For centuries, people have wondered about the nature of reality.

Are the things we see, feel, and experience every day truly “real,” or could they be part of a larger illusion?

The idea that our entire world might be a computer simulation gained popularity in the Hollywood movie The Matrix. Known as the “simulation hypothesis,” this theory suggests that an advanced civilization — possibly even future humans — could be responsible for creating our reality in a virtual environment. But is there any truth to this? Could we ever know if we’re in a simulation, and if so, who might be behind it?

The simulation hypothesis is most famously associated with philosopher Nick Bostrom, who proposed a striking argument in 2003.

According to Bostrom, one of three possibilities is almost certainly true: (1) nearly all civilizations go extinct before becoming advanced enough to create simulations of conscious beings; (2) advanced civilizations could create these simulations but choose not to; or (3) we are almost certainly living in a computer simulation.

If advanced civilizations can run realistic simulations, they might create millions or even billions of them. In such a scenario, it would be far more likely for us to exist in one of these simulated worlds than in the original, “real” one, simply because there would be so many more simulations than base realities.

One big challenge with this theory is deciding if it can even be considered a scientific question.

Scientific questions usually involve things we can observe or measure, but with the simulation hypothesis, it’s hard to imagine how we could ever prove or disprove it. Still, some scientists think there might be........

© Sarnia Observer