Opinion | We Might Be in a Simulation. How Much Should That Worry Us? – The New York Times

But a brain-bending new book by the philosopher David Chalmers Reality+: Virtual Worlds and the Problems of Philosophy has turned me into a hard-core simulationist.

After reading and talking to Chalmers, I ve come to believe that the coming world of virtual reality might one day be regarded as every bit as real as real reality. If that happens, our current reality will instantly be cast into doubt; after all, if we could invent meaningful virtual worlds, isn t it plausible that some other civilization somewhere else in the universe might have done so, too? Yet if that s possible, how could we know that we re not already in its simulation?

via www.nytimes.com

I can’t get over the conclusion that this we-are-all-in-a-simulation notion is just plain stupid. As in, falling short of even total wankerhood. I mean, come on, man. This is what happens when you spend too much time sitting in front of your PC or staring into your phone. And it will probably get worse, too. But it means our national parks and monuments will be less crowded, so that’s good. David Chalmers seems like a smart enough guy, but he also seems to be on the lookout for the next really cool, fashionable idea.