- A new hypothesis says the universe self-simulates itself in a "strange loop".
- A paper from the Quantum Gravity Research institute proposes there is an underlying panconsciousness.
- The work looks to unify insight from quantum mechanics with a non-materialistic perspective.
New hypothesis argues the universe simulates itself into existence
Paul Ratner
13 comments:
Otoh: Man of the Tombs
Thanks Tom for the opportunity to share this superlative song.
Ibnu ’l-Fáriḍ is here illustrating the doctrine that phenomena are merely the illusory medium through which the soul acts in the world. For this purpose he compares the soul to the showman of the shadow-lantern who throws his puppets on a screen, keeping himself out of sight while he manipulates them. (Translation by English orientalist Reynold Alleyne Nicholson.)
Lo, from behind the veil mysterious
The forms of things are shown in every guise
Of manifold appearance; and in them
An all-wise providence hath joined what stands
Opposed in nature: mute they utter speech,
Inert they move and void of splendour shine
And so it comes that now thou laugh’st in glee,
Then weep’st anon, like mother o’er dead child,
And mournest, if they sigh, for pleasure lost,
And tremblest, if they sing, with music's joy.
Birds warbling on the boughs delight thine ear,
The while their sweet notes sadden thee within;
Thou wonderest at their voices and their words—
Expressive unintelligible tongues!
On land the camels cross the wilderness,
At sea the ships run swiftly through the deep;
And thou behold’st two armies—one on land,
On sea another—multitudes of men,
Clad, for their bravery, in iron mail
And fenced about with points of sword and spear.
The land-troops march on horseback or on foot,
Bold cavaliers and stubborn infantry;
The warriors of the sea some mount on deck,
Some climb the masts like lances straight and tall.
Here in assault they smite with gleaming swords,
There thrust with tough brown shafts of quivering spears;
Part drowned with fire of arrows shot in showers,
Part burned with floods of steel that pierce like flames;
These rushing onward, offering their lives,
Those reeling broken ’neath the shame of rout;
And catapults thou seest hurling stones
Against strong fortresses and citadels,
To ruin them. And apparitions strange
Of naked viewless spirits thou mayst espy
That wear no friendly shape of humankind,
For genies love not men.
And in the stream
The fisher casts his net and draws forth fish;
And craftily the fowler sets a snare
That hungry birds may fall in it for corn.
And ravening monsters wreck the ships at sea,
And lions in the jungle rend their prey,
And in the air some birds, and in the wilds
Some animals, hunt others. And thou seest
Many a form besides, whose names I pass,
Putting my trust in samples choice, tho’ few.
Regard now what is this that lingers not
Before thine eye and in a moment fades.
All thou beholdest is the act of one
In solitude, but closely veiled is he.
Let him but lift the screen, no doubt remains:
The forms are vanished, he alone is all;
And thou, illumined, knowest that by his light
Thou find’st his actions in the senses’ night.
Another hypothesis in favour of nihilism.
Let us deprive the well-fed intellectual of food,
But allow it to have water.
A simulation as wondrous as this
Is meant to be savoured.
Let us observe the well-fed intellectual
As it withers away.
Let us ignore its pleas
Whilst cognizant that what is observed
And what is experienced
Is merely a simulation.
Let us simulate sadism
As we once simulated mercy
Like in the olden days
When humanity knew hunger
And well-fed intellectuals
Had not yet deigned
To simulate themselves upon us.
Why don’t you just try to suck it up and learn from it..,
You have a point, Franko:
A baby can endlessly speculate about his crib but eventually he'll leave it anyway - and know it better for having left, should he care to.
Why don't you put a bullet through your brain, Franko?
You might learn something from it.
When a baby leaves its crib and is unsatisfied with its surroundings, it invents all manner of things, some useful, some useless.
Once nihilism has a scientific basis, it will be a wonderful universe, so much more satisfying than the one we have.
Actually, it's not nihilism being proposed but that God is us and has no independent existence apart from us (humans and perhaps other life).
It's literally self-worship.
But let me save people some time; it doesn't work; I spent decades looking for the "Truth Within" until finally I realized in my 40's IT AIN'T THERE! That's when I officially gave up on myself and starting looking outside.
Nor does worshiping other people work either; they will inevitably let you down.
So at my age, I can't afford (if I ever could), to screw around but instead to consider what has worked for countless others.
Transhumanism seeks to turn humans into gods. Some varieties would also grant sapience to other animal species. Big Think is a likely hangout for Th-ists.
Nihilism is my prediction of what would happen if the public actually believed in this sort of woo. This makes The Matrix or Shatner's Tekwar sound like Heaven.
Being trans-human might conceivably mean being unable to die and thus fulfill this:
Revelation 9:6.
No thanks.
An inability to die would require immortality and invulnerability.
Since these attributes would be the result of technology, they should be reversible.
No one wants to end up like Sisyphus or Prometheus... we want an endless life of new experiences. And we would reserve the right to end it.
What are you searching for, Andrew?
What do you want from life?
What have you found?
What remains to be discovered?
This from Job gives more context:
“Why is light given to him who suffers,
And life to the bitter of soul,
Who long for death, but there is none,
And dig for it more than for hidden treasures,
Who rejoice greatly,
And exult when they find the grave?
“Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden,
And whom God has hedged in?" Job 3:20-23 New American Standard Bible
In other words, people may long for death yet be unwilling to murder themselves.
It's usually the case that people who long for death are incapacitated and unable to carry out their suicide.
The will to survive can be overcome, even when it's up to the individual to overcome it.
Should it not be that way?
Should God have the power to send you to your death?
To be a nihilist may have the benefit of discarding a lot of cultural baggage.
The less shit you have to deal with, the better the odds your physical health will be improved. What you take for granted may not help your mental state, but it can be reflected physically.
Post a Comment