Scientists of Reddit, what is the most crazy concept that may actually be possible in the future?

I'll one up you. There is sufficient evidence that suggests that the universe is nothing more than a simulation. The universe may be nothing more than a projection on a 2-D surface. That is truly terrifying. Everything you hold dear and know is nothing more than a very very very realistic video game. James Gates found computer error correcting codes within equations he used in exploring super string theory & supersymmetry. Specifically, he found the exact equation invented by Claude Shannon in the 1940's inside these equations that is used in web browsers.

This leads to a whole new realm of thinking and perceiving the universe. If this evidence is true, one of these three possible scenarios would hold true: 1) Every civilization that achieved technological maturity was destroyed. 2) Every civilization that achieved technological maturity and did not destroy itself, chose not to investigate the simulation for whatever reason. 3) We are, in fact, living in a simulation. If this is true, then it would be impossible to tell if we are ever in the "real" reality, because if you somehow escaped the simulation you are currently in, what's to say that isn't also a simulation? It's a real mind fuck, but this leads to an even further question. Why haven't we found intelligent life on other planets, given the massive size of the universe? Maybe because all other intelligent civilizations found out that they are in a simulation, so it would be pointless to explore outward, and instead they created their own simulations. Think about it, would you rather explore a world that someone else made, or would you rather create a reality for yourself? The scientist investigating this theory are testing this idea by trying to find literal glitches in the universe, because if this simulation was created by anything short of a divine entity, it wouldn't be perfect and we would find errors.

I'm by no means an expert on this subject, but I find it fascinating to think about. You can listen to Gates and other scientists discuss the idea here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgSZA3NPpBs

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