:09:23,880 ago across the universe and back this in 256 00:09:27,019 --> 00:09:25,620 fineman's view explains how the particle 257 00:09:30,230 --> 00:09:27,029 acquires information about which slits 258 00:09:32,150 --> 00:09:30,240 are open now if there's anything crazier 259 00:09:34,400 --> 00:09:32,160 than that I you know I don't know what 260 00:09:37,730 --> 00:09:34,410 it would be if we came up with some 261 00:09:39,470 --> 00:09:37,740 theory of something that mainstream 262 00:09:41,420 --> 00:09:39,480 science found to be ludicrous and our 263 00:09:43,070 --> 00:09:41,430 explanation we're at this level we would 264 00:09:44,960 --> 00:09:43,080 be very sharply criticized in fact we'd 265 00:09:46,490 --> 00:09:44,970 be laughed out of the room but this is 266 00:09:50,110 --> 00:09:46,500 in fact the explanation that phiman 267 00:09:55,660 --> 00:09:52,910 for both the 4% reflection and the 268 00:09:57,530 --> 00:09:55,670 single photon double slit experiment 269 00:09:58,700 --> 00:09:57,540 hardwiring the physics is seemingly 270 00:10:01,160 --> 00:09:58,710 impossible I wouldn't know how to 271 00:10:02,960 --> 00:10:01,170 hardwire something to make the photons 272 00:10:05,720 --> 00:10:02,970 know that it's their turn to do this 273 00:10:08,420 --> 00:10:05,730 versus that or to create an interference 274 00:10:09,950 --> 00:10:08,430 pattern or not to but a software 275 00:10:11,150 --> 00:10:09,960 algorithm would have no problem 276 00:10:12,290 --> 00:10:11,160 generating this behavior I mean it's 277 00:10:15,910 --> 00:10:12,300 really simple to write a little bit of 278 00:10:19,100 --> 00:10:15,920 software to have these phenomena happen 279 00:10:21,380 --> 00:10:19,110 so the duality conundrum that we face is 280 00:10:23,150 --> 00:10:21,390 this it's matter and energy is the 281 00:10:25,730 --> 00:10:23,160 fundamental stuff how does consciousness 282 00:10:27,470 --> 00:10:25,740 arise on the other hand if consciousness 283 00:10:30,590 --> 00:10:27,480 consciousness is the fundamental stuff 284 00:10:31,610 --> 00:10:30,600 and it is non-physical how did the 285 00:10:33,560 --> 00:10:31,620 physical universe arise from 286 00:10:36,430 --> 00:10:33,570 consciousness so this is a question we 287 00:10:38,300 --> 00:10:36,440 have to answer when we think about the 288 00:10:41,750 --> 00:10:38,310 situation we're in today in terms of 289 00:10:42,740 --> 00:10:41,760 trying to understand consciousness let's 290 00:10:44,420 --> 00:10:42,750 pursue the idea that everything is 291 00:10:47,240 --> 00:10:44,430 consciousness everything that's really 292 00:10:48,440 --> 00:10:47,250 all there is is consciousness this would 293 00:10:50,870 --> 00:10:48,450 be called monism more specifically 294 00:10:52,070 --> 00:10:50,880 idealism the modern twist on this is to 295 00:10:56,390 --> 00:10:52,080 view consciousness as a digital 296 00:10:58,310 --> 00:10:56,400 simulator Brian Wentworth wrote about 297 00:11:00,050 --> 00:10:58,320 this he said one of the mysteries of our 298 00:11:03,199 --> 00:11:00,060 world is that every photon of light 299 00:11:05,240 --> 00:11:03,209 every electron in quark and indeed every 300 00:11:07,510 --> 00:11:05,250 point of space itself seemed to just 301 00:11:09,740 --> 00:11:07,520 quote know what to do at each moment the 302 00:11:11,480 --> 00:11:09,750 mystery is at these tiniest parts of the 303 00:11:12,590 --> 00:11:11,490 universe have no mechanisms or 304 00:11:13,759 --> 00:11:12,600 structures by which to make such 305 00:11:14,989 --> 00:11:13,769 decisions 306 00:11:17,809 --> 00:11:14,999 and if the world is a virtual reality 307 00:11:19,759 --> 00:11:17,819 this problem disappears so again it's 308 00:11:23,509 --> 00:11:19,769 very easy to make up a law of physics 309 00:11:24,829 --> 00:11:23,519 that's run by a computer it follows a 310 00:11:26,989 --> 00:11:24,839 few simple principles that you program 311 00:11:29,239 --> 00:11:26,999 into it and while you can explain these 312 00:11:30,979 --> 00:11:29,249 things but try to hardwire this behavior 313 00:11:32,689 --> 00:11:30,989 into nature I don't know how to do it 314 00:11:34,400 --> 00:11:32,699 and if you do try to do it you come up 315 00:11:36,410 --> 00:11:34,410 with something as crazy as fine ones 316 00:11:38,389 --> 00:11:36,420 ideas on the photo counter following 317 00:11:40,429 --> 00:11:38,399 every possible path the entire universe 318 00:11:43,429 --> 00:11:40,439 before it decides to come and hit the 319 00:11:47,090 --> 00:11:43,439 screen and manufactures it it's aware of 320 00:11:48,650 --> 00:11:47,100 the other student go through how can 321 00:11:50,269 --> 00:11:48,660 space-time in the Big Bang be caused 322 00:11:52,249 --> 00:11:50,279 when there is no space or time for 323 00:11:53,960 --> 00:11:52,259 causation how can there be quarter 324 00:11:56,749 --> 00:11:53,970 fluctuations with no quantum laws exist 325 00:11:59,150 --> 00:11:56,759 well least they're questions that are 326 00:12:00,319 --> 00:11:59,160 very serious questions in science but 327 00:12:01,669 --> 00:12:00,329 you could say that the start up of the 328 00:12:04,759 --> 00:12:01,679 simulation provides a very natural 329 00:12:07,759 --> 00:12:04,769 explanation why is there a maximum speed 330 00:12:11,150 --> 00:12:07,769 the speed of light well this may reflect 331 00:12:13,549 --> 00:12:11,160 a maximum processing rate why are things 332 00:12:14,780 --> 00:12:13,559 quantized well it's natural for a 333 00:12:16,100 --> 00:12:14,790 digitally computed reality to be 334 00:12:19,939 --> 00:12:16,110 quantized that sort of space science 335 00:12:21,410 --> 00:12:19,949 quiz digitization how are non-local 336 00:12:24,439 --> 00:12:21,420 instantaneously transmitted effects 337 00:12:26,509 --> 00:12:24,449 possible for entangled particles well in 338 00:12:28,489 --> 00:12:26,519 the view of this being a virtual reality 339 00:12:31,389 --> 00:12:28,499 separations are calculated but not real 340 00:12:33,949 --> 00:12:31,399 there are no true separations so if the 341 00:12:35,780 --> 00:12:33,959 virtual world that is the universe says 342 00:12:37,999 --> 00:12:35,790 that this photon them which is entangled 343 00:12:38,600 --> 00:12:38,009 with the other one is separated by ten 344 00:12:40,129 --> 00:12:38,610 light years 345 00:12:41,030 --> 00:12:40,139 they're both supplemented by ten lakh 346 00:12:42,410 --> 00:12:41,040 years from each other how can you 347 00:12:44,449 --> 00:12:42,420 possibly interact because they're 348 00:12:46,039 --> 00:12:44,459 entangled well it's because the 349 00:12:47,660 --> 00:12:46,049 simulation is being run somewhere where 350 00:12:48,619 --> 00:12:47,670 that distance has no meaning the 351 00:12:51,199 --> 00:12:48,629 distance is simply something it's 352 00:12:52,369 --> 00:12:51,209 computed why are the basic laws 353 00:12:54,259 --> 00:12:52,379 mathematically simple 354 00:12:57,949 --> 00:12:54,269 well again virtual reality based laws 355 00:12:59,119 --> 00:12:57,959 must be easily calculable why are 356 00:13:01,340 --> 00:12:59,129 fundamental particles of a kind 357 00:13:03,829 --> 00:13:01,350 perfectly identical well each is created 358 00:13:05,090 --> 00:13:03,839 by the same digital calculation why are 359 00:13:06,859 --> 00:13:05,100 there discrete state transitions in 360 00:13:08,989 --> 00:13:06,869 quantum mechanics again this is natural 361 00:13:10,309 --> 00:13:08,999 for a digital simulation and so the 362 00:13:12,079 --> 00:13:10,319 proposal I'm making is that there really 363 00:13:13,609 --> 00:13:12,089 is only one thing in reality to covered 364 00:13:15,049 --> 00:13:13,619 it explains everything everything that 365 00:13:18,229 --> 00:13:15,059 we're know of and things that we don't 366 00:13:19,789 --> 00:13:18,239 know yet and that is consciousness and 367 00:13:23,239 --> 00:13:19,799 the conscience creates a virtual reality 368 00:13:25,189 --> 00:13:23,249 with laws that that govern it and then 369 00:13:26,900 --> 00:13:25,199 enters into it to experience what it's 370 00:13:28,900 --> 00:13:26,910 like to live in that kind of universe 371 00:13:32,150 --> 00:13:28,910 and the people are experiencing that are 372 00:13:33,830 --> 00:13:32,160 us people in this room are experiencing 373 00:13:36,560 --> 00:13:33,840 what it's like living this consciously 374 00:13:38,360 --> 00:13:36,570 created virtual reality and I think this 375 00:13:40,250 --> 00:13:38,370 explanation you know though it sounds 376 00:13:42,140 --> 00:13:40,260 crazy at the moment in fact it would 377 00:13:44,180 --> 00:13:42,150 have sounded really incomprehensible 378 00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:44,190 even fifty years ago 379 00:13:47,750 --> 00:13:45,930 is a way to look at things that might 380 00:13:49,550 --> 00:13:47,760 take us in a wholly new direction and 381 00:13:50,570 --> 00:13:49,560 but even as recently as 1960 if we went 382 00:13:51,980 --> 00:13:50,580 back to that era 383 00:13:53,930 --> 00:13:51,990 you wouldn't understand what I meant by 384 00:13:55,220 --> 00:13:53,940 virtual reality because but now you know 385 00:13:58,490 --> 00:13:55,230 you can go down to the store and even 386 00:14:00,830 --> 00:13:58,500 buy games that just show how we're kind 387 00:14:03,170 --> 00:14:00,840 of complicated and complex virtual 388 00:14:04,370 --> 00:14:03,180 reality we can create ourselves I think 389 00:14:07,760 --> 00:14:04,380 this is a way of looking at things that 390 00:14:09,560 --> 00:14:07,770 has a future here's an example of a 391 00:14:11,360 --> 00:14:09,570 virtual reality this is a shutdown of 392 00:14:13,610 --> 00:14:11,370 the virtual reality holodeck more than 393 00:14:16,370 --> 00:14:13,620 the Starship Enterprise in the year 20 394 00:14:18,980 --> 00:14:16,380 365 and you can see that the reality 395 00:14:22,010 --> 00:14:18,990 shows that the fading out of the virtual 396 00:14:26,090 --> 00:14:22,020 world and going back from the stadium to 397 00:14:27,200 --> 00:14:26,100 the holodeck of the USS Enterprise so 398 00:14:30,170 --> 00:14:27,210 he's the universe of ask conscious 399 00:14:34,300 --> 00:14:30,180 created virtual reality I think it may 400 00:14:41,900 --> 00:14:34,310 well be and I think I'll end it there 401 00:14:44,850 --> 00:14:41,910 [Applause] 402 00:14:55,170 --> 00:14:44,860 thank you very much we have ample time 403 00:14:58,460 --> 00:14:55,180 for questions I'm not sure there's a 404 00:15:01,410 --> 00:14:58,470 meaningful distinction between a a 405 00:15:04,530 --> 00:15:01,420 technological virtual reality and a 406 00:15:09,900 --> 00:15:04,540 consciousness created virtual reality 407 00:15:11,790 --> 00:15:09,910 but I find myself wondering how what 408 00:15:13,770 --> 00:15:11,800 what what's your reaction to the problem 409 00:15:17,580 --> 00:15:13,780 that the simulation hypothesis and 410 00:15:19,650 --> 00:15:17,590 whichever variant is is too powerful and 411 00:15:22,620 --> 00:15:19,660 therefore irrefutable I mean absolutely 412 00:15:24,560 --> 00:15:22,630 anything can be explained by well those 413 00:15:26,250 --> 00:15:24,570 are the parameters of the simulation 414 00:15:27,660 --> 00:15:26,260 first of all I think there's a huge 415 00:15:30,810 --> 00:15:27,670 difference between the simulation 416 00:15:32,780 --> 00:15:30,820 created by programming some kind of 417 00:15:35,370 --> 00:15:32,790 computer that in the far future is 418 00:15:36,480 --> 00:15:35,380 complex enough has it has the capacity 419 00:15:38,370 --> 00:15:36,490 to generate 420 00:15:39,780 --> 00:15:38,380 mne many many orders of magnitude more 421 00:15:41,730 --> 00:15:39,790 data than than we have now 422 00:15:43,680 --> 00:15:41,740 versus what I'm suggesting which is that 423 00:15:45,810 --> 00:15:43,690 there is no mechanical or pseudo 424 00:15:47,250 --> 00:15:45,820 mechanical computer there is 425 00:15:48,570 --> 00:15:47,260 consciousness and some obvious some 426 00:15:51,060 --> 00:15:48,580 great consciousness is able to do 427 00:15:54,540 --> 00:15:51,070 computations maybe within its own mind 428 00:15:55,470 --> 00:15:54,550 it can generate hundreds of billions of 429 00:15:57,600 --> 00:15:55,480 billions of particles 430 00:15:59,700 --> 00:15:57,610 maybe the representation of these 431 00:16:00,510 --> 00:15:59,710 particles to make up a universe and keep 432 00:16:04,410 --> 00:16:00,520 track of these things 433 00:16:08,670 --> 00:16:04,420 the for you know billions of years it's 434 00:16:10,110 --> 00:16:08,680 it's the the substrate that holds the 435 00:16:12,540 --> 00:16:10,120 computation or does the computation 436 00:16:13,950 --> 00:16:12,550 would be consciousness and the the 437 00:16:16,770 --> 00:16:13,960 thoughts that this consciousness puts 438 00:16:18,570 --> 00:16:16,780 into it would be the the data that it's 439 00:16:20,790 --> 00:16:18,580 worked with and so it's a very different 440 00:16:22,310 --> 00:16:20,800 kind of explanation for what what the 441 00:16:24,720 --> 00:16:22,320 origin of the consciousness or the 442 00:16:32,370 --> 00:16:24,730 simulation is and as to the other 443 00:16:35,670 --> 00:16:32,380 question which was you recall now refute 444 00:16:37,140 --> 00:16:35,680 ability there actually may be because if 445 00:16:39,240 --> 00:16:37,150 this is quiet this quantization is 446 00:16:42,830 --> 00:16:39,250 correct then there are certain things 447 00:16:45,870 --> 00:16:42,840 that might be observable such as the 448 00:16:47,850 --> 00:16:45,880 maximum possible energy of a cosmic ray 449 00:16:51,050 --> 00:16:47,860 we're clicking we're detecting cosmic 450 00:16:54,210 --> 00:16:51,060 rays that are about at the limit of 451 00:16:57,390 --> 00:16:54,220 there's a phenomenal the gkz 452 00:16:58,710 --> 00:16:57,400 of cosmic rays and I can't go into that 453 00:17:00,630 --> 00:16:58,720 right now because I'm not an expert in 454 00:17:02,610 --> 00:17:00,640 that but this is something was sighted 455 00:17:05,730 --> 00:17:02,620 in one of these papers as being a 456 00:17:09,600 --> 00:17:05,740 possible test for the discretization and 457 00:17:10,920 --> 00:17:09,610 extreme energies of reality so there 458 00:17:12,180 --> 00:17:10,930 there could be some tests to this and I 459 00:17:13,230 --> 00:17:12,190 agree with you that it's probably not 460 00:17:15,330 --> 00:17:13,240 something that certain be taken 461 00:17:17,370 --> 00:17:15,340 seriously unless they come up with some 462 00:17:19,800 --> 00:17:17,380 real tests that can be done and maybe 463 00:17:21,360 --> 00:17:19,810 this gkz limit observation is one that 464 00:17:28,260 --> 00:17:21,370 you know the first step in that 465 00:17:30,900 --> 00:17:28,270 direction in this model where reality is 466 00:17:33,180 --> 00:17:30,910 created by consciousness where I imagine 467 00:17:36,960 --> 00:17:33,190 you're speaking specifically about human 468 00:17:39,300 --> 00:17:36,970 consciousness so where do non-human 469 00:17:41,880 --> 00:17:39,310 animal consciousnesses come into play 470 00:17:45,240 --> 00:17:41,890 especially animals that existed on this 471 00:17:47,160 --> 00:17:45,250 planet before humans well what I 472 00:17:48,630 --> 00:17:47,170 envision is some great consciousness I 473 00:17:49,950 --> 00:17:48,640 mean some universal consciousness and 474 00:17:51,960 --> 00:17:49,960 some people like to call that God I 475 00:17:55,500 --> 00:17:51,970 wouldn't but I don't think you have to 476 00:17:57,540 --> 00:17:55,510 just view this as a consciousness is 477 00:17:59,280 --> 00:17:57,550 beyond anything we can understand but 478 00:18:01,260 --> 00:17:59,290 that has the ability if it wants to to 479 00:18:04,560 --> 00:18:01,270 do computations survey digital reality 480 00:18:06,930 --> 00:18:04,570 create a super super simulation because 481 00:18:08,700 --> 00:18:06,940 if it does so then it can enter into 482 00:18:10,470 --> 00:18:08,710 those that virtual world and experience 483 00:18:13,290 --> 00:18:10,480 what it's like to live in that world it 484 00:18:15,270 --> 00:18:13,300 can be both a rippling of recreation or 485 00:18:17,910 --> 00:18:15,280 a thing of evolution I mean maybe this 486 00:18:20,190 --> 00:18:17,920 conscious can evolves itself by creating 487 00:18:22,170 --> 00:18:20,200 worlds in which it enters as individual 488 00:18:25,380 --> 00:18:22,180 beings not just us people but animals 489 00:18:28,350 --> 00:18:25,390 aliens somewhere else and experiences 490 00:18:30,870 --> 00:18:28,360 what it's like to to become ethical in 491 00:18:33,090 --> 00:18:30,880 that kind of world or be unethical or 492 00:18:35,550 --> 00:18:33,100 could be good or bad and that's that 493 00:18:36,990 --> 00:18:35,560 would be the purpose of it so this is 494 00:18:39,810 --> 00:18:37,000 what I see is the great difference 495 00:18:41,910 --> 00:18:39,820 between a virtual reality is created on 496 00:18:43,320 --> 00:18:41,920 some supercomputer in the future versus 497 00:18:46,170 --> 00:18:43,330 one that's created by conscious itself 498 00:18:48,360 --> 00:18:46,180 which makes universes ours being one and 499 00:18:50,910 --> 00:18:48,370 it's kind of interesting that it was 500 00:18:53,460 --> 00:18:50,920 said fifty hundred years ago by st. 501 00:18:55,080 --> 00:18:53,470 Agustin that the universe in his view 502 00:18:56,580 --> 00:18:55,090 was something that is not something 503 00:18:57,930 --> 00:18:56,590 that's fixed forever it's something 504 00:18:59,340 --> 00:18:57,940 that's constantly held quote in the mind 505 00:19:02,160 --> 00:18:59,350 of God and if God were to look away for 506 00:19:03,840 --> 00:19:02,170 one moment the University disappear kind 507 00:19:06,580 --> 00:19:03,850 of interesting thing that can be said 508 00:19:08,860 --> 00:19:06,590 from such a long time passed and 509 00:19:45,360 --> 00:19:08,870 I think a good point that is 510 00:19:51,940 --> 00:19:48,810 are you familiar with Mac's tick marks 511 00:19:54,159 --> 00:19:51,950 mathematical universe hypothesis and if 512 00:19:57,190 --> 00:19:54,169 so where would that fit or maybe not fit 513 00:19:58,450 --> 00:19:57,200 into your concept here I've heard about 514 00:20:00,580 --> 00:19:58,460 I'm not ready to say I really can't 515 00:20:02,139 --> 00:20:00,590 comment on it but I think it's probably 516 00:20:04,470 --> 00:20:02,149 he's talking about the the purely 517 00:20:07,180 --> 00:20:04,480 physical esteem ik Ana chol 518 00:20:08,620 --> 00:20:07,190 interpretation of computation and 519 00:20:17,530 --> 00:20:08,630 nothing like nothing like consciousness 520 00:20:22,090 --> 00:20:19,690 he says his theory is the universe the 521 00:20:24,460 --> 00:20:22,100 universe is nothing but math okay I 522 00:20:26,260 --> 00:20:24,470 guess it's I guess you could recast that 523 00:20:28,750 --> 00:20:26,270 semantically into mean by the same thing 524 00:20:30,670 --> 00:20:28,760 that I'm saying because the the point 525 00:20:31,990 --> 00:20:30,680 here is that I don't want envision some 526 00:20:33,370 --> 00:20:32,000 kind of a creator that goes boom boom 527 00:20:34,600 --> 00:20:33,380 boom boom boom makes things happen you 528 00:20:36,880 --> 00:20:34,610 know like when you're outside of a hat 529 00:20:39,490 --> 00:20:36,890 rather we were learning that the the 530 00:20:41,650 --> 00:20:39,500 digital copy computation can create for 531 00:20:43,600 --> 00:20:41,660 us something like a virtual reality that 532 00:20:46,210 --> 00:20:43,610 is extremely powerful and so maybe this 533 00:20:48,580 --> 00:20:46,220 consciousness you know creates within 534 00:20:51,670 --> 00:20:48,590 itself the ability to be like a computer 535 00:20:53,950 --> 00:20:51,680 and it to create digital worlds so in 536 00:20:55,510 --> 00:20:53,960 terms of that being a mathematical 537 00:21:03,400 --> 00:20:55,520 universe I guess you could you could 538 00:21:06,070 --> 00:21:03,410 call it that yes if if consciousness is 539 00:21:08,920 --> 00:21:06,080 being created by a computer simulation 540 00:21:12,610 --> 00:21:08,930 or consciousness is creating the 541 00:21:14,380 --> 00:21:12,620 universe that we experience we do we 542 00:21:19,180 --> 00:21:14,390 understand what consciousness is though 543 00:21:20,710 --> 00:21:19,190 and how it can be created I don't know 544 00:21:23,170 --> 00:21:20,720 what I mean this is the this is the one 545 00:21:25,450 --> 00:21:23,180 thing we all know in this room we are 546 00:21:26,500 --> 00:21:25,460 conscious and I don't think they're 547 00:21:28,300 --> 00:21:26,510 trying to explain in terms of anything 548 00:21:29,770 --> 00:21:28,310 simpler is gonna get us anywhere we know 549 00:21:32,500 --> 00:21:29,780 exactly what consciousness is because 550 00:21:34,960 --> 00:21:32,510 we're we're living it and we're thinking 551 00:21:36,340 --> 00:21:34,970 we are conscious you don't ask for 552 00:21:37,960 --> 00:21:36,350 anything more than that you've got the 553 00:21:44,660 --> 00:21:37,970 basic experience of it right there drive 554 00:21:48,140 --> 00:21:44,670 you thank you very much thank you 555 00:21:49,300 --> 00:21:48,150 [Applause]