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The article suggests this is a new idea. This isn't a new idea at all, it's been kicking around for years. Interesting but untestable, and has no effect on our

• whyenot 14y ago
  The article actually states quite clearly that it is not a new idea. This hypothesis—versions of which have been kicked around for centuries—is becoming the trippy notion of the moment for philosophers, with people like Nick Bostrom, the director of Oxford University’s Future of Humanity Institute, seriously considering the premise. Are we really sure it's untestable? It seems like something that might be worth thinking about. If we look in the right places (theoretical math, physics?) might we be able to see reflections of a world "outside"?
  • lukevdp 14y ago
    >>The article actually states quite clearly that it is not a new idea. I was talking about this bit, which is a bit lower: "but he is one of the first to argue we might already be living inside one." >>Are we really sure it's untestable? It seems like something that might be worth thinking about. If we look in the right places (theoretical math, physics?) might we be able to see reflections of a world "outside"? We can never be 100% sure it's untestable because it's impossible to prove a negative. But I put it in the same basket as testing the existance of a god.