Strange Scientific Theories

[sudheer]

do you know that there are scientists who believe that we evolved out of garbage???or that the whole world is just a computer simulation???or the universe is shaped like a doughnut?? read my blog entry about such strange scientific theories here-http://thescientificorchard.blogspot.com/2011/06/strange-scientific-theories-and.htmlshare something that you know here .

[Habitat]

That computer simulation theory is a bit beyond me,in every way !

[sudheer]

well thats what he thinks.Nick Bostrom even has made three predictions ,out of which at least one would be true according to him!!!

[sudheer]

there evens exists a doomsday argument which tells that the end is near for us and calculates the number of human beings in any period of time!!!the doomsday argument says that -There is a 95% chance of extinction within 9120 years.

[sudheer]

this is from wikipedia about Nick Bostrom's argument-

A simplified version of his argument proceeds as such:

i. It is possible that an advanced civilization could create a computer simulation which contains individuals with artificial intelligence (AI).

ii. Such a civilization would likely run many, billions for example, of these simulations (just for fun, for research or any other permutation of possible reasons).

iii. A simulated individual inside the simulation wouldn’t necessarily know that it is inside a simulation — it is just going about its daily business in what it considers to be the "real world."

[StarMountainKid]

I like the Simulation Hypothesis. Is a computer simulation, where each pixel of the simulation is for us an elementary particle, and each simulated human has self-consciousness with free will, any different from a non-simulated reality?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niLEbd9RDIc

Edited June 18, 2011 by StarMountainKid

[sudheer]

I personally feel the simulation principle is just a great fictitious idea.good enough for a sci-fi movie.If we are living in a simulation where r the ones who created the simulation living in???

[Habitat]

The computer simulation theory seems assumption-rich to me.

[sudheer]

yes assumption rich .It is based on two

assumptions. The first is that of substrate-independence of consciousness,

which means that consciousness supervenes on any of a broad range of

physical realizations, provided they implement the right sort of

computational structures and processes. In other words, if one has the

resources to implement sufficiently complex computational structures and

processes, one is able to simulate consciousness. The second assumption is

that if our technological progress will continue for a sufficiently long time

with the same pace as so far, then humankind will attain a posthuman stage

of civilisation --with a maximal level of technological capabilities that one

can currently consider as consistent with all the physical laws and all the

material and energy constraints of our universe and will be able, due to an

immense computing power, to simulate a huge number of entire ancestor

civilisations, including the mental processes that are manifested within

them.

Given these assumptions, the basic idea of SA is expressible by the

following question, as Bostrom puts it: if there were a substantial chance

that our civilization will ever get to the posthuman stage and run many

ancestor-simulations, then how come you are not living in such a

simulation?

[Habitat]

yes assumption rich .It is based on two

assumptions. The first is that of substrate-independence of consciousness,

which means that consciousness supervenes on any of a broad range of

physical realizations, provided they implement the right sort of

computational structures and processes. In other words, if one has the

resources to implement sufficiently complex computational structures and

processes, one is able to simulate consciousness. The second assumption is

that if our technological progress will continue for a sufficiently long time

with the same pace as so far, then humankind will attain a posthuman stage

of civilisation --with a maximal level of technological capabilities that one

can currently consider as consistent with all the physical laws and all the

material and energy constraints of our universe and will be able, due to an

immense computing power, to simulate a huge number of entire ancestor

civilisations, including the mental processes that are manifested within

them.

Given these assumptions, the basic idea of SA is expressible by the

following question, as Bostrom puts it: if there were a substantial chance

that our civilization will ever get to the posthuman stage and run many

ancestor-simulations, then how come you are not living in such a

simulation?

Nah, with the endless installed computing power going into us 'simulants' why can't I get a handle on that ? It is just incomprehensible, and only useful to test the efficacy of migraine medication.

[StarMountainKid]

If we are living in a simulation where r the ones who created the simulation living in???

To the sims in a video game, where is the player living? It's the same kind of situation.

By the way, in my science fiction stories, our universe was created by the evil Vulgarians in one of their laboratories out of pointless spite.

Edited June 18, 2011 by StarMountainKid

[Habitat]

I reject the simulation theory on the basis no-one would be silly enough to pay the electricity bill to run it. Simple !

[sudheer]

simulation theory is a good sci-fi material ,nothing else..

[Habitat]

simulation theory is a good sci-fi material ,nothing else..

It would be interesting to know what Nick thinks the super-advanced post-humans get out of simulations involving us guys. Retro-entertainment ?

[sudheer]

Yeah,may be.What Nick must have have thought may be is more like THE MATRIX.

[Rlyeh]

Most of these are hypotheses, not theories.

[sudheer]

ah...You havent read the title ??STRANGE SCIENTIFIC THEORIES AND HYPOTHESES

[Rlyeh]

ah...You havent read the title ??STRANGE SCIENTIFIC THEORIES AND HYPOTHESES

So where are the theories?

[Blackwhite]

That computer simulation theory is a bit beyond me,in every way !

I once learned about this when I studied philosophy at Bolton Institute (now Bolton University).

Some people have the theory that our entire universe, including ourselves, may just be a computer simulation created by some highly advanced race of extraterrestrials. You could think of it as an advanced version of The Sims.

I loved studying philosophy. We used to sit there in the classroom trying to come up with bizarre theories as to the true nature of reality.

We studied Descartes who, quite rightly, said that the only person that you can be sure definitely exists is yourself. I know that I exist, because I am thinking, so I must exist to be able to think ("I think therefore I am"), but I can't prove to myself whether or not anyone else exists. They could all be figments of my imagination.

Edited June 18, 2011 by Blackwhite

[Damrod]

I have heard the "donut" universe theory. It is called a "torus" and is a geometrical shape. There is some physics behind it based on an explosion in a vacuum...I suppose it's possible,

I like to think I'm pretty smart, but I'm not an astrophysicist...but here is a "similar" model of how the universe would look as a torus or "toroidal" shape...notice how the ring coils in on itself...the idea is the surface of the ring coils in as the overall diameter expands...this doesn't show that but maybe you will get the idea.

Edited June 18, 2011 by Damrod

[Sevastiel]

It would be interesting to know what Nick thinks the super-advanced post-humans get out of simulations involving us guys. Retro-entertainment ?

LOL. They just got bored and wanted something to do after figuring out everything else.

Hmmm...wait...maybe that's what "God's" doing...

The sheer computing power of such a thing...though the human brain itself is akin to a biological super-computer that runs off of basically glucose. If "they" had a means of powering it that way it might not be too tedious (outside of the resource gathering/growing). You'd have to assume that being that advanced they'd have figured something like that out, if not something more along the lines of quantum theories. We actually run off of very little, yet are capable of considerable processing ability (limited nonetheless). Difficult to grasp the complexity of it beyond its basics.

[sudheer]

The sheer computing power of such a thing...though the human brain itself is akin to a biological super-computer that runs off of basically glucose. If "they" had a means of powering it that way it might not be too tedious (outside of the resource gathering/growing).

Well you should read about Astroengineering,the study of megastructures which alien civilizations might be using to power such projects.I know this may sound crazy but do you know there exists a scale called Kardashev scale that divides universal civilizations into three levels.Well the civilizations on the highest level of this scale have the capacity to use the energy of entire galaxies.They ,according to scientists like MIchio Kako,Kardashev,may even be immortal!!!

[over9millionyearsold]

It would be interesting to know what Nick thinks the super-advanced post-humans get out of simulations involving us guys. Retro-entertainment ?

Why does it have to involve us?

If a civilization has enough computing power to simulate the origin of the/a universe (Big Bang, M-Theory Brane Collisions, etc,) and want to test the completeness of their theory they would simulate an entire universe being born and evolving. Realistically speaking if the human race gets that far that is what will happen. Any artificial intelligence or civilizations (or us in the case of OP's reference) arising would have to occur, just as star formation, planet formation, and even the correct behavior of basic elements like hydrogen in every situation, otherwise their simulation would be wrong. That would indicate a fundamental flaw in their understanding of the universe. In all likely hood a simulation of that grand scale would be about just that, the grand scale, and I hardly doubt it would have the purpose of studying primitive intelligence (even though it can be used for that using a much more simple simulation would be smarter and more efficient).

Edited June 19, 2011 by over9millionyearsold

[Von Bismarck]

i'll have to say, these theories blows my mind.

Universe is a Hologram

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holographic_principle

or

Many-worlds interpretation

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Many-worlds_interpretation

[sudheer]

I would say that many world theory is one of my favourites.It seems logical but many find it impossible.But it is really great to think that many universes exist as our own.