As physics shines more light on the nature of our universe, Nick Bostrom’s simulation argument has received more attention. Last week, the New York Times cited Bostrom’s work in explaining why physicists are conducting certain experiments.
By searching for asymmetries that could occur as a result of being in a simulation, physicists hope to test the simulation hypothesis. It should be noted that the simulation hypothesis is distinct from the simulation argument – the likelihood of being in a simulation is contingent on our beliefs on how likely a technologically mature civilisation is to exist, and how likely they are to develop offspring simulations. For a full review of the simulation argument, see here. For the New York Times article, see here.