Are We Lving in the Matrix? [Oxford Prof Says There's 20% Chance We're All Living in a Computer]

Wireless Flash News Service ^ | May 13, 2003 | wire report

[ewing]

A Philosophy Professor who teaches at Oxford says there is roughly a 20 percent chance that most humans today are really software created beings living in a virtual reality.

Dr. Nick Bostrum says there is a good chance technology can mature to the point where life like simulation programs are regularly run.

If that is the case there is no way of knowing whether right now youre currently living in real history or a simulation of the year 2003.

However, he says it is equally likely that humans will become extinct before then can develop such advanced computer simulations or lose their interest in simulations entirely.

Bostrom's arguement appears in his new book 'Taking the Red Pill: Science, Philosophy and Religion in the Matrix.'

[Tijeras_Slim]

There's better than a 20% chance I'm living on one particular conservative website. :)

[reagan_fanatic]

Captain Kirk: "This guy's been doin a little too much LDS..."

[Cedric]

True. But, he would've been 8 years late. There is absolutely nothing real about Bill Clinton.

[tophat9000]

Ctrl-Alt-Delete. though normally I find sleeping does a much better job.

Sir! how dare you insinuate I might be a PC bases Microsoft app.

I never have been so insulted in my life….. I’m a mainframe app… just ask the women ;>

[William McKinley]

We don't? Cool, that means we can know how fast we are going!

[Prodigal Son]

Impossible. If I were living in a simulation I'd be surrounded by bodacious babes that turned into 6-packs and roast beef sandwiches at midnight.

According to many contemporary physicists- in one universe you are surrounded by bodacious babes... The trouble is, in another, you spend your life french kissing Helen Thomas.

[Beck_isright]

"This need a paranoid-conspiracy-looney-tune alert"

This needs a if this story is true I'm the guy drinking too much and barfing on the interal workings of the "matrix" alert....hic

[Tamzee]

Would you please include me in your lotsa-fun-looking ping list? I always see you flagging the greatest stories! :-)

[Focault's Pendulum]

The trouble is, in another, you spend your life french kissing Helen Thomas.

And in another...you're both French..and enjoy it.......Enter Dante....stage left.

[Jhoffa_]

Even better, It might be a simulation program run from the future.

Tell him that, it'll blow his abacus to bits.

[Scutter]

It would certainly explain quantum mechanics.

[Prodigal Son]

And in another...

It never ends. Literally.

[perfect stranger]

Boy, did you ever spoil the novelty of the Parallel Universes Theory idea with that Helen Thomas comment.

[CyberCowboy777]

ROTFLMAO!

Where did he pull 20% from?

[Redcloak]

That would explain this...

[bribriagain]

"gotta love that use of "roughly". Just in case we thought this "20 percent" might be an exact figure, I guess."

Good point. I've seen other figures ranging from 19.5% to 21.7%.

[billbears]

What do you get when you multiply 6 times 9?

[bribriagain]

"babes that turned into 6-packs "

would a "sam adams76" suffice?

[Prodigal Son]

Boy, did you ever spoil the novelty of the Parallel Universes Theory idea with that Helen Thomas comment.

LOL! Yeah, it kind of spoiled it for me too the first time it occurred to me.

And French kissing Helen Thomas was the genteel version.