The Simulation Hypothesis
Is everything an unreal simulation? Is the world created by an immaterial force that we can communicate with and possibly manipulate with our thoughts, thereby participating in the creation of our own reality? These are the grand existential questions at the heart of this documentary, which introduces viewers to the concept of a simulation hypothesis.
The film teases that there are state-of-the-art physics experiments that suggest the simulation hypothesis might be true, and begins by examining two fundamental philosophies about the nature of life: materialism and idealism. Materialism, first introduced by Democritus, attributes the basis of all reality to atoms and makes consciousness the result of material processes. Plato, on the other hand, believed that it was spirit itself that gave way to matter. Therefore, reality arises from ideas.
The filmmaker drew a sharp contrast to the simulation hypothesis to the hit sci-fi film “The Matrix,” arguing that matter and thought are the result of complex digital simulations, like video games. Theoretical physicists argue for a programmable universe and postulate that there is evidence of computer codes found in nature, simply put, that we are expressions of the code.
Are we ourselves made of binary strings of zeros and ones? Could subatomic particles be nature’s answer to the bits and pixels that make up the digital world? For all its scientific jargon, embedded in the simulation hypothesis is a belief in creationism—that if the world is indeed a program, someone must have programmed it. But who or what? The film demonstrates that humans have an innate psychological connection to this universal programmer through their subconscious mind.
The Simulation Hypothesis is a thought-provoking exploration of the nature of our existence, tapping into a common curiosity about how and why we came to be. Relying heavily on famous movies, animated models, and the occasional interview to illustrate the concepts presented, the episode takes viewers to the intersection of theology and science in a way that is both educational and fantastical.
