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What is the real thing? Is there a grid at the bottom of the real universe or not? We can calculate what a world with no grid at the bottom would be like. Is

• lutusp 13y ago
  > Is there a grid at the bottom of the real universe or not? Wait -- we don't get to specify what criteria can be used to detect a simulation, from within the simulation. This is a classic case where Gödel's incompleteness theorems rule out any such determination. Very briefly, Gödel's incompleteness theorems say that, for any sufficiently complex system, there are true statements that cannot be proven from within that system, i.e. using the system's methods. This has obvious applicability to the question of a simulated universe and our ability to detect this fact from within the simulated universe. In short, this entire conversation is pointless except to say that it's pointless. Because of what Gödel proved, we cannot ever determine that we're in a simulation, from a perspective inside the simulation.