Living in a Simulation with Neil deGrasse Tyson and Nick Bostrom – Cosmic Queries

Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice introduce the Star Talk show, focusing on the cosmic queries edition. They discuss the simulation hypothesis with guest Nick Bostrom, a professor at Oxford University and expert on the future of humanity and artificial intelligence. Bostrom is known for his influential paper 'Are You Living in a Computer Simulation?' and his book 'Superintelligence.' The conversation revolves around the possibility that our reality could be a computer simulation created by a technologically advanced civilization.

Nick Bostrom presents his simulation argument, suggesting that at least one of three propositions is true: civilizations go extinct before reaching technological maturity, technologically mature civilizations lose interest in creating simulations, or we are almost certainly living in a computer simulation. He explains that if the first two propositions are false, then the likelihood of living in a simulation increases. The conversation explores the possibility of ancestor simulations, the motivations behind creating simulations, and the empirical premises that could support the simulation hypothesis.

The discussion delves into the empirical evidence that could support the simulation hypothesis. Bostrom suggests that evidence for the computational capabilities of physically possible systems and the computational cost of running ancestor simulations are relevant. He also addresses the possibility of discovering evidence that might contradict the hypothesis, such as finding that human brains use a type of quantum computation that is too expensive to simulate.

The conversation transitions to the Kardashev scale, which measures a civilization's level based on its energy consumption. Neil deGrasse Tyson explains the different levels, from harnessing energy on a planetary scale to galactic and universal levels. Bostrom suggests that a superintelligence capable of running simulations would likely be at a high Kardashev level, possibly level four or beyond, indicating control over the energy of an entire galaxy or universe.

The topic of consciousness is explored, with Bostrom discussing the substrate independence thesis, which posits that consciousness can be implemented on any suitable computational structure, not just biological ones. The group debates the line between consciousness and non-consciousness, the potential imperfections in simulated systems, and the philosophical implications of consciousness within a simulated reality.

The conversation addresses the concept of free will within the context of a simulated universe. Bostrom argues that free will in a simulation would be consistent with free will in a non-simulated universe, and that the programmers of the simulation would not need to program the perception of free will. The discussion also touches on the potential for programmers to be seen as gods within the context of the simulation.

The group discusses the hardware requirements for simulating a universe, with Bostrom suggesting that even with significant computational resources, simulating a universe at the quantum level would be infeasible. Instead, simulations would likely focus on rendering parts of the environment as needed, similar to procedural content generation in video games. The conversation also touches on the potential for simulations to run at different speeds relative to the real world.

Bostrom and the hosts contemplate the limits of human understanding, with Bostrom suggesting that future generations may look back on our current knowledge and find it fundamentally flawed. The conversation also explores the idea that the simulation hypothesis does not necessarily imply the existence of a traditional, omnipotent god, but could align with a more limited, yet still powerful, creator.

The discussion addresses the timing of the simulation, with Bostrom suggesting that it could start at any point in the universe's history and embed evidence of an older universe. The conversation also explores the idea of running simulations at higher speeds, the potential for simulations to be more efficient, and the likelihood that most simulations would not run at full quantum detail due to computational constraints.

The final part of the conversation returns to the idea that the simulation hypothesis could explain the unpredictability and challenges of human life, with Neil deGrasse Tyson humorously suggesting that the programmers of the simulation introduce chaos for their entertainment. Bostrom recommends his book 'Superintelligence' for further exploration of AI and the future, and the episode concludes with a reminder to keep looking up at the cosmos.