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EOTE

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84. The thing is, humanity most likely won't have the option of surviving at just smaller numbers.

Thu Jun 7, 2012, 04:57 PM

Jun 2012

What is more likely to happen is that the earth will reach a tipping point. A point where things get so bad so quickly that even with incredible concerted effort, nothing can be done to stop the change. I would love to believe that future technologies will exclusively be used for the benefit and advancement of humanity, but I'm more likely to believe that future holds far too many ways for us to blow ourselves up efficiently and cheaply. I romanticize about mankind colonizing the galaxy. Hell, even our own solar system. But it's only when I'm at my most optimistic that I see us ever making it as a species to get to that point.

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/06/earth-tipping-point/

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Our universe is most likely a computer simulation [View all] cthulu2016 Jun 2012 OP

That was the kind of stuff that would surface after a long weekend of bonging at Ohio State.... WCGreen Jun 2012 #1

Yes, it is very stoned... and correct. cthulu2016 Jun 2012 #5

It's easy to escape into the "real" world. EOTE Jun 2012 #7

pills Micahby Jun 2012 #19

There's nothing in those pills. agent46 Jun 2012 #27

I thought the red pill shows the true nature of the Matrix, no? EOTE Jun 2012 #29

No. No, the real ending to the Matrix is when Neo learns he is just a brain in a bottle. tclambert Jun 2012 #87

In Futurama.... WCGreen Jun 2012 #135

Or, any other gathering of bonged folks ... 1StrongBlackMan Jun 2012 #60

lol - I'd give you a Duzy if it were up to me aint_no_life_nowhere Jun 2012 #93

Well, simulated bonging 4th law of robotics Jun 2012 #101

lighten up Francis... WCGreen Jun 2012 #106

My thoughts nearly exactly. Iggo Jun 2012 #108

Once when I was high I almost figured out time travel... ibegurpard Jun 2012 #113

Duuuuudddddeeee WCGreen Jun 2012 #134

The Great Hyperlobic Omni-Cognate Neutron Wrangler longship Jun 2012 #2

My favorite theory Speck Tater Jun 2012 #3

They probably exile their criminals here... cthulu2016 Jun 2012 #42

Loved the cartoon. N/T GreenStormCloud Jun 2012 #117

We're Simms! treestar Jun 2012 #4

Quantum Physics does not explain nor explore what makes consciousness Ichingcarpenter Jun 2012 #6

Well, assuming the Copenhagen Interpretation is wrong... cthulu2016 Jun 2012 #12

There are many problems with the current paradigm Ichingcarpenter Jun 2012 #17

Is a bit of algae "prefering" sunlight a problem for physics? cthulu2016 Jun 2012 #34

Aww, shucks, I figured that out years ago... JFN1 Jun 2012 #125

Yes. Darn those socks. randome Jun 2012 #132

Why wouldn't a mouse have some degree of consciousness? AtheistCrusader Jun 2012 #81

No shit. lumberjack_jeff Jun 2012 #26

Hello Mr. Anderson...I mean Neo! rustydog Jun 2012 #8

We were born before the wind also younger than the sun Ichingcarpenter Jun 2012 #11

Magnificiently we will float lumberjack_jeff Jun 2012 #21

My Farther just had a massive heart attack Ichingcarpenter Jun 2012 #94

My favorite Van Morrison.. sendero Jun 2012 #82

You hear that Mr. Anderson?... That is the sound of inevitability... tclambert Jun 2012 #90

Prove to me we are not in the matrix Capt. Obvious Jun 2012 #9

No too Obvious. nm rhett o rick Jun 2012 #47

I could prove it, but... yawnmaster Jun 2012 #85

Michio Kaku and the rest of the string theory crowd hifiguy Jun 2012 #10

Simulated logic is all the rage. GeorgeGist Jun 2012 #13

it would be a quantum computer, so dunno about 0s and 1s or any of the hardware options librechik Jun 2012 #14

Correct. However... cthulu2016 Jun 2012 #20

This is my new favorite moment in human history! Initech Jun 2012 #15

"There is no safety in the cosmos." - Alan Watts Tierra_y_Libertad Jun 2012 #16

What if we choose to make "sim universe"? Simulations running within simulations. lumberjack_jeff Jun 2012 #18

It is possible that... cthulu2016 Jun 2012 #28

Good point. lumberjack_jeff Jun 2012 #31

Our universe is probably a hundredth-generation hifiguy Jun 2012 #35

We are a Chinese knock-off of a brand-name universe cthulu2016 Jun 2012 #39

A Sears Universe Tsiyu Jun 2012 #109

My favorite example of the reality effect... cthulu2016 Jun 2012 #37

Modern politics suggests that consciousness and sentience can't be simplified much farther. n/t lumberjack_jeff Jun 2012 #41

Ain't that the truth. hifiguy Jun 2012 #45

There is always one more turtle beneath that last one. MineralMan Jun 2012 #62

That's when we get rebooted. EOTE Jun 2012 #33

Why does that sound like hifiguy Jun 2012 #36

Good news everybody! n/t lumberjack_jeff Jun 2012 #38

Interesting theory, but I have just one nitpick. AverageJoe90 Jun 2012 #44

"virtually totally" lumberjack_jeff Jun 2012 #53

Hey...hold up there... MineralMan Jun 2012 #63

Ummm, really? EOTE Jun 2012 #67

WW3? Only when the middle of the Earth freezes over. AverageJoe90 Jun 2012 #71

The thing is, humanity most likely won't have the option of surviving at just smaller numbers. EOTE Jun 2012 #84

Any technology can be used for wrongdoing, that is very true indeed. AverageJoe90 Jun 2012 #103

Of course the earth won't change forever (at least until the sun bakes it) EOTE Jun 2012 #110

Again, I don't think full-scale nuclear war is at all likely these days. AverageJoe90 Jun 2012 #122

I'm convinced that the Universe is, in fact, a massive Honey Oat Cheerio... MrScorpio Jun 2012 #22

consumed by the Lizard people and republicans Ichingcarpenter Jun 2012 #25

the thirteenth floor was about this belcffub Jun 2012 #23

I suspect that I'm merely the neutral "background environment" in this LeftinOH Jun 2012 #24

What a great old movie... Whiskeytide Jun 2012 #143

This reminds me of the macro-micro thing we had in the sixties. Recently I discussed the 'game' idea freshwest Jun 2012 #30

Numbers bongbong Jun 2012 #32

Reminds me of a South Park episode where Earth is a reality televison show joeybee12 Jun 2012 #40

I dont think too long. It's just getting interesting. Wait until the oceans rise about 3 feet rhett o rick Jun 2012 #50

It's an interesting theory, but..... AverageJoe90 Jun 2012 #43

I don't think it would be an either/or cthulu2016 Jun 2012 #49

"Clem clone, this is Worker speaking." Buns_of_Fire Jun 2012 #46

Stephen Wright (who is my favorite comedian) also said, tblue37 Jun 2012 #48

How do you simulate zero-point space? tridim Jun 2012 #51

The universe containing a simulation would presumably be more complex cthulu2016 Jun 2012 #54

I appreciate the post. It helps justify my vodka theory. nm rhett o rick Jun 2012 #52

and in the machine age, the universe was a machine. man's mindset = his idea of the universe. HiPointDem Jun 2012 #55

While it is true that people look to available metaphors... cthulu2016 Jun 2012 #59

it's not just metaphor: more to do with available technology & thus capacity to measure, theorize, HiPointDem Jun 2012 #64

Polish farmer's dream.... Tikki Jun 2012 #56

And judging from what happen on Tuesday, Hatchling Jun 2012 #57

Brian Greene's book, 'Hidden Reality'... randome Jun 2012 #58

Awesome book Hugabear Jun 2012 #100

back in the early '70's we called this a "Menthol Mind-Fuck, Dude!" stlsaxman Jun 2012 #61

Now you're scaring me, man. slackmaster Jun 2012 #65

For all you atheists out there... Palegirl75 Jun 2012 #66

Nah. cthulu2016 Jun 2012 #68

Is not the programmer of halo "supernatural" to the characters therein? lumberjack_jeff Jun 2012 #74

Nope. AtheistCrusader Jun 2012 #72

These Degenerate Humanists of the Postmodern Age WesleyWes Jun 2012 #76

Bostrom's trilemma pokerfan Jun 2012 #69

Find me a separate universe and I'll buy it Scootaloo Jun 2012 #70

I'm missing why there would necessarily be vast numbers of simulated universes. AtheistCrusader Jun 2012 #73

Because it's fun to run simulations of life. tclambert Jun 2012 #77

But the Sims is just a pastel caricature of life. AtheistCrusader Jun 2012 #80

That's just higher resolution. tclambert Jun 2012 #89

At some point, the index (simulation) becomes as complex as reality. AtheistCrusader Jun 2012 #91

Because if it is possible... cthulu2016 Jun 2012 #86

That begs the question... AsahinaKimi Jun 2012 #75

Begs several questions. caseymoz Jun 2012 #78

I wouldn't assume that we are the focus cthulu2016 Jun 2012 #92

I wasn't introducing reductionism caseymoz Jun 2012 #121

The movie Vanilla Sky answers this question Dash87 Jun 2012 #104

But we wouldn't be aware of the 0s and 1s would we? drm604 Jun 2012 #124

Then there is no evidence of a simulation. caseymoz Jun 2012 #126

I wasn't claiming that there is evidence. drm604 Jun 2012 #128

No, but you also didn't disclaim it. caseymoz Jun 2012 #152

chaos is an emergent property cthulu2016 Jun 2012 #137

But, if so, it emerges from the smallest scales . . . caseymoz Jun 2012 #151

reOur universe is most likely a computer simulationOur universe is most likely a computer simulation allan01 Jun 2012 #79

I'd like a transfer to a simulation that doesn't have a Tea Party, or Koch brothers, or Scott Walker tclambert Jun 2012 #83

Logic most certainly breaks down when the implications are weird. mathematic Jun 2012 #88

An excellent post, however cthulu2016 Jun 2012 #97

If it is, it sure has a lot of bugs. Did M$ write the OS? HopeHoops Jun 2012 #95

And once again 'they' are using DOS!!!! Don't we ever get a live upgrade!?! Rex Jun 2012 #96

My whole life has just been one big DIV/0. n/t gkhouston Jun 2012 #98

How can infinite outnumber infinite? Hugabear Jun 2012 #99

Oddly enough, I think there are larger and smaller infinities cthulu2016 Jun 2012 #102

You cannot petition reality with concepts !!!! RagAss Jun 2012 #105

I'l save you some trouble and just tell you that the answer is 42. n/t leeroysphitz Jun 2012 #107

Well then, dammit, I want a better program. woo me with science Jun 2012 #111

Semi-on topic, watch "Through The Wormhole" next Wed... tridim Jun 2012 #112

I question your logic Yo_Mama Jun 2012 #114

Not more likely, more numerous cthulu2016 Jun 2012 #119

Nnnnnope. It's a tiny atom in the fingernail of a giant. n/t cherokeeprogressive Jun 2012 #115

Why do bad things happen to good people? ThoughtCriminal Jun 2012 #116

Cool simulation... The Midway Rebel Jun 2012 #118

Nice post. I read this earlier today and had some fun turning it around. pa28 Jun 2012 #120

You assume a lot about the universes muriel_volestrangler Jun 2012 #123

This message was self-deleted by its author cthulu2016 Jun 2012 #136

I hate to appear anti-intellectual, but it doesn't matter one bit. Zanzoobar Jun 2012 #127

Frankly I think it's all just a really bad opera, especially the singing TrogL Jun 2012 #129

Wrench: wave-particle duality. daaron Jun 2012 #130

Question cthulu2016 Jun 2012 #138

The model of wave-particle duality says "Yes." daaron Jun 2012 #139

Hmm... even with Loop Quantum Gravity, I guess? cthulu2016 Jun 2012 #140

I get what your saying, I think. daaron Jun 2012 #145

Without pretending to understand all you say... cthulu2016 Jun 2012 #148

Right-o, and that's where strings come in. daaron Jun 2012 #149

"Computer,end simulation!" Swede Jun 2012 #131

I don't normally play mmorpgs but I have to admit this one is pretty addictive pokerfan Jun 2012 #133

"Exit" Motown_Johnny Jun 2012 #142

It kinda does matter if this is just a simulation Motown_Johnny Jun 2012 #141

They can just restore it from the last saved game file. tclambert Jun 2012 #144

and if the drive crashes? Motown_Johnny Jun 2012 #146

interesting. DearAbby Jun 2012 #147

So this was on a TV program and it got me thinking. originalpckelly Jun 2012 #150

Next time, I get the man who's really really great in bed for a husband. lindysalsagal Jun 2012 #153

You�re living in a computer simulation, and math proves it TransitJohn Jun 2012 #154