The Simulation Hypothesis
Bill Hibbard August 2007
I submitted the following letter to the editor of the Science
Times section of the New York Times on 15 August 2007, although
they did not print it:
John Tierney (Findings, 14 August) discusses the
hypothesis that our universe may be a simulation by
some super computer modeler. This hypothesis is not
testable. We humans need languages that are as
expressive as possible, but one of the great lessons
of philosophy is that our languages enable us to pose
questions that don't have answers. Such as whether
our universe is a simulation. We may as well believe
the simulator is called god and that he occasionally
intervenes in his simulation to give comandments to
Moses or to send his son into it to provide moral
guidance. Humanity will be better off if we stick
with testable hypotheses.