Okay, so this paper by Nick Bostrom is about a super-interesting idea, like, what if we’re all living inside a computer simulation? I mean, imagine you’re playing a really realistic video game and you’re actually in the game but you don’t know it! That’s what Doctor Nick is talking about. We could all be in a video game right now and not even know it! Crazy, right?

Doctor Nick says there are three possibilities. One, maybe humans will go extinct before we get the super-advanced technology to make these simulations. Or two, maybe advanced civilizations could make these simulations but decide not to, like because it’s boring or against their rules or something. Or three, maybe we’re already in a simulation!

Doctor Nick talks about “ancestor simulations,” which means super-advanced people in the future might make simulations of their ancestors (that’s us!) to study history or just for fun or just because they can. These simulated people (us!) wouldn’t even know they’re in a simulation because it’s so real. In other words, we might be living in a great big X-Box right now. It’s not that crazy!

He also says if we are in a simulation there could be tons of other ones just like ours, like even with one inside another inside another, maybe for ever, so the chance of us being in the real, original world would be very small. Like, if there are a million simulation worlds and only one real world, we’re probably in one of the simulations.

Doctor Nick doesn’t say for sure we’re in a simulation, he just says it’s something to think about. He uses math and logic to make his points, but the main idea is that if future civilizations can, and want to, make simulations, then we’re probably in one right now. It’s a total mind-bender and makes you question what’s real and what’s not, I mean like, “Wake up Neo!”, right?