Are you living in a computer simulation?
This paper argues that at least one of the following propositions is true: (1) the human species is very likely to go extinct before reaching a "posthuman" stage; (2) any posthuman civilization is extremely unlikely to run a significant number of simulations of their evolutionary history (...
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
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Blackwell Publishing
2003
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| Subjects: |
| _version_ | 1797065624815403008 |
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| author | Bostrom, N |
| author2 | Scots Philosophical Club |
| author_facet | Scots Philosophical Club Bostrom, N |
| author_sort | Bostrom, N |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | This paper argues that at least one of the following propositions is true: (1) the human species is very likely to go extinct before reaching a "posthuman" stage; (2) any posthuman civilization is extremely unlikely to run a significant number of simulations of their evolutionary history (or variations thereof); (3) we are almost certainly living in a computer simulation. It follows that the belief that there is a significant chance that we will one day become posthumans who run ancestor-simulations is false, unless we are currently living in a simulation. A number of other consequences of this result are also discussed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-06T21:31:18Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:44c386c4-5d9e-4ecf-a47c-9631a2a59747 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-06T21:31:18Z |
| publishDate | 2003 |
| publisher | Blackwell Publishing |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:44c386c4-5d9e-4ecf-a47c-9631a2a597472022-03-26T15:03:41ZAre you living in a computer simulation?Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:44c386c4-5d9e-4ecf-a47c-9631a2a59747PhilosophyEnglishOxford University Research Archive - ValetBlackwell Publishing2003Bostrom, NScots Philosophical ClubUniversity of St AndrewsThis paper argues that at least one of the following propositions is true: (1) the human species is very likely to go extinct before reaching a "posthuman" stage; (2) any posthuman civilization is extremely unlikely to run a significant number of simulations of their evolutionary history (or variations thereof); (3) we are almost certainly living in a computer simulation. It follows that the belief that there is a significant chance that we will one day become posthumans who run ancestor-simulations is false, unless we are currently living in a simulation. A number of other consequences of this result are also discussed. |
| spellingShingle | Philosophy Bostrom, N Are you living in a computer simulation? |
| title | Are you living in a computer simulation? |
| title_full | Are you living in a computer simulation? |
| title_fullStr | Are you living in a computer simulation? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Are you living in a computer simulation? |
| title_short | Are you living in a computer simulation? |
| title_sort | are you living in a computer simulation |
| topic | Philosophy |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT bostromn areyoulivinginacomputersimulation |